House surveys represent another variable outlay, with costs running from £300 to £1,500 depending on the level of inspection. Moving Compared noted buyers who commission surveys report an average saving of £2,600, suggesting the upfront expense often pays for itself through renegotiation or issue identification before exchange.
For mortgage brokers advising clients on affordability, the sequencing of these costs matters as much as their size. Buyers already stretched to the limit of their borrowing capacity may find legal fees, search costs and survey charges land at precisely the moment their financial headroom is most constrained – between offer acceptance and exchange.
Where delays compound the pressure
The 170-day average timeline masks significant variation across transaction types. Leasehold purchases carry additional documentary requirements, including management packs, service charge histories, ground rent details and building safety records under post-Grenfell legislation. Each of these introduces a potential hold point that sits outside any individual buyer’s or solicitor’s control.
Chain transactions amplify the risk further. Moving Compared noted longer chains increase the likelihood a single delay cascades across multiple households simultaneously – a dynamic that has contributed to the one-in-five fall-through rate the company cited. Families coordinating moves around school terms or rental notice periods face additional scheduling constraints that make late-stage disruption particularly costly.
Brokers helping clients navigate these pressures are well placed to flag the importance of instructing a conveyancer early – ideally before a property is formally agreed – and of budgeting for the full range of transaction costs from the outset.