More than 60% of property sales now exceed the six-month validity period of standard searches, creating delays and additional costs for those involved.
Data from property analytics firm TwentyEA reveals that 60.8% of transactions reaching exchange in 2026 will take over six months from when an estate agent was first instructed. This figure has nearly doubled since 2019, when only 36% of sales took that long.
Searches expire before deals complete
Most local authority and environmental searches remain valid for six months. After expiration, lenders typically refuse to release mortgage funds unless the searches are renewed or indemnity insurance is secured.
The average home purchase now takes about seven months from listing to exchange, compared with 5.5 months in 2019. The delay isn’t due to finding a buyer—listing to sale agreed still averages 2.5 months—but the period between sale agreed and exchange, which has grown from three months to nearly four and a half.
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TwentyEA director Nick Huntley stated that these delays increase fall-through rates and can disrupt entire property chains. He explained that late surprises and repeated searches create problems that were rare a few years ago.
Government reforms could shift the model
The government’s proposed home buying reforms seek to reduce delays by requiring sellers to provide upfront information, including property searches and eventually a condition report, when listing a home.
Huntley noted that the change would shift transactions from a buyer-led process to one where sellers provide key details early. Buyers and their advisers would then have the necessary information from the start, which should accelerate decisions and minimize last-minute issues.
Some buyers choose to walk away rather than incur these expenses, further increasing the fall-through rate.
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TwentyEA’s findings also show weakening demand despite a slight rise in supply. The number of properties coming to market increased 2.4% year-on-year to 1.1 million, but sales subject to contract dropped 5.1% to 736,000. Demand fell across all price bands and regions, with flats experiencing the sharpest decline—a 9.1% drop in sales compared to 2023.
Detached and semi-detached homes saw smaller decreases of 4.3% and 4.6%, though sales for all three types remain above 2019 levels.
For now, the six-month window remains standard, forcing buyers and sellers to work within a system where the countdown begins when a property is listed, not when an offer is accepted.
