Who is to blame for the slow pace of buying a home? New research is set to reignite the long-running debate, pointing the finger largely at conveyancers for delays in progressing transactions.
The findings suggest that legal stages of the process remain one of the biggest bottlenecks, with issues such as slow searches, backlogs and poor communication frequently cited by buyers and estate agents.
However, the report also highlights that delays are rarely caused by a single factor, with lenders, surveyors and complex property chains all contributing to the drawn-out timeline – raising fresh questions over where responsibility really lies.
The survey of more than 1,000 recent UK homeowners, commissioned by Lyons Bowe and carried out by ProperPR, found that 65% of buyers identified conveyancing as the slowest stage of their purchase.
Overall timelines remain stretched. Some 72% of respondents said it took more than 12 weeks to get from offer accepted to completion. For a quarter, the process dragged on beyond 16 weeks, while 22% reported waiting more than 24 weeks – pushing transactions towards, or past, the six-month mark.
As a result, 63% said the process took longer than expected.
When asked where delays occur, conveyancing dominated by a wide margin. More than a quarter (27%) pointed to property chains as the biggest holdup, while mortgage approvals and valuations were each cited by just 4%.
The data also highlights the extent of delays within the legal stage itself. While 25% said conveyancing was completed within 12 weeks, 21% waited up to 16 weeks and nearly a quarter (24%) experienced delays beyond that.
Beyond speed, buyers also flagged complexity. More than half (54%) described dealing with conveyancers as the most difficult part of the process to navigate, and 74% said it involved the most back-and-forth – from repeated document requests to ongoing communication with solicitors.
Overall, 55% agreed that conveyancing directly slowed down their homebuying journey, reinforcing its role as the key bottleneck in the transaction process.
Paul Lyons, managing director at Lyons Bowe Solicitors, commented: “It’s not surprising that so many homebuyers feel conveyancing slows things down. The process sits at the centre of a property transaction and involves multiple parties, including solicitors, lenders, agents, buyers and sellers, all of whom are working to different timelines. Delays often stem from fragmented communication, repeated information requests, and a lack of visibility, which can leave buyers feeling out of control and uncertain about progress.”
“Delays are rarely caused by a single factor, with lenders, surveyors and complex property chains all contributing to the drawn-out timeline – raising fresh questions over where responsibility really lies.”
What is conveyancing? Conveyancing is the legal and administrative process of transferring property ownership from a seller to a buyer.
So, to answer the question: Are conveyancers the main culprit? No, it would appear that neither conveyancing or conveyancers (per se) are the main culprit, but that the process and the many pieces involved are.
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