How long does it take to buy a house?

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or you’ve been around the block before, buying a house can be more than a little daunting – especially when you’re unsure of the ins and outs of the timeline.

As a rule of thumb, it can take around 3-6 months to buy a house once an offer is accepted, but it can vary from one purchase to the next. 

For instance, if the buyer, seller, solicitors and surveyors are all on the same page, things might move a little faster. On the other hand, if you’re buying in a property chain (a series of linked sales and purchases where each one depends on the sale before and after going through), it could take longer. 

To help you plan ahead and hopefully avoid unnecessary delays, this article will guide you through the entire process from start to finish.

What is the time frame for purchasing a house?

Before we delve into the details, it’s important to note that some of these timelines run concurrently – meaning some steps happen at the same time, like sorting out your mortgage and arranging the property surveys and legal stuff. 

If you’re aiming for that 12-week turnaround, it’s helpful to keep your paperwork organised and up-to-date, check your credit report for any errors you can fix, and reply to emails and requests for more info as quickly as possible. 

Step One: Get a mortgage in principle (MIP)

Time: A few minutes up to 48 hours

A mortgage in principle (MIP) is a rough estimate of what you could potentially borrow from a mortgage lender. You usually get one before you start your property search, so you have an idea of your budget. 

To get an MIP, you’ll need to share some details about your income, expenses, and deposit with a lender or mortgage broker. You won’t need to submit any documents at this stage, and many lenders can provide you with an MIP on the same day. 

Note that many lenders will carry out a credit check when you apply for an MIP. However, these tend to be soft checks and won’t affect your credit score. 

Read more: Does a mortgage in principle affect credit score?

Why get a mortgage in principle? 

While getting an MIP isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get a mortgage for the same amount when the time comes, it’s handy to have as it can show sellers and estate agents that you’re a serious buyer. Some estate agents won’t book viewings if you don’t have a MIP.

Step Two: Search for a property

Time: 12+ weeks

Armed with your MIP and an idea of your budget, you can start hunting for your new home.

While we’ve suggested at least 12 weeks to find a suitable property, the time it takes can vary. You might fall in love with the first one you see only days into your search. Or it might take six months to finally narrow it down to a house and area you like. It all depends on the availability of properties and finding something that fits your budget.

To speed things up, start by considering the size, style, and location of your desired property. Think about the number of bedrooms, the local amenities, the proximity to work, family, and school, if necessary, and any other features you’d want in a new home.  

Once you have your list of requirements, you might want to register with property websites to receive email updates and app notifications to help with your search. It’s also a good idea to visit your local estate agents and explain what you’re looking for. Often, they’ll contact potential buyers before a property is officially put on the market in the hopes of achieving a quick sale. 

Remember, you’ll need to factor in the time it takes to arrange and do viewings, and you might want to see the same property several times before you make an offer. 

Step Three: Make an offer

Time: 3+ days

Once you’ve found a property you’d like to buy, simply phone or email the seller’s estate agent and make an offer (or if you’re working with an estate agent, they can make an offer on your behalf).

This can be a relatively quick part of the home-buying process, depending on how long the seller takes to respond to your offer. You might hear back within 24-48 hours, although it could be longer. And if they want to negotiate on the price, there could be a few more days of back and forth. 

If the seller accepts your offer, ask their estate agent to take the property off the market ASAP. This means removing it from their website and third-party property portals, and taking down the ‘For Sale’ sign outside. Doing so should help you avoid being ‘gazumped’ (when a seller accepts an offer on their property from one potential buyer, only to turn around and accept a higher offer from someone else). 

Step Four: Sort out your mortgage

How long does it take to get a mortgage? 2 - 6 weeks

Unless you’re planning on buying with cash, you’ll probably need a mortgage to fund your house purchase. It can take anywhere from two to six weeks to get a mortgage approved, and most mortgage offers are valid for six months. 

Here’s what the application process looks like:

• Start by gathering your documents. You’ll need proof of ID (a passport or valid driving licence), proof of name and address (such as bank statements, council tax statements, or utility bills from the last three months), and proof of income and expenses (such as your last three payslips or your last three years of tax returns if you’re self-employed, plus your last three bank statements). You’ll also need to show the lender proof of your deposit by sharing a recent bank statement. Note: This can vary depending on your lender and the systems they use to verify you.  

• Next, complete the application. You’ll need to share the documents mentioned above, answer some questions about yourself and your personal circumstances (for example, if you have any dependents), and share details about the property you’d like to buy. 

• Submit your application and wait. Once your lender has your application, it can take up to six weeks for them to approve or reject it. During this time, they’ll assess your credit score and history by doing a hard credit check (which means it’ll show up on your credit file). They do this to see how you’ve managed debt in the past and if you can be considered a trustworthy borrower. Check your credit report with Checkmyfile to make sure you’re mortgage-ready before submitting your application. They’ll also carry out an affordability assessment to ensure you can repay the mortgage, and do a valuation on the property to make sure it’s worth what you’ve offered for it.  

• Answer any additional questions. After reviewing your paperwork, the lender might need some extra information to progress your application. Make sure you answer promptly to keep things on track.

• Mortgage offer. All being well, your application will be approved, and you’ll have your mortgage offer. You’re now one step closer to getting the keys… 

Step 4.5: Hire a conveyancer

Time: One week

It’s a good idea to instruct a conveyancer (a specialist property solicitor) at this stage. If you do it by the time you’ve submitted your mortgage application, it should help you keep things moving along at a steady pace. 

A conveyancer will handle all of the legal ins and outs when buying a house, including dealing with property searches and contracts (more on them in Step Six). 

To find a conveyancer, you can:

• Search online for solicitors local to your area.

• Ask friends or family members who’ve recently moved for a recommendation.

• Ask your lender, mortgage broker, or estate agent if they can recommend one.

Try to shop around and get a range of quotes before you choose a conveyancer. They should also be members of the Council for Licenced Conveyancers (CLC). You can use the CLC website to search for a Licensed Conveyancer regulated by the CLC in your area.

Step Five: Arrange the house survey

Time: 2 - 4 weeks

Note: While waiting for your mortgage offer, you can press ahead with steps five and six. 

A house survey is a detailed inspection of the property you’re buying. A qualified surveyor will look at the structure of the building and the condition of the roof and walls and let you know if they find anything that needs to be fixed. 

Although it’s not a legal requirement, getting a survey done can save you thousands of pounds in the long run. By identifying any underlying issues with the property before you buy it, you could potentially renegotiate the sale price, arrange for the seller to fix the problems, or walk away from the deal altogether. 

There are three different types of surveys to choose from, ranging from a basic report on visible defects to a comprehensive review of the property’s structure, including estimated costs for repairs. 

You can search for a surveyor on the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) website. It’s a good idea to get at least three quotes to find the best price. 

Depending on the level of survey you choose, the survey can take anywhere from 3-4 hours to a full day to complete. However, if the housing market is busy, it may take a few weeks to arrange one, so give yourself plenty of time. 

Step Six: Conveyancing/Searches

How long does conveyancing take? 8 - 12 weeks

Conveyancing is the legal process of transferring the ownership of a property from the seller to the buyer. 

A specialist property solicitor called a conveyancer will handle the finer details of this stage, including property searches, drawing up contracts, and liaising with the seller’s solicitor to arrange a completion date (when you can finally move into the property).

Property searches can often be the most time-consuming part of the conveyancing process, as it requires your conveyancer to contact different local authorities for information about the property you’re buying and the surrounding area. 

The searches will check things like:

• Planning limitations.

• Property boundaries.

• Construction plans nearby.

• Environmental risks, such as flooding or landslides.

• Water supply or drainage issues. 

Step Seven: Exchange contracts

Time: 2- 4 weeks

Once the legal work has been completed, the penultimate step in the house-buying process is the exchange of contracts. This is when you pay your deposit, and you and the seller sign and exchange contracts. At this point, the sale becomes legally binding. 

Note: Backing out now would be considered a breach of contract and leave you open to legal action and serious financial consequences, such as forfeiting your deposit. 

Step Eight: Completion

Time: 24 hours

Into the final countdown. Completion marks the end of your home-buying journey and typically happens a few weeks after you’ve exchanged contracts. However, it can also happen on the same day – although many people try to avoid this as it makes for a stressful moving day.

On completion day, your solicitor will arrange for the funds from your mortgage lender to be paid to the seller’s solicitor, who’ll then pay off their client's mortgage and send them anything left over.  

Your solicitor will then check that you’ve paid any remaining fees before sending you the deeds (the legal documents showing ownership of the property).

And that’s it. All that’s left is to pick up your keys from the estate agent and start moving in. 

Congratulations, you just bought a house. 

To recap

It can take around 3-6 months to buy a house once you’ve had an offer accepted. However, things can move a little faster or slower, depending on various factors.   

Common causes for delay in the house buying process include:

• Issues with your mortgage application, conveyancing, property searches, or survey, causing a delay while you get it sorted.

• Problems in the property chain, where someone along the chain has an issue with their mortgage, conveyancing, or survey, resulting in a hold-up for everyone else.

• A broken property chain, where someone along the chain pulls out, causing a knock-on effect for the rest of the buyers. 

While some of these issues will be out of your hands, you can always hold up your end of the bargain by being organised, replying to messages quickly, and ensuring your credit report is up-to-date and error-free. 

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