How to Speed Up Your Conveyancing Process 

The conveyancing process has earned a reputation for being frustratingly slow, with buyers and sellers often waiting months between accepted offers and completion. Whilst some delays stem from factors beyond anyone’s control—local authority search backlogs, complex legal issues, or coordination challenges in lengthy chains—many aspects of conveyancing can be accelerated through proactive engagement and informed decision-making. 

Understanding where delays typically occur and what actions you can take to minimise them transforms the experience from passive waiting to active participation. Working with an expert property conveyancer who prioritises efficiency provides a solid foundation, but your own responsiveness and preparation significantly influence how quickly your transaction progresses. These practical strategies can help you navigate the conveyancing journey more swiftly without compromising the thoroughness necessary to protect your interests. 

Choose Your Conveyancer Wisely 

Speed begins with conveyancer selection. When evaluating firms, ask specific questions about their average completion times, staffing levels, and workload management. Conveyancers with dedicated case handlers and efficient technology systems—online portals, automated updates, digital document management—generally outpace those still operating on paper-based processes. 

Avoid selecting conveyancers solely on price. Budget firms often achieve low fees through high-volume models where individual transactions receive minimal attention. The money saved evaporates quickly if delays cost you additional mortgage fees or extended rental payments. 

Respond Promptly to All Requests 

Perhaps the single most impactful action you can take is responding immediately to your conveyancer’s requests. Every time you delay providing information, signing documents, or answering questions, you add days to the process—and in chains, your delays impact everyone else involved. 

Set up alerts for emails from your conveyancer and prioritise responding to them. If they request identification documents, provide them the same day. When contracts arrive for signature, return them within 24 hours. Many conveyancers report that client responsiveness represents the primary variable influencing transaction speed. 

Get Your Finances Organised Early 

Financial preparation accelerates transactions dramatically. For buyers, obtain a mortgage agreement in principle before making offers and ensure your deposit sits in an accessible account. When your conveyancer requests proof of funds, provide comprehensive documentation immediately, including bank statements, documentation of any gifts from family members, and evidence of fund sources. 

Sellers should clarify their mortgage redemption process early. Contact your lender to understand exactly what’s required and how long they need to provide final statements. Some lenders require several weeks’ notice, and discovering this late creates unnecessary delays. 

Order Searches Promptly and Consider Expedited Options 

Searches typically represent the longest single stage in conveyancing, with local authority searches often taking 4-6 weeks or longer. Your conveyancer should order searches immediately upon receiving your instructions rather than waiting for other elements to complete. 

Consider paying for expedited searches where available. Many local authorities offer faster-track services for additional fees—typically £30-50—that can reduce search timeframes by several weeks. For most buyers, this small additional cost proves worthwhile given the time saved. 

Prepare Property Information Thoroughly 

Sellers can significantly accelerate the process by gathering information proactively. Compile documents relating to any building work completed—planning permissions, building regulation certificates, and guarantees for items like replacement windows or damp-proofing treatments. 

Prepare comprehensive answers to the property information form questions. Rather than providing minimal responses that prompt follow-up enquiries, give detailed explanations that pre-emptively address likely questions. Create a file containing utility bills, service charge statements for leasehold properties, and documentation of any indemnity insurance policies. 

Communicate Proactively and Decisively 

Don’t wait for your conveyancer to chase you for updates. If circumstances change—you 

need to adjust the completion date or you’ve discovered information relevant to the transaction—inform your conveyancer immediately. 

When surveys or searches reveal problems, address them decisively rather than allowing issues to linger whilst you deliberate. Decide quickly whether you want to renegotiate the price, request remedial work, or accept the property as-is. Indecision creates stagnation and adds delays to completion. 

Leverage Technology 

Modern conveyancing increasingly uses technology to accelerate processes. Online portals allow you to track progress, upload documents, and complete forms without postal delays. Digital signatures enable contract execution without printing, signing, scanning, or posting documents. 

Ensure you’re comfortable using whatever technology your conveyancer provides. Delays whilst you work out how to access portals or upload documents waste time that could easily be avoided with brief familiarisation. 

Manage Chain Coordination 

In chains, your transaction speed depends partly on others. However, you can still exert 

influence. Encourage all parties to exchange conveyancer contact details, enabling direct communication between solicitors rather than relaying messages through estate agents. 

Be prepared to be flexible about completion dates if this helps maintain chain momentum. Sometimes being the party who accommodates others’ preferences prevents chain collapses that would ultimately delay you far longer than the compromise requires. 

Be Realistic About What You Cannot Control 

Some delays simply cannot be avoided. Local authorities experiencing backlogs, complex title issues requiring legal research, or leasehold properties where management companies take weeks to provide information all create delays beyond your or your conveyancer’s control. 

In these situations, focus on ensuring all elements within your control proceed efficiently, minimising the overall impact of unavoidable delays. Maintain regular communication with your conveyancer without becoming a nuisance—a brief weekly email requesting updates keeps your transaction visible without wasting time that could be spent progressing your case. 

Conclusion 

Accelerating your conveyancing process requires combining the right professional support with your own proactive engagement. Selecting an efficient conveyancer provides the foundation, but your responsiveness, preparation, and decisive decision-making determine how quickly that foundation translates into completion. 

Whilst conveyancing will likely never be rapid by most standards, understanding where time is typically lost and taking concrete steps to minimise these delays can reduce completion times significantly—potentially by several weeks compared to passive approaches. The combination of an expert property conveyancer and an engaged, responsive client creates the optimal conditions for swift, smooth transactions that protect everyone’s interests whilst respecting the urgency that property purchases and sales naturally create.