10 ways to speed up your conveyancing process

Key takeaways to help speed up your conveyancing process:

Worried your conveyancing is taking too long? Read our FAQs to discover what you can do to speed up the process.

Why can conveyancing be so slow?

Many buyers ask us this, especially when it feels like conveyancing is taking too long. Often, it’s the case that disorganisation and poor communication along the chain slows down the conveyancing process. The average conveyancing timeline in the UK is 14–22 weeks, but being organised, responding quickly and choosing the right conveyancer can help you complete sooner and speed up the conveyancing process where possible.

At My Home Move Conveyancing, we use smart digital tools such as the online case management portal eWay to keep your home move moving. With 24/7 access from your phone or computer, you can review progress, upload documents securely, receive instant notifications and track every milestone in real time. This reduces the need for posted paperwork or waiting for phone calls, helping prevent delays and keeping you in control of your timeline. eWay gives you confidence that your case is progressing, even when you’re busy with everyday life.

10 steps to speed up the conveyancing process

The conveyancing process is the legal work needed for buying a property. It involves legal checks, financial approvals and communication between multiple parties, which can add time if not managed well. This often leads to concerns that a conveyancing delay for a UK property is unavoidable, which doesn’t have to be the case.

From the time your offer gets accepted to when you finally receive the keys to your new home, there are many tasks and checks to complete. If you are worried about what to do if your conveyancer is taking too long, following the tips below can help keep things moving smoothly and reduce avoidable delays.

Understanding the conveyancing process

Conveyancing is the legal process that helps transfer ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer. It’s helpful to understand who is involved and what each stage includes, so you know what could impact the timeline and why conveyancing can be slow in some cases.

The conveyancing process includes many steps, such as checking titles, doing property searches, getting mortgage approvals, and negotiating contracts. Many people are also involved, such as buyers, sellers, solicitors, lenders, estate agents and local authorities. Any delay from one party can affect everyone in the chain, and is a major reason why some buyers feel their solicitor is taking too long with their house purchase. To keep things moving smoothly, it is important to have good coordination and clear communication.

The role of conveyancers and solicitors in property transactions

Whether you pick a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer, or a specialist conveyancing firm, these legal experts complete the same steps and are key to your property transaction.

Your conveyancer will manage important parts of the process. They will do property searches, write and check contracts, handle mortgage paperwork, manage the transfer of money, and deal with the legal details to ensure your property purchase goes smoothly and on time. They will also communicate with others involved, like the seller’s solicitor, your mortgage lender, and estate agents.

Having an experienced professional to help you through what can be a tricky legal process not only gives you peace of mind, but it also helps protect your interests during the property purchase. Knowing how to ask your solicitor for an update politely and regularly can make a big difference if progress slows. A proactive conveyancer will help prevent delays and explain what is happening at each stage, helping you avoid situations where you feel like the conveyancing process is slowing down

Beginner’s guide to speeding up conveyancing

Going through the conveyancing process for the first time can seem like a new language. The more informed you are about the UK property process, the less likely you are to experience your conveyancing taking too long due to avoidable hang-ups. If you are proactive, organised and a good communicator, you can greatly reduce delays by following these steps:

How To Speed Up Conveyancing

Step 1: Instruct your conveyancer early

When it comes to buying or selling a property, acting quickly is very important. This prevents a conveyancing delay at the very beginning of your transaction. Instead of waiting for your offer to be accepted, think about instructing a conveyancer as soon as you decide to make a move. By hiring your conveyancer early and promptly completing any onboarding tasks, they are able to start working as soon as your offer is accepted. This can save you valuable time during those important early moments by letting them start the initial formalities, like anti-money laundering checks and gathering important information, without slowing down the conveyancing process.

Remember, being proactive in the conveyancing process can really help avoid unnecessary delays, especially if you’re worried about your conveyancing taking too long or experiencing a delay right from the start.

Step 2: Secure your mortgage in principle

Before you start looking at properties, it’s smart to get a mortgage agreement in principle (AIP). This is also called a decision in principle or a mortgage promise. You can get this document from most mortgage lenders or through a mortgage broker. It acts as a pre-approval, letting you know how much money a lender is likely to give you based on your financial situation.

An AIP helps you know your budget. It removes doubts about how much you can borrow and can speed up the mortgage application process once you find the home you want. Plus, it also makes you a stronger buyer. Sellers and estate agents will see you as serious because your finances are ready and can put you in a stronger position for negotiating a better price on the property you wish to buy.

This early confidence means you can secure a property faster and avoid delays at a later stage, helping support quick conveyancing.

Step 3: Utilise online conveyancing tools

Technology is changing the way we handle conveyancing. Picking a conveyancer who uses digital systems can help make the process faster and better, as it reduces paper communication, speeding up the overall timeline by days or even weeks.

Online conveyancing tools also let clients get real-time updates, track their progress, upload and sign documents online, and communicate safely with their conveyancer. Some firms also use automated or AI-assisted tools for tasks like ID verification, anti-money laundering checks and document processing, which can streamline early-stage checks and reduce duplication of tasks.

At My Home Move Conveyancing, our customers have access to modern digital platforms that give you clear visibility over your case and let you complete key tasks online. With technology that speeds up checks like ID and AML, the process becomes more streamlined, helping your move progress with fewer delays.

Step 4: Submit property information forms promptly

If you’re selling, your conveyancer will give you property information forms to complete and return. The key forms are:

If you’re buying, you don’t need to complete these forms - instead, you will receive the seller’s completed TA6 and TA10 to review.

It is very important to complete (or review) these forms correctly and on time. Doing this helps avoid delays later on. When sellers provide thorough and quick answers, conveyancers have everything they need to work efficiently and answer any questions from the other side. Make sure to carefully review, complete and send these forms back to your conveyancer as soon as you can, especially if you are concerned about conveyancing taking too long further down the line.

Step 5: Arrange your property survey early

While lenders usually do a mortgage valuation, it is advisable to get an independent property survey. A valuation mostly checks how much the property is worth for lending. On the other hand, a survey will give you a detailed look at the property's condition. It can find any problems, defects, or maintenance needs in the property before you sign on the dotted line.

Hiring a surveyor early, soon after your offer is accepted, lets you take your time to look at the findings. You can address any worries and even change the purchase price based on what you find out in the survey. This careful approach can help you avoid delays from unexpected issues. It gives you peace of mind about the property's condition and can help you save money on repairs in the future, and it can help explain why conveyancing may be slower if major issues appear at this point in the process.

Get a quote for your survey.

Step 6: Keep your documentation ready and organised

The paperwork is very important in conveyancing. You need to keep all your property-related documents organised and make sure you have copies of key papers like your mortgage agreement, proof of identification, proof of funds, and any messages from your estate agent or solicitor.

If you can access these documents quickly, it saves time and shows others that you are efficient. Having everything in order helps your solicitor do their work more easily and answer questions faster, keeping your property transaction on track.

Think about using digital folders to save electronic copies of your documents. This way, you can find and share them easily when you need to. This is especially helpful when using a conveyancer with an online portal that accepts electronic document submissions, as your files will already be organised and in the correct format to upload.

Step 7: Communicate efficiently with your estate agent

While your solicitor takes care of legal matters, your estate agent can be vital for communication and keeping progress on track. It’s good to talk openly and regularly with your estate agent. Ask for updates about the sale or purchase. If you have questions or concerns, reach out to them. Make sure they have your current contact details. Estate agents often know about possible delays before they happen and can help fix them quickly.

Their knowledge of the local market, possible buyers, and the overall process is very helpful. They also coordinate with other people involved. Keep in mind, your estate agent wants to see a successful and timely completion just like you do, and they can help if you are unsure what to do if you feel your conveyancer is slow.

Step 8: Understand insurance requirements before exchange

Before you exchange contracts, your conveyancing solicitor will explain your insurance responsibilities. It is a legal rule that you must get building insurance for your new property. This insurance needs to start on the day you exchange contracts. This way, you are protected in case of any unexpected damage or problems.

Also, many mortgage lenders want proof of building insurance before they give you the money. Start looking for and comparing building insurance policies early to avoid last-minute rushes.

By taking care of your insurance needs ahead of time, you can stop delays at the end of the conveyancing process, helping you to complete quickly.

Find out more about home insurance.

Step 9: Regularly follow up with your conveyancer or solicitor for updates

The conveyancing process can seem confusing. Don't hesitate to ask your conveyancer and estate agent for regular updates. Plan to check in with them by email or phone. This will help you know how your transaction is going.

For a smoother and quicker conveyancing experience, it's important to keep an open and regular line of communication with everyone involved, especially if the timeline becomes a concern.

Step 10: Be ready to act quickly on queries and requests

Throughout the conveyancing process, your conveyancer will probably ask questions or request more information. Answering these questions quickly can help speed up the timeline. Delays can happen when you take too long to respond, causing issues in sharing information.

Make sure to check your emails and phone messages often. A fast conveyancing process relies on both you and your conveyancer responding to messages as soon as possible. If you need to collect any documents or information, do it as soon as you can to avoid slowing things down.

Acting quickly shows that you care about a smooth transaction. It also helps your conveyancer continue with their work without delay. Keep in mind that every day you save in responding could help you get the keys to your new home sooner, especially if you wish to speed up your house purchase and avoid delays.

Overcoming common conveyancing delays

Even if you plan well, delays can still happen. There can be issues with property titles, last-minute mortgage problems, and slow replies from others involved, and these unexpected delays can happen at any time. When this happens, it helps to know what to do and how to communicate expectations to your conveyancer or solicitor clearly.

Keep your solicitor informed

Good communication with your conveyancer is very important - if something changes in your circumstances and you don’t notify your solicitor quickly, that can become a key reason why conveyancing is so slow. This could be issues with your mortgage application or changes in your situation, or if the property has a complicated past, like previous changes or extensions without the right planning permission. They can help look into and fix any legal issues that may come up.

How to deal with slow solicitors or conveyancers

While you need to be organised and quick to respond, it can be frustrating when solicitors or conveyancers are slow. If your transaction feels like it’s dragging on, there are some good ways to handle it.

First, keep your communication with your conveyancer open and polite. Let them know your worries about how slow things are. Ask for simple explanations for any delays and ask for regular updates about your progress. Make sure to explain your timeline and why timely completion is important to you.

A good conveyancer should be giving you regular updates about the progress of your case and will act in your best interest.

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How To Speed Up Conveyancing: FAQs