Home sellers across parts of the UK are facing significant delays during the conveyancing process as Local Authority search turnaround times continue to rise, according to new analysis from House Buyer Bureau.
The research found that some councils are now taking more than 90 working days to return Local Authority search results, adding further strain to an already fragile sales market and increasing the risk of transactions collapsing before exchange.
Local Authority searches are a key part of the legal process when buying a home, covering issues including planning matters, land charges and restrictions attached to a property.
However, growing backlogs within councils are increasingly slowing down transactions.
LONGEST TURNAROUND
Bracknell Forest Borough Council currently has the longest average turnaround time in the UK at 92 working days, following an increase of 85 working days over the last two years, which House Buyer Bureau said has been largely linked to major IT system issues.
Elsewhere, the London Boroughs of Camden and Merton, alongside Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, are all averaging 52 working days for searches to be returned.
Merton has seen one of the sharpest increases, with turnaround times rising by 42 working days compared with 2024.
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council has also recorded a 42-day increase, with average search times now sitting at 47 working days.
Other councils currently averaging 42 working days include North East Derbyshire District Council, North Somerset Council, Oxford City Council and Tamworth Borough Council.
House Buyer Bureau says the growing delays are becoming a major factor behind stalled transactions and late-stage fall-throughs.
TOO LONG TO PROGRESS
Chris Hodgkinson (main picture, inset), Managing Director of House Buyer Bureau, says: “One of the biggest frustrations for sellers in the current market is that transactions are simply taking far too long to progress, and delays during the legal stages are becoming a major reason why so many sales are struggling to make it to exchange.
“When sellers accept an offer, many expect the hard part to be over. In reality, the process can then drag on for months whilst searches, legal enquiries and paperwork slowly work their way through the system.”
He adds: “The longer a transaction takes, the greater the chance that something goes wrong. Buyers lose patience, mortgage offers expire, circumstances change, chains break down, and sales that looked secure suddenly collapse before reaching the finish line.”
Hodgkinson said the delays are increasingly pushing sellers towards prioritising speed and certainty when choosing how to sell their homes.
