How to speed up the conveyancing process
Buying or selling your home is exciting! Let’s be honest though: the legal process can feel horribly slow. Between paperwork, searches, and signatures, it’s easy for weeks to slip by while you wait for the next scrap of news.
What can you do in the meantime to help things move faster? A few simple steps before, and during the conveyancing process, can make a huge difference to how smoothly and quickly your move progresses.
The first thing to know is that your conveyancer should be both experienced and, preferably, qualified, because they will be able to handle unforeseen issues that crop up on your deeds and resolve them quicker than a case handler. Qualified conveyancers do not typically need someone else to 'check' their file before proceeding to exchange contracts, so choosing someone who has formally studied and obtained a conveyancing license can and does help chains complete that much faster.
Have you known someone who was 'about to exchange contracts' and suddenly, no one has, because a conveyancer is having their file 'signed off'? This is a frustrating delay that we want you to avoid. Luckily at Clear Conveyancing, Nikki Shorto has been qualified since 2021 and has worked as a Compliance and Legal Office Director, so we don't have to wait to progress your sale or purchase.
Qualified or not, a good conveyancer is on your side. Conveyancing is not contentious; that means no one is trying to argue or debate a point, but rather to negotiate and find a middle ground that makes the buyer and seller content. So bearing this in mind, here are more tips to help your conveyancer help you complete quicker.
Get your property deeds ready
If you are selling property, one of the best things you can do to save time and stress is to find your deeds now.
If your property is registered with HM Land Registry, your conveyancer will obtain an electronic copy called an Official Copy to use. If your property is unregistered, that means that the deeds are only in paper form and you likely have a bundle of them stored in a safe place. The same important details are required, whether your property is registered or unregistered. Under English and Welsh property law, your property cannot be sold without its deeds, because the deeds prove your ownership of it.
Check and update the title deeds
If there has been a change of ownership that is not yet reflected in the title deeds, it is important to have them updated before the sale starts to save time later. If you are not sure whether your deeds are up to date, please let us know and we will check the details for you.
Common examples include:
- A name change after marriage or divorce.
- The property being transferred into joint names.
- A recent inheritance that has not yet been registered.
In these cases, the Land Registry will need to see evidence such as a marriage certificate, grant of probate, death certificate, or power of attorney to support the application. Having these documents ready will allow your conveyancer to make a complete application and have the title updated swiftly. We do anything to avoid delays around here!
Management packs for leasehold properties
If you are selling a leasehold property, a management pack will have a big part to play in helping things move along at pace. Your buyer and their conveyancer both need detailed information about the building, amount of ground rent, breakdown of historic service charges, buildings insurance and more.
As a seller, the sooner you can supply this management pack, the better. Managing agents work at different speeds, so unfortunately in some cases, the pack can take several weeks to arrive. This causes many sales to stutter to a halt while everyone waits for the pack to be reviewed and reported on.
If you want to be super proactive, you can move your sale forward quicker by requesting the management pack directly from the managing agent. Remember to send it to your conveyancer to review. There is no need to contact your buyer directly with it: the pack and any enquiries about it must go through your conveyancer.
Get your mortgage redemption statement
If you have a mortgage on the property, your conveyancer will need a redemption statement from your lender. This statement will show the exact amount needed to repay the mortgage on the anticipated day of completion.
You can speed things up by contacting your lender early to request this. Even if the figure changes closer to completion, your conveyancer will have the key details ready to finalise the financial side without delay.
Note: If you have a private loan registered against your title deeds and need to repay an individual on completion, please let us know about this as soon as possible. Individuals may not be quick to respond or provide necessary repayment details.
Respond quickly to information requests
Many delays happen simply because documents or questions sit unanswered.
Once your conveyancer starts work, help them to respond to requests for information or documents promptly: whether that is to return ID documents, sign a form, or confirm details about fixtures, boundaries, or guarantees. The faster you are able to respond… you know what we are going to say: the faster you can complete your sale!
A quick email or call could save days, sometimes even weeks, in the overall timeline. That’s why at Clear Conveyancing, we are not shy of the phone and will actively call around the chain to resolve an issue quicker than it can be done by email.
Keep communication clear and consistent
Finally, make sure everyone stays connected. Keep your conveyancer, estate agent, and mortgage lender informed at each stage. If something changes, such as your moving date or financial circumstances, you must let them know straight away.
Smooth communication between all parties helps to prevent misunderstandings, and encourages everyone to keep the momentum going instead of allowing doubt about completion to creep in.
Let us help you move faster
We believe that proactive, clear communication, makes all the difference.
From the moment you instruct us, we guide you through what we need and by when. We request key documents early, explain every step in plain English, and keep you updated from start to finish. You have better things to do than wonder if we are busy chasing things along for you, so we ensure that you never have to prompt us for news.
Whether you are buying or selling, we help you stay one step ahead and get to completion day sooner than you thought possible.
Ready to get underway?
If you’d like to make your next move smooth, simple, and stress free, talk to Clear today.
Go to our Buying or Selling pages to see how we’ll keep your move on track with Clear updates, friendly communication, and no unnecessary delays.