The contract pack has gone from the seller's conveyancer to the buyer's solicitor. The formal legal process is now genuinely underway, and, in an auction sale, the exchange clock starts counting from exactly this point.
What's actually in the contract pack?
In a Modern Method of Auction transaction, it typically includes the draft contract, the title register and title plan, property information forms (the TA6 and TA10), the energy performance certificate, and copies of the searches and other relevant documentation carried over from the legal pack prepared before the auction. The buyer's solicitor reviews all of this, raises any legal enquiries, and works towards exchange within the 28-day window.
Why does completeness matter so much more here?
Because the exchange timeline is significantly shorter than in a standard private treaty sale, gaps in documentation or anything needing further investigation eat into the available time much faster than they would in a slower-paced transaction. Sellers can genuinely help here by making sure their conveyancer has everything needed to issue a complete pack without delay, since there's less runway to fix problems later.
What happens behind the scenes?
From the moment the buyer's solicitor receives the pack, they begin their legal review, raise enquiries with the seller's solicitor, arrange any searches not already included in the legal pack, and advise the buyer on the legal position. In a well-prepared transaction, where the legal pack was thorough and searches recent, enquiries should be limited and exchange can happen quickly. Where the pack is incomplete, the buyer's solicitor has to raise more questions, and that simply takes time the timeline doesn't really have.
What should you actually do at this stage?
As a seller, confirm with your conveyancer that the full pack has genuinely been sent, and ask them for the exact date the buyer's solicitor received it, since that's when the 28-day exchange window begins counting. Respond to any enquiries from your conveyancer immediately, the tight timeline leaves no real room for slow replies. As a buyer, instruct your solicitor to begin their review without delay and flag concerns as early as possible, so there's actually time to address them. If you're a mortgaged buyer, make sure your application is progressing in parallel, since the lender's valuation and underwriting need to be complete before exchange can happen.
| Once the pack is sent | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Confirm the exact receipt date (seller) | This is when the 28-day exchange window starts |
| Respond to enquiries immediately (seller) | The tight timeline has little slack |
| Start legal review without delay (buyer) | Flagging concerns early leaves time to resolve them |
| Progress mortgage application in parallel (buyer) | Valuation and underwriting must finish before exchange |
Frequently asked questions
- What's in an auction contract pack?
- The draft contract, title documents, TA6 and TA10 forms, EPC, and searches carried over from the legal pack.
- Why does a comprehensive pack matter more in an auction sale?
- The shorter exchange timeline means gaps or issues use up available time much faster than in a standard sale.
- When does the 28-day exchange window actually start counting?
- From the date the buyer's solicitor receives the contract pack.
- What should a mortgaged buyer be doing in parallel?
- Progressing their application, since valuation and underwriting must complete before exchange.
This guide is general information for home movers in England and Wales, not legal advice.