The short answer
There is no reliable completion promise that fits every property. The useful question is which specific item is outstanding, who is responsible for it and what can happen next. A chain, lender or management company can affect the timetable as well as the legal team.
Ask for the blocker, its owner and the next update date.Replace ‘any update?’ with a specific question
Ask your conveyancer for the main outstanding items and which ones prevent exchange. A case can have plenty of activity while one crucial answer is still missing.
Use a short list with four columns: item, person responsible, action required and expected update. This gives your next conversation a purpose and helps separate your own paperwork from something only another organisation can supply.
Recognise the different dependencies
A mortgage offer may be awaiting documents, searches may be outstanding, or a seller's reply may require evidence from a third party. Leasehold management information and chain coordination can introduce further dependencies.
Ask whether other work can continue in parallel. Some tasks can move forward while an answer is awaited; others cannot responsibly be completed without it. Your conveyancer should explain the difference for your file.
Still choosing a conveyancer?
Get a quote for your planned move. If you already have a firm, discuss any switch and its costs first.
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Remove the delays you control
Return complete forms, respond to questions accurately and provide the requested funds evidence in the agreed format. Tell your team about price changes, gifts, lender changes and new deadlines immediately.
Send one complete answer where possible instead of a series of partial replies. If you cannot obtain a document, say what is missing and why so your conveyancer can consider the options.
If communication is the problem
Ask for the agreed update method, the person covering absences and a realistic response expectation. If you remain concerned, raise the issue with the firm's supervisor or use its published complaints process.
Switching firms can involve duplicate work, charges and lender checks. Before changing, find out what has been completed and what a new firm would need to repeat. A new provider cannot automatically remove a problem with the title or another party.
Your next steps
- Ask what prevents exchange now.
- Identify who owns each outstanding item.
- Agree the next action and update date.
- Consider the cost and timing before changing firms.
A little more clarity
Can my conveyancer guarantee a moving date?
A proposed timetable depends on the property, funding, other parties and outstanding work. Ask when the completion date becomes contractually agreed in your transaction.
Further reading
General information for England and Wales, not advice on your individual transaction. Millennium Legal is a referral and case management service, not a firm of solicitors. Your appointed firm provides legal advice. Check current official guidance and your own terms.
Now put a number to your next step.
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