Every stage of buying a home, from mortgage to moving day — how long it takes, what it costs, and how to keep it moving. Start with an estimate for your own purchase.
Estimate your timeline ↓Most house purchases in England and Wales complete within ten to fourteen weeks of an offer being accepted, with around twelve weeks a realistic average. But your purchase is not average — a cash buyer with no chain can be far quicker, while a leasehold flat in a long chain takes longer. Use the estimator below to get a realistic range for your situation, then read the stage-by-stage timeline to see where the time goes and how to protect it.
Estimated time, offer to completion
A typical freehold purchase with a mortgage and no chain.
A realistic guide based on typical timescales, not a guarantee — every transaction is different. Get a fixed quote for the legal work on the conveyancing quotes page.
Tap any stage to see what happens, who is responsible, how to speed it up, and the pitfalls to avoid. The durations overlap — searches, your survey and the mortgage offer often run at the same time.
What happens: Get a mortgage Agreement in Principle, confirm your deposit, and budget for the full cost of moving — not just the price, but Stamp Duty, conveyancing fees, searches, your survey and removals.
Who's involved: You and your mortgage broker or lender.
Speed it up: Have your Agreement in Principle and proof of deposit ready before you offer. Sellers favour buyers who can move quickly, and your conveyancer can start the day you instruct them.
Watch out for: Underbudgeting for Stamp Duty. Work out your figure before you offer with our SDLT calculator.
What happens: View properties, make an offer through the estate agent, negotiate, and have it accepted. An accepted offer is not legally binding — either side can still walk away right up until exchange.
Who's involved: You and the estate agent.
Speed it up: Be ready to instruct a conveyancer the same day your offer is accepted.
Watch out for: Gazumping — until exchange, a seller can accept a higher offer from someone else. Moving quickly is your best protection.
What happens: You formally instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer. They send a client care letter, run identity and anti-money-laundering checks, take money on account, and order searches. Nothing else can start until this is done.
Who's involved: You and your conveyancer.
Speed it up: Return your ID, the completed forms and money on account immediately. Slow instruction is the most common self-inflicted delay in the whole process.
Watch out for: Choosing on price alone — a cheap quote that balloons mid-transaction costs more than the difference. Get a fixed, itemised quote.
What happens: Your conveyancer orders local authority, water and drainage, and environmental searches, and raises enquiries on the seller's contract pack. Search turnaround varies by council from a few days to several weeks.
Who's involved: Your conveyancer, the seller's conveyancer, and local authorities.
Speed it up: Little of this is in your hands, but answering any questions your conveyancer sends you quickly keeps things moving.
Watch out for: This is the stage buyers most underestimate. On a leasehold property, the managing agent's management pack is often the slowest item of all.
What happens: Your lender carries out a valuation to confirm the property is worth what you are paying. Separately, you arrange your own survey — usually a RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer report, or a Level 3 Building Survey for older or unusual homes.
Who's involved: Your lender and a surveyor.
Speed it up: Book your survey early, so any problems surface in time to renegotiate or pull out.
Watch out for: A down-valuation, where the lender values the property below the price, can affect your mortgage. Have a plan if it comes in low.
What happens: Your lender issues a formal mortgage offer. Your conveyancer reviews the title, the search results and the offer's conditions, then reports to you in plain English on exactly what you are buying.
Who's involved: Your lender and your conveyancer.
Speed it up: Read the report promptly and raise any questions early rather than sitting on it.
Watch out for: Mortgage offers have expiry dates — long delays can mean having to re-apply.
What happens: Contracts are signed, you pay your deposit (usually around 10%), a completion date is agreed, and contracts are exchanged. This is the legal point of no return — the purchase is now binding on both sides.
Who's involved: Both conveyancers, you and the seller.
Speed it up: Have your deposit funds ready to transfer and your signed contract returned in good time.
Watch out for: Do not book removals or hand in notice on a rental before exchange — nothing is guaranteed until this moment.
What happens: The balance of the funds is transferred to the seller's conveyancer, the keys are released, and the property is yours. This is moving day.
Who's involved: Both conveyancers, you, and the estate agent (who releases the keys).
Speed it up: Confirm your removals and have your final funds in place ahead of the date.
Watch out for: Bank transfer cut-off times — completing late in the day can push your actual move into the afternoon.
What happens: Your conveyancer pays any Stamp Duty Land Tax to HMRC, which is due within 14 days of completion, and registers you as the new owner at HM Land Registry. Registration can take weeks or months but does not delay your move.
Who's involved: Your conveyancer, HMRC and HM Land Registry.
Speed it up: Nothing is needed from you here — just keep your completion statement safe.
Watch out for: Keep your records for when you come to sell or remortgage later.
Beyond the price of the property itself, budget for these. Stamp Duty is a tax, not a fee — and on a typical purchase it is often the largest single line.
Plus VAT, for the solicitor's work on a straightforward purchase. See what's included.
Local authority, water & drainage and environmental searches your lender requires.
Optional but advised — a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 report on the property's condition.
From an accepted offer to completion, most purchases take ten to fourteen weeks, with around twelve weeks a realistic average. A cash purchase with no chain can complete faster, while leasehold properties, long chains and new-build deadlines all add time. Responding to your conveyancer within a day or two is the single biggest factor within your control.
Exchange of contracts is the point at which the purchase becomes legally binding and you pay your deposit — neither side can walk away after this without serious financial penalty. Completion is when the remaining money is transferred and you get the keys. There is usually a gap of one to two weeks between them, though they can happen on the same day.
Yes. Until exchange of contracts, either side can withdraw without legal penalty, although you may lose money already spent on searches, surveys or mortgage fees. After exchange, pulling out has serious financial consequences, including potentially losing your deposit. This is why the period before exchange feels uncertain — nothing is guaranteed until that moment.
Your conveyancer pays Stamp Duty Land Tax to HMRC on your behalf within 14 days of completion, usually from funds you provide on completion day. You should budget for it from the very start, because on a typical purchase it is often the largest single cost. Our SDLT calculator gives you the figure before you even make an offer.
It is not legally required, but it is strongly advised. A mortgage valuation is for the lender's benefit, not yours, and does not assess the property's condition. A RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer report suits most modern homes, while older, larger or unusual properties may warrant a more detailed Level 3 Building Survey.
The usual culprits are slow instruction of a conveyancer, slow search turnaround from the local authority, leasehold management packs, long chains, and mortgage processing times. Most are outside your direct control — but instructing quickly, choosing a proceedable property, and replying to your conveyancer within 24 hours removes the delays that are within your control.
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