Why Is My Exchange of Contracts Taking So Long?
08/09/2026
You have packed half the kitchen, the removal company wants a date and everyone seems to be asking the same question: when are we going to exchange contracts?
At this point, it can feel as though everything is “with the solicitors”. However, exchange depends on several legal and practical pieces falling into place. Although it may not feel like it, important work is often happening behind the scenes.
Why do solicitors take so long to exchange contracts?
Before you exchange contracts, your conveyancer needs to be satisfied that it is safe for you to become legally committed to the purchase.
This can include checking the contract and legal title, reviewing searches, raising enquiries and considering the seller’s replies. If you have a mortgage, your conveyancer must also deal with your lender’s requirements.
Searches are a normal part of buying a property, and can include local authority, drainage and environmental searches.
There may also be issues that need further investigation. Perhaps an extension does not have the paperwork expected. There could be a restriction on the title, an unusual right of way or questions about the lease.
A conveyancer should progress matters promptly. But progressing quickly is not the same as skipping necessary checks.
After all, nobody wants to discover the problem with the house the day after collecting the keys.
What commonly delays exchange of contracts?
One difficulty with conveyancing is the number of people involved.
Your conveyancer may be waiting for:
- searches to be returned
- replies from the seller’s solicitor
- mortgage lender requirements
- missing certificates or property documents
- information from a freeholder or managing agent
- another buyer or seller elsewhere in the chain
Leasehold transactions can involve additional information about the lease, service charges and management arrangements.
Then there is the property chain.
Think of it like trying to arrange dinner with eight people in a group chat. You may reply immediately but that does not mean everybody else will.
One transaction not being ready can prevent several others from exchanging.
What can I do to speed up exchange of contracts?
There are several things buyers and sellers can do to avoid unnecessary delays.
Return forms and signed documents promptly. Complete identity and source-of-funds checks as early as possible. Solicitors are required to carry out identity checks and, where appropriate, establish where transaction funds have come from.
Buyers should also progress their mortgage and survey promptly.
If you are selling, gather certificates, guarantees and paperwork relating to alterations or building work early. Leasehold sellers should be particularly prepared for additional information to be required.
Most importantly, tell your conveyancer about anything unusual at the start. A gifted deposit, for example, is much easier to deal with when your solicitor knows about it early.
What does my conveyancer do to keep things moving?
A conveyancer is not just waiting for exchange day. They will review the paperwork, order searches, identify potential problems and raise enquiries. They may also chase outstanding information, communicate with the lender and prepare the documents needed for exchange.
The Law Society’s Conveyancing Protocol sets out a recognised framework for progressing residential property transactions.
The aim should be to exchange as quickly as the transaction can safely allow.
Is it common for exchange of contracts to be delayed?
Yes. Delays in property transactions are common, although there is no single “normal” exchange delay.
Something straightforward may add only a few days. A complicated legal issue, slow third party or problem elsewhere in the chain could add several weeks.
The wider process is not particularly quick either. Government guidance currently says buying a home takes around five months on average, and it can take longer when there is a chain.
Rather than simply asking, “Why hasn’t exchange happened?”, it can be more useful to ask: what exactly is outstanding, who are we waiting for and is it being chased?
What should I do if my house seller is delaying exchange?
First, establish what is actually causing the delay.
Ask your conveyancer what remains outstanding. The estate agent can also speak to the seller and help establish what is happening elsewhere in the chain.
Make sure everything on your side is ready too. If the seller continues to delay, speak to your conveyancer about the practical options available and whether a realistic target date can be agreed.
In England and Wales, an offer to buy a property is generally not legally binding until contracts are exchanged.
Waiting to exchange contracts?
Delays are frustrating, particularly when your move depends on other people.
Clear communication makes it much easier to understand where matters stand and what needs to happen next.
If you are buying or selling a property, contact JR Levins for conveyancing advice from a local team you can rely on.
