As the leaves turn from green to red and gold and the mornings have that cold crisp air, we know Autumn has officially begun. While this season is known for its cozy evenings and beautiful setting, it is one of the busiest times of the year for conveyancers. As we get through Autumn the Christmas deadline gets closer and closer and the pressure increases on conveyancers to meet those tight deadlines alongside the demands of their clients.
So what is conveyancing like during autumn and what can we expect?
Lots of transactions!
Looking at the transaction data (for England and Wales) for the last 4 years, it’s clear to see that between September and November is the busiest time of the year for transactions. Often beginning in August, these transactions take months of hard work reach completion stage and each matter presents their own challenges. Although the number of transactions vary over the last 4 years, they’re roughly between 280,000 and 315,000. This means there are plenty of transactions available for firms to take advantage of in the last quarter of the year (Based on the National Statistics monthly transaction data).
The Weather!
The changing weather can also introduce its own issues at this time of year, with rain, shorter daylight hours, and potential flooding conveyancers need to stay ahead of the usual weather-related challenges.
In certain weather, full structural surveys may be become more difficult due to access or flooding, and adverse weather may even highlight an issue such as garden drainage etc. It is also important for buyers to be aware of any potential issues that may arise from climate change during their ownership of the property; flood risk, coastal erosion etc.
Particularly bad weather can also affect new build property purchases, certain work cannot be completed in challenging weather conditions and this could cause delays in the transaction. Check your long-stop date!
Christmas!
Mentioning Christmas to a conveyancer, is usually accompanied by a groan. Many clients each year will say to their conveyancer ‘I want to be in the house by Christmas’ – sometimes when they’ve only just instructed them and Christmas is just a month away!
With the added pressure of an anticipated pre- Christmas completion date, it is important a conveyancer prepares their client for any possible delays that may occur. It is important to identify title defects, building issues and any other possible reasons for delay as early in the transaction as possible to reduce the risk of having to announce a delayed, new year completion date to very disappointed clients.
It is a typically busy time of year for many conveyancers both in and out of work and the time of year generally causes increased stress levels. For firms, planning the Christmas rush and ensuring caseloads are manageable for their team is so important for wellbeing and reduces burnout.
To help complete in time the business Christmas rush and to reduce transaction timelines now – contact ntitle on 0333 242 2929 or info@ntitlesolutions.com and you can see how our Award-winning service can help you!
Getting ready for the new year
As we move through Autumn, the new year is also fast approaching. It is a good time to start reviewing your processes – what was profitable and what wasn’t? What helped efficiency? What reduced transaction timelines? What did our clients like? What did they not like?
All these questions are important for conveyancing firms to consider going into the new year – ask yourself- what can we do better in 2024 than we did in 2023 and consider how you can implement these changes, quickly and efficiently.
As we are just a couple of months away from the end of the year, it’s also important to reflect on the changes you’ve already made, the positives from the year and how as an industry, there is movement to make more collaboration between firms. ntitle supported ‘National Conveyancing Week’ earlier this year because we believe that collaboration between firms as well as suppliers can make a huge difference to how firms operate in the future, increasing their sustainability and their scalability.
This article was submitted to be published by ntitle as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Conveyancer. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Conveyancer.
