How Long Does Conveyancing Take on a Cash Sale?

Typical cash-sale timeline

A cash sale with no mortgage, no chain and a well-prepared file completes in 7–21 days. Here is the realistic week-by-week breakdown.

Days 1–2: Offer and acceptance

• Buyer inspects, agrees written offer
• Memorandum of sale issued to both solicitors
• Buyer proves funds (bank statement, source of funds)

Days 3–5: Instruction and searches

• Seller signs terms of engagement and returns ID
• Local authority search ordered (usually 5–10 working days in England, longer in some Welsh councils)
• Draft contract and title pack sent to buyer's solicitor

Days 6–10: Enquiries

• Buyer's solicitor raises pre-contract enquiries
• Seller returns TA6 (Property Information), TA10 (Fittings & Contents) and, if leasehold, TA7
• Any indemnity insurance policies (missing FENSA, unpermitted works) are agreed

Days 11–14: Exchange

• Contract signed by both sides
• Deposit sent (often not required in cash-buyer purchases)
• Completion date fixed

Day of completion

• Purchase monies sent by CHAPS in the morning
• Keys released to buyer's solicitor once funds arrive
• Any redemption of your mortgage is done on the same day

The five most common delays

1. Slow local authority search — Cornwall, Ceredigion, Powys and some London boroughs can take 3+ weeks. A personal search (regulated by the Search Code) is usually accepted and cuts this to 48 hours.
2. Missing paperwork — no FENSA for windows, no gas safety certificate for a recent boiler swap, no building regs sign-off for a loft or extension.
3. Leasehold management pack — freeholders and managing agents legally have 30 days and often take all of them.
4. Probate not yet granted — you cannot exchange contracts before grant is issued (typically 8–16 weeks from application).
5. Unknown charges on the title — old bankruptcy entry, historic second charge, restrictive covenant needing indemnity.

What sellers can do this week to shave 7 days

• Order your title from HM Land Registry (£3) and share it with your solicitor immediately
• Gather FENSA / EICR / gas / building-regs certificates in one folder
• If leasehold, request the management pack before the buyer's solicitor asks for it
• Complete TA6 and TA10 on day one instead of waiting for enquiries
• Sign your solicitor's ID checks online the day you're instructed

Our commitment

Quick Sales UK covers your legal fees, uses solicitors who commit to a 7-day target where the file allows, and does not tie you to a specific firm — you're free to use your own conveyancer.