My buyer hasn't ordered searches yet. Should I worry?

A quiet patch after a sale is agreed is one of the most common things sellers worry about, and most of the time it is the process working normally rather than a sale going wrong. This guide explains when searches are usually ordered, how long they take in 2026, what counts as normal, and how to read whether your buyer is genuinely committed.

What are property searches?

Property searches are the formal checks a buyer's conveyancer makes before contracts are exchanged. They cover what the local council knows about the property and the land around it, whether the roads serving it are publicly maintained, how it is connected to drainage and water, and environmental risks such as contaminated land or flooding.

A local authority search is the main one. It comes in two parts: the LLC1, which lists charges and restrictions like listed-building status, conservation areas, and tree protection orders, and the CON29, which covers planning history, road schemes, and nearby environmental concerns.

When are property searches usually ordered?

Searches are rarely the first thing to happen. The buyer's solicitor first opens the file, runs identity and anti-money-laundering checks, and receives the draft contract pack from your solicitor. Only then are searches usually ordered, which is typically two to four weeks after the sale is agreed.

Many buyers also wait for their mortgage offer before paying for searches. Searches cost money the buyer cannot get back if the purchase falls through, so it is normal and sensible for a careful buyer to hold off until their lender has formally approved the loan.

How long do property searches take in 2026?

The government target for a local authority search is a maximum of 10 working days, but real timescales vary widely by council. In 2025 some councils were returning searches within 48 hours while others took 25 working days or more, with St Helens reported at up to 45 days. A slow result is often the council's backlog, not your buyer dragging their feet.

What is normal, and what is an actual red flag?

How do I tell if my buyer is actually committed?

Read a buyer's commitment by what they have spent and instructed, not by what they say. "We love the house" is enthusiasm, not commitment. Real commitment shows up as money put down and professionals instructed.

• Their solicitor is instructed and they have paid money on account.
• Their identity and anti-money-laundering checks are done.
• Their mortgage application is submitted, and ideally a formal offer has been issued.
• A survey is booked or already done.
• Searches have been ordered and paid for.

The more of these a buyer has done, the more skin they have in the game. A buyer who has paid a solicitor, applied for a mortgage, and ordered searches has spent real money and is far less likely to walk away than one who has done none of it.

What should I do while I wait?

1. 1. Get a written progress update

   Ask your estate agent to confirm in writing whether the buyer's solicitor is instructed and whether the mortgage application has gone in.

2. 2. Keep your own side moving

   Confirm your solicitor is instructed and has sent out the draft contract pack. This is inexpensive and keeps momentum on your side of the sale.

3. 3. Find out what the buyer is waiting for

   Ask, through your agent, whether the buyer is waiting on their mortgage offer before ordering searches. That single answer explains most quiet patches.

4. 4. Hold the costly moves

   Wait before paying for a leasehold or management information pack, ordering your own searches, or taking the home fully off the market, until the buyer has put their own money down.

5. 5. Set a clear checkpoint

   If there is still no solicitor instructed and no mortgage application four weeks after the sale was agreed, ask your agent to get a clear reason in writing before you commit anything further.

Can I keep my house on the market while I wait?

You can. Many sellers quietly stay listed, or keep taking second viewings, until the buyer shows real financial commitment. Coming fully off the market is one of the few early moves that costs you leverage if the buyer later pulls out, so it makes sense to gate that decision on the buyer having put their own money down first.

ValuQ is a UK platform that gives homeowners free, side-by-side property valuations from competing local estate agents, so you keep control of the timeline and the choice of agent from the very start of a sale.