How Long Does It Take to Buy a House?

Buying a house in the UK takes around three to six months from offer accepted to completion. That’s the average. In reality, it can be shorter, longer, smoother, or considerably more frustrating depending on the circumstances. Knowing what to expect at each stage makes the whole process easier to navigate. Here’s the timeline broken down.

Average house buying timeline

From offer accepted to completion day, the average time to buy a house in the UK sits around three to six months. However, this is just a ballpark figure-your timeline will depend heavily on the complexities of your purchase, whether or not you’re in a property chain, and how quickly each step is handled by everyone involved.

Stage	Typical timeframe
Mortgage in principle	1 to 3 working days
Finding a property and offer accepted	Days to several months
Full mortgage application and offer	2 to 6 weeks
Instructing a solicitor	Same day as offer accepted, ideally
Property searches	2 to 6 weeks
Survey	1 to 3 weeks to arrange and review
Exchange of contracts	Around 8 to 12 weeks after offer accepted
Completion	1 to 4 weeks after exchange

Stage-by-stage timelines

Mortgage in principle

Most buyers sort a mortgage in principle before they start viewing properties seriously. With the right documents ready, this typically takes one to three working days. It’s not a full mortgage offer, but it shows sellers you’re financially prepared and gives you a realistic ceiling on what you can borrow.

Finding a property and making an offer

How long this takes varies enormously. In a competitive market with specific requirements, it can take months. Once you’ve found the right property, making an offer and having it accepted usually happens within a day or two.

Full mortgage application and offer

Once your offer is accepted, you’ll apply for your full mortgage. Receiving the mortgage offer typically takes two to six weeks, depending on the lender and how quickly you respond to any requests for additional information. Being prompt here makes a real difference.

Instructing a solicitor

Instruct a conveyancer or property solicitor on the same day your offer is accepted. They’ll begin the conveyancing process: reviewing contracts, raising enquiries with the seller’s solicitor, and carrying out property searches. Delays in instructing a solicitor at this stage are entirely avoidable and can cost you weeks.

For example:

A first-time buyer waits two weeks after their offer is accepted before instructing a solicitor, assuming they have plenty of time. Their seller, who is in a chain, starts to feel the purchase isn’t moving and begins to entertain other interest. The delay nearly costs the buyer the property.

Property searches and surveys

Property searches, including local authority checks, water and drainage searches, and environmental checks, typically take two to six weeks. Some local authorities are slower than others, and there’s limited control over this.

You’ll also want a homebuyer’s report or full structural survey, which takes one to three weeks to arrange and review. If the survey flags issues, further investigations may be needed, adding more time. Never skip a survey to save time or money.

Exchange of contracts

Contracts are usually exchanged around eight to twelve weeks after the offer was accepted, though this varies. Exchange is the point at which the purchase becomes legally binding. Both parties sign identical contracts and a completion date is agreed.

Critically, you must have building insurance in place from exchange, not from completion or moving in. If something happens to the property between exchange and completion, you need to be covered.

Completion

Completion typically follows one to four weeks after exchange. This is the day the remaining funds are transferred, the property legally becomes yours, and you get the keys. It’s also the day you’ll want your contents insurance to start if you haven’t already sorted it.

Factors that delay buying a house

Delays can come from all angles, here are a few causes for delay:

Cause	What happens
Property chain issues	One sale in the chain falling through or slowing down affects everyone linked to it
Solicitor delays	Slow conveyancing, slow responses to enquiries, or a high caseload
Mortgage underwriting	Lenders requesting additional information or taking longer to process
Survey findings	Issues flagged requiring further investigation before proceeding
Local authority searches	Some councils take significantly longer than others
Gazumping	A seller accepting a higher offer after already agreeing to yours

Chains are the single biggest source of delay and stress in the UK property market. The more properties linked in a chain, the more points of potential failure. A chain-free purchase, where you’re buying from someone who isn’t also buying elsewhere, is significantly less risky.

Tips to keep the process moving

While some delays are out of your hands, you can take steps to avoid unnecessary setbacks.

• Respond to requests quickly. Whether it’s your solicitor, mortgage lender, or surveyor, prompt responses prevent unnecessary delays.
• Instruct a solicitor immediately. Don’t wait until after the offer is accepted to start researching. Have someone lined up in advance.
• Sort building insurance early. Have a policy ready to activate at exchange. Lemonade’s home insurance makes it straightforward to get covered quickly.
• Stay in regular contact with all parties. Proactive communication keeps everyone accountable and flags problems early.
• Have a contingency plan for chain collapse. If you’re in a chain, think through what you’d do if it fell apart.

Before we go

Three to six months is the average, but every purchase is different. The best thing you can do is stay organised, respond promptly, instruct professionals early, and understand that some delays are simply outside your control. Buildings insurance from exchange, not completion, is non-negotiable. Everything else is about preparation and patience.

Buying a house FAQs