How long does a remortgage take?

The legal work on a remortgage, known as remortgage conveyancing, typically takes 4 to 6 weeks from the day you instruct a solicitor. The whole process starts earlier: Lloyds Bank suggests looking for a new deal about 3 months before your current one ends. The date your new lender issues its mortgage offer sets the pace.

How long does a remortgage take?

There are two clocks. The first is the whole journey: finding a deal, applying and getting a mortgage offer. Halifax suggests giving yourself around 12 weeks to find a new deal. That part is mostly between you, your lender and any broker.

The second clock is the legal work. It starts when you instruct us and runs to completion. Registration at HM Land Registry follows. This guide is about that second clock, because it is the part a solicitor controls. The timing depends mostly on your new lender, then on your title, and for a flat on information from the landlord or managing agent.

A remortgage is usually simpler than a purchase. There is no seller and no chain. For comparison, our usual timescale for a purchase is 8 to 10 weeks for a freehold home and 10 to 12 for a leasehold one. See how long a house purchase takes by comparison.

Table 1: How long by situation

Only the 4 to 6 weeks is a figure we can give. In the other rows someone else sets the pace.

Ready to start? Get a remortgage quote. You get a written, itemised quote before you instruct us.

What are the stages of a remortgage?

There are five stages. Some overlap.

Table 2: The stages and who controls them

What are the 5 stages of a mortgage?

These are the five stages of a remortgage, shown in Table 2 above. Stage 1 is the lender's. Stages 2 to 5 are the legal work.

What slows a remortgage down?

Each delay has an owner, shown in brackets.

• The mortgage offer is late (your new lender). We cannot fix a completion date until it arrives.
• The valuation (your new lender). The lender arranges it, and the offer usually follows it.
• Restrictions or problems on the title (us, with you). We check your title at HM Land Registry. If something needs sorting out, we raise it with you early.
• Your current lender's redemption figure (your current lender). We ask it how much is needed to clear the old mortgage. An early repayment charge, if there is one, is set by your current lender and is not part of our fee.
• Leasehold information (the landlord or managing agent). For a flat, they may need to provide documents.
• Adding or removing a name (you and us). A transfer of equity adds paperwork for everyone named on the deeds.
• Your lender using its own solicitor (your new lender). Another firm on the file can add time.
• ID or paperwork missing (you). This is the delay you control most.

If it starts to drag, see what to do if it drags on.

How can you speed up a remortgage?

You cannot control the lender, but you can remove the delays that are yours.

• Start early. Lloyds Bank suggests about 3 months before your deal ends.
• Tell us the date your current deal ends. We plan the work around it.
• Send everything on day one and reply quickly when we ask for something.

Have this ready on day one:

• Photo ID and proof of address.
• Your mortgage offer from the new lender.
• Your current lender's name and your account number.
• The date your current deal ends.
• Details of anyone being added to or removed from the deeds.
• For a flat, the contact details of the landlord or managing agent.

We confirm the exact list when you instruct us, because it can differ by lender.

Do you need a solicitor, and what does it cost?

If you are moving to a new lender, yes. The new lender needs a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to act for it. A product transfer with your current lender usually does not need a separate solicitor. Our guide explains whether you need a solicitor in each case.

Our fee for a freehold home with borrowing under £1 million is £610 to £910 + VAT, depending on how much you borrow. A leasehold home is £100 more in each band. That covers our legal fee along with "Telegraphic Transfer Fee (Per Transfer)", "Redeeming your existing loan" and "Lender Portal Management Fee". Disbursements, the third-party costs we pay for you, are about £40 to £57 for one or two people, including VAT where it applies. Not included: your lender's own fees or any early repayment charge from your current lender. Some items apply only in certain cases, such as "Dealing with your lender's own solicitors" (£300 + VAT) and "Independent legal advice" (£100 + VAT per person). Your quote shows exactly what applies.

The HM Land Registry fee for registering your new mortgage is separate. It depends on the amount borrowed. HM Land Registry publishes its fees on GOV.UK.

Some lenders offer to contribute to legal costs when you remortgage. Check your offer, and ask us before you instruct.

Is it hard to get a remortgage?

Whether you get a remortgage is the lender's decision. It looks at your income, your other debts and the deal you want. People also ask, "What salary do I need for a 300k mortgage?" We are solicitors, not mortgage brokers, so we cannot say. Your lender or a mortgage broker can. Our work starts once you have a mortgage offer.

How long does a remortgage take with the same lender?

A new deal with your current lender is a product transfer. Your lender sets the timing, and a product transfer usually does not need a separate solicitor. Ask your lender how long it expects to take.

How long does it take to remortgage and release equity?

Releasing equity means borrowing more against your home. If you borrow it from a new lender, it is a remortgage, so the legal work typically takes 4 to 6 weeks from instruction. How much you can borrow is the lender's decision. If you borrow it from your current lender, ask whether it needs a solicitor.

How long does a remortgage take after the offer?

Once your new lender sends the mortgage offer, we go through its conditions and agree a completion date with you. How long that takes depends on what is already done. If the title check and your current lender's redemption figure are in hand, there is less left to do.

How long does a remortgage take after the valuation?

The valuation is your new lender's step. The mortgage offer usually follows it, and the offer is what we need to finish the legal work. Ask your lender how long it expects to take after the valuation.

You can also call us on 020 7063 9040 (London) or 0116 393 0334 (Leicester), Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (closed 1pm to 2pm).

Sources

• Waterstone Legal remortgage timescale and fees, checked 27 October 2026: remortgage solicitors.
• Lloyds Bank guidance on when to start: how long does it take to remortgage.
• Halifax guidance on allowing time: how long does it take to remortgage.
• HM Land Registry fees: registration services fees on GOV.UK.

This guide is general information about the legal work on a remortgage. Waterstone Legal is the trading name of Waterstone Chambers LLP, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 605949). We do not give mortgage or financial advice. For that, speak to your lender or a mortgage broker.