Buying or selling a home is often described as one of life’s most stressful experiences. While agreeing a sale is exciting, the period between an offer being accepted and completion can sometimes feel like the longest part of the journey.
For many buyers and sellers, it’s not necessarily the delays themselves that cause the most frustration. It’s the uncertainty. Days or even weeks can pass without hearing anything, leaving people wondering whether their purchase is progressing, whether there’s a problem, or whether someone is waiting for information.
The reality is that much of the conveyancing process takes time. However, regular communication, even when there is little progress to report, can make the experience significantly less stressful.
What happens during conveyancing?
Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring ownership of a property from one person to another. Once an offer has been accepted, solicitors or licensed conveyancers begin carrying out the legal work required before contracts can be exchanged.
This typically includes:
- Carrying out local authority, environmental and water searches
- Reviewing title documents
- Raising enquiries with the seller’s solicitor
- Liaising with mortgage lenders
- Reviewing leasehold information where applicable
- Agreeing completion dates
- Preparing contracts for exchange
Some transactions progress quickly, while others can take several months depending on the complexity of the purchase, the length of the chain and how quickly third parties respond.
Why delays happen
It’s easy to assume that a lack of communication means nothing is happening. In reality, many delays are outside the control of your conveyancer.
For example, they may be waiting for:
- Local authority search results
- Replies to enquiries from the seller’s solicitor
- Mortgage lender instructions
- Leasehold management information
- Survey reports
- Documents from other parties in the property chain
These are all essential parts of the process, and unfortunately they don’t always move as quickly as everyone would like.
The communication gap
One of the biggest frustrations during conveyancing is simply not knowing where things stand. After a week or two without hearing anything, buyers and sellers often start asking questions.
Has my solicitor received the searches?
Is the other solicitor responding?
Is someone holding things up?
Has my mortgage offer arrived?
When there are no updates, it’s natural for people to start contacting estate agents, solicitors and even the other party directly in an attempt to understand what’s happening. Many buyers and sellers find themselves sending WhatsApp messages or emails asking if the other side has heard anything from their solicitor. Often, nobody has an answer.
Sometimes, “no update” is still an update
Communication doesn’t always need to involve major progress. Sometimes, a simple message can provide all the reassurance someone needs.
For example:
“We’re still waiting for the local authority search results.”
or
“The seller’s solicitor is responding to the enquiries we raised.”
or
“Everything is progressing as expected. There are no actions required from you at the moment.”
These updates may only take a minute or two to send, but they can significantly reduce uncertainty and prevent clients from feeling forgotten. Knowing that your transaction is still progressing, even if slowly, is often far more reassuring than hearing nothing at all.
Technology can help improve communication
Some conveyancers may already use online case tracking systems and secure client portals. Some may allow buyers and sellers to log in and check the progress of their transaction. Not all conveyancing solicitors offer this service though at the moment.
These tools can be extremely useful, particularly when they show which stage the transaction has reached and whether any actions are outstanding. Automated email or SMS updates can also keep clients informed when milestones are reached, such as searches being ordered, enquiries being received or contracts being issued.
However, technology should support communication rather than replace it. Sometimes, a short email or phone call from the person managing your case provides far greater reassurance than simply seeing a status update on a portal. The best client experience often combines technology with clear, personal communication.
Better communication benefits everyone
Regular updates aren’t just beneficial for buyers and sellers. They can also help reduce the number of incoming calls and emails received by conveyancing teams. When clients understand what’s happening, they’re less likely to contact their solicitor asking for progress updates.
That gives legal teams more time to focus on progressing transactions rather than responding to multiple requests for the same information. Estate agents also benefit from fewer chasing calls, while buyers and sellers feel more confident that their transaction is moving forward.
Setting expectations from the beginning
Not every stage of conveyancing can be accelerated. However, setting realistic expectations at the outset can make a significant difference. Explaining that local authority searches may take several weeks, or that leasehold transactions often involve additional enquiries, helps clients understand that delays don’t necessarily indicate a problem.
Combining this with regular progress updates creates a much more transparent experience. Even a brief email every few days confirming there is nothing new to report can reassure clients that their case remains active.
Small changes can improve the moving experience
There is no single solution that will remove every delay from the home buying and selling process.
Property chains will still exist.
Searches will still take time.
Mortgage lenders will still have their own processes.
However, improving communication is something that almost every organisation involved in the process can influence. Keeping buyers and sellers informed throughout their transaction helps build trust, reduces unnecessary stress and creates a better overall customer experience.
Final thoughts
Buying or selling a home will probably never be completely stress-free. However, for many people, the biggest frustration isn’t waiting a little longer for a search result or an enquiry to be answered. It’s wondering whether anyone is doing anything at all.
A short update every few days, even if it’s simply to say “there’s nothing new to report just yet” can make a world of difference.
Good communication won’t remove every delay, but it can remove much of the uncertainty that makes moving home feel more stressful than it needs to be.
