What can hold up exchange of contracts?
Sometimes an exchange of contracts can be delayed because of blockers that are out of your control and need to be solved before the purchase can be completed.
The most common reasons why exchange can be held up include:
Buyer or seller hesitancy
Whether it’s because they’re wobbling over the transaction itself, or are just ill-prepared, the other side can get in the way of progress. Good communication between agents and both parties’ conveyancers can help nudge them along, but often it’s a case of being patient and waiting for the other side to make up their minds.
Delays with the mortgage provider
Your mortgage in principle should be sorted out at the earliest stage of the transaction. However, if someone on the chain hasn’t secured theirs ahead of time, or they have had to re-apply, waiting for their mortgage to be approved can hold things up.
Delays with searches or enquiries
If the search provider is slow at completing and sending the conveyancing searches, you are held up as your conveyancer or solicitor cannot review the paperwork or raise necessary enquiries without the results. Additionally, if the searches raise issues, and enquiries need to be sent, if the other party is slow to respond to, this can cause further delays.
Hold-ups in the chain
Even if it’s not because of your own sale or purchase, if one part of the chain is being slow to respond, or dragging their feet, this can cause hold-ups all along the chain.
There’s also the risk of ‘gazumping’; when the seller accepts an offer from another buyer. Unfortunately, gazumping isn't illegal; your agreement with the seller is not legally binding until after contracts have been exchanged. If anyone in the chain does this, the whole chain is then impacted.
For more information on the conveyancing, read our complete guide to conveyancing for buyers and our complete guide for sellers.