Overview
Your conveyancer says there is not enough money to complete. The first priority is to establish whether funds are late, incorrectly calculated or genuinely unavailable.
Those are different problems. Sending another transfer or taking emergency credit before understanding the gap can make the situation harder to resolve.
Quick Answer
Contact your conveyancer immediately and ask for the exact shortfall, its cause and the contractual deadline. Involve the mortgage adviser if the lender's advance is involved.
If contracts are already binding, a missed completion can have serious consequences. Do not assume the date can simply move, and do not take new borrowing or change the deposit source without telling the professionals handling the transaction.
Reconcile the Completion Statement
Ask for the latest statement and compare each item with your records.
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | Is this the final agreed amount? |
| Mortgage advance | Is it the net sum actually being released? |
| Deposit already paid | Has it been credited correctly? |
| Sale proceeds | Are they confirmed and available? |
| Taxes and legal costs | Are they included in the requested cash total? |
| Payments you sent | Were they received, not just instructed? |
A statement can include more than the remaining property price. Do not assume the amount needed is simply purchase price minus mortgage.
If a lender has withheld part of the advance, read our mortgage-retention guide.
Separate a Delay From a Missing Source
A transfer awaiting bank checks is different from a buyer who has not saved enough. Ask where the money is currently held, who controls its release and what evidence is outstanding.
If the lender has not released the advance, the adviser and conveyancer should establish whether the funds request was received and whether conditions remain unresolved. Release notice periods are lender-specific.
The UK Finance Lenders' Handbook links the certificate of title with the request for the advance and sets conditions for releasing the loan. A completion date does not override those requirements.
Do not try to bypass a source-of-funds check by moving the money through another person's account.
A Worked Example
Assume a £240,000 purchase funded by a £216,000 mortgage and £24,000 of your own money. You have already paid £10,000 through the conveyancer.
The remaining purchase-price contribution is £14,000. But if the completion statement also requires £4,200 for taxes, legal work and other agreed items, the remaining cash request is £18,200.
Sending only £14,000 leaves a £4,200 gap even though the deposit arithmetic looked correct. This example uses invented costs; your own statement must show the actual taxes and charges.
If Your Bank Has Held the Payment
Contact the bank through its verified channel. Explain that the payment relates to a property completion and ask what it needs to resolve the hold.
Provide accurate evidence. Do not split payments or describe them differently to evade checks. Ask the conveyancer about the latest realistic receipt time, while allowing for the bank's process.
Confirm bank details using a trusted number before sending any money. An urgent email changing the destination account is a fraud warning, especially during a pressured completion.
Our source-of-funds guide explains why evidence may be required.
Do Not Fill the Gap Secretly With a Loan
A new personal loan, credit-card advance or family loan changes the funding picture. The lender may need to reassess affordability or approve the deposit source.
Tell the adviser and solicitor exactly what is proposed before applying or transferring funds. A genuine gift also needs appropriate evidence; it should not be described as a gift if repayment is expected.
The fact that an offer exists does not make further borrowing irrelevant. Our mortgage offer withdrawal guide explains why material changes still matter.
If Completion Cannot Happen on Time
Ask the solicitor to explain the contract, possible interest or costs and any formal notice procedure. Only the professionals handling the contract can assess the consequences of the particular delay.
Do not promise the seller a new date privately and assume the legal position is settled. Keep the estate agent informed through an agreed communication plan, but let the conveyancers deal with contractual changes.
If exchange has not happened, there may be more scope to pause. Read exchange versus completion to understand why the stage matters. Scotland's missives require separate advice.
Prevent the Same Problem Earlier
Request an estimated completion statement before the last few days. Confirm account withdrawal notice periods, ISA or investment sale timings, bank transfer limits and any gifted-deposit paperwork.
Keep a reasonable margin for final adjustments. Money that exists in an account but cannot be accessed by the deadline is not yet available completion funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Browse mortgage guides. This is general information; a live completion problem needs prompt legal and mortgage advice. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments.
