What is a conveyancing chain?

Answer

A conveyancing chain is where there is more than one buyer and seller in the process of buying and selling a house. This means that the property completion is dependent on the other parties to the chain. 

For example, you are selling your house to someone (the buyer) and that person is also selling their house, and the person buying their house is also selling their house, and so the chain continues. All parties are connected to each other within the chain. 

Being part of a conveyancing chain can make the process more complicated because sometimes you may not be able to progress with your sale or purchase because you are waiting for something to happen along the chain. Having a conveyancing chain can therefore slow down the property process.

The chain is broken where someone is only involved in one transaction, either buying or selling. For example, first-time buyers are not relying on selling another property. Also, those who are buying a property to rent out will not need to sell theirs first, or someone who is selling and moving abroad may not need to buy a house in the UK. Therefore the chain stops with them. 

Where there is no chain, this means that it is just you and the other party involved in the conveyancing process.