The number of weeks a property transaction can take varies from a minimum of 12 weeks to anything up to over five months. To speed up this process you can help your estate agent, conveyancer or solicitor, and mortgage advisors by gathering all the necessary paperwork and information you’ll need before your house sale starts.   

It is well known that the pre-exchange period is part of the process that is most prone to delays, so it is at this point where you can expect a lot of back and forth between all parties involved — especially if you’re part of a chain.

Help to get your prepared

Using Propertymark’s Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) has consistently sped up the process as it is designed to retrieve the majority of the information needed at this stage of the process right at the start of the sale. It can then be shared between all the relevant parties and shows all the information an agent needs to start to market the property properly.

Speak to your estate agent about our PIQ, you can download it below. It will save you time and money and takes away a lot of the problems that so often occur in a property sale—complete it before your house is sale-ready. 

Other paperwork
Alongside the PIQ, you will also need copies of a handful of paperwork, including:

  • a copy of the lease (if the property is leasehold)
  • documentation related to the freehold (if a freehold property)
  • FENSA certificates for replacement windows
  • your Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
  • relevant building restrictions
  • building regulation certificate when alterations have taken place
  • Gas Safety certificate for a new boiler
Speak to your mortgage adviser when buying a house

You should speak to a mortgage adviser to confirm your budget and get an agreement in principle from them. You will receive a formal mortgage offer once your offer is accepted, remember this will only be valid for a set time frame. You will need to start the process again if you don’t manage to complete it before it expires.

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Choosing a conveyancer or solicitor

A solicitor or conveyancer will handle the legal transfer of your property. They are a vital part of the process so it’s important to pick one that’s right for you.

Top tips to speed up your house sale

Take your time, but not too much, and keep in contact
Don’t rush anything but equally don’t sit on things for weeks as you’ll be holding up the process. Accept that normal life may need to take a back seat until you have exchanged contracts.

Make sure you’re fully contactable—even if you’re on holiday. Be sure to keep in regular contact with your solicitor and estate agent so that you’re up to speed with what’s going on throughout the process. To help keep things moving, you might want to agree on a weekly update between all parties at the start of the process to reduce the chances of any miscommunication or misunderstanding.

Set a target end date
By agreeing on a realistic target date for exchange, everyone has a set deadline to work towards and this should give the process more impetus and structure. If one side or both sides aren’t in a rush to move, build in some extra time between exchange and completion rather than being too flexible with the exchange date.

Keep on top of things
It’s important to stay in the loop because if you understand what needs to be done, and by when, it’s easier for you to manage the sale process and keep on top of what needs chasing up.


Are you Propertymark Protected? 

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Choosing the right estate agent is essential to a quick sale. Look for someone local who has had experience selling properties like yours, and by using one of our members you are guaranteed to be consulting with a professional agent who will give you up-to-date advice and guidance along the way.