More than one in five homeowners see the time it takes from accepting an offer to sale completion take at least six months, it has been revealed.

At the same time, the survey of 1,000 homeowners suggested that 25% of homeowners saw this time frame extend to more than four months.

And seven out of 10 buyers said the process took more than three months.

Buying process

The survey by Lyons Bowe said a total of 22% of buyers saw the process take longer than six months.

With these time frames in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that 63% of buyers said the process took longer than expected.

It’s not surprising that so many homebuyers feel conveyancing slows things down.”

For the majority of respondents – at 65% – conveyancing was deemed to take the longest part of the buying process.

Meanwhile, 27% say chain-related issues took the longest to complete, followed by mortgage approvals at 4% and valuations at 4%.

Not only do buyers find conveyancing to be the slowest part of the buying journey, but according to 54%, it’s also the most complicated and difficult to navigate.

Paul Lyons, Managing Director of Lyons Bowe Solicitors, said: “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.