How long from offer acceptance to completion?

FTBinthedark

I know this is a how long is a piece of string type question, so just interested in people's experiences or best guesses.

Had offer accepted on a property. We are FTBs, no chain. But currently in a rental with two months notice, and no imminent end to our tenancy. So we're not under any pressure to move.

Seller is moving. Had their eye on a property but that has now fallen through. So they are starting their search again.

Financially, the longer the process takes the better for us. Our mortgage will be about 600 a month more than our rent - and all in we can save about 1500 a month between now and completion. None of this money is essential for the sale itself, but the sale, legal, survey and moving costs will wipe out almost all of our savings - so going into completion with the biggest possible savings pot would make things a lot more comfortable for us.

So my question was - in this scenario, where the vendors have yet to find a property - how long might we reasonably expect the process to take between now and completion (and yes, I know it depends entirely on how long it takes them to find a place they want and have an offer accepted).

We're hoping to go into completion with at least six months of savings to cushion us - and would be keen for at least two months between exchange and completion (as we won't want to give notice to landlord until exchange has happened). Does that feel reasonable? 

DullGreyGuy

FTBinthedark said:

Had offer accepted on a property. We are FTBs, no chain. 

You are in a chain though, just it's above you not below you. With them not even having found a property it's totally a piece of string question. 

Our FTB offer was accepted 6/6 and we completed 13/8 but our vendors were divorcing and neither buying another property so totally chain free.

By countenance it too my mother 41 months to find a house she liked and get an offer accepted, was about 3 months after that for completion so 44 months end to end. 

eddddy

FTBinthedark said:

So my question was - in this scenario, where the vendors have yet to find a property - how long might we reasonably expect the process to take between now and completion (and yes, I know it depends entirely on how long it takes them to find a place they want and have an offer accepted).

Yep - and once your sellers have found a place and had their offer accepted...

... then the people they're buying from will probably need to find a place and have an offer accepted... and so on.

So it could be many months until the chain is complete (or it might not be).

FTBinthedark said:

... but the sale, legal, survey and moving costs will wipe out almost all of our savings - so going into completion with the biggest possible savings pot would make things a lot more comfortable for us.

If your funds are tight, it might be best to wait until the chain is complete before you instruct solicitors, apply for a mortgage, arrange a survey, etc - in case your purchase takes a long time or falls through, and you lose the fees you've paid.

For example,

• If your sellers can't find a place they like, they might decide not to sell.
• Mortgage offers generally last 6 months, so you might have to reapply, if your offer expires

(It's probably best to tell the estate agent what you're doing, so they can tell the seller - to avoid misunderstandings.)

HouseMartin567

For me it was a June offer acceptance (for both buying and selling), vendors found a property in August which completed the 4-house chain. Chain collapsed in October with one person pulling out but the rest of us stuck with it. Chain re-completed in January, completion happened in April.

grumpy_codger

It can be indefinite. In a similar position my seller pulled out after 4-5 months without any explanation given.

35har1old

FTBinthedark said:

I know this is a how long is a piece of string type question, so just interested in people's experiences or best guesses.

Had offer accepted on a property. We are FTBs, no chain. But currently in a rental with two months notice, and no imminent end to our tenancy. So we're not under any pressure to move.

Seller is moving. Had their eye on a property but that has now fallen through. So they are starting their search again.

Financially, the longer the process takes the better for us. Our mortgage will be about 600 a month more than our rent - and all in we can save about 1500 a month between now and completion. None of this money is essential for the sale itself, but the sale, legal, survey and moving costs will wipe out almost all of our savings - so going into completion with the biggest possible savings pot would make things a lot more comfortable for us.

So my question was - in this scenario, where the vendors have yet to find a property - how long might we reasonably expect the process to take between now and completion (and yes, I know it depends entirely on how long it takes them to find a place they want and have an offer accepted).

We're hoping to go into completion with at least six months of savings to cushion us - and would be keen for at least two months between exchange and completion (as we won't want to give notice to landlord until exchange has happened). Does that feel reasonable? 

I don't think anybody has mention solicitor's 
Had property sold within a week but the solicitor's is were the delay came.Buyer was keen to complete ASAP

peterhjohnson

Once your sellers have an offer accepted on their next house, it can be about 3 months to completion. It's unlikely to be much less. 

kiss_me_now9

We accepted an offer on ours in late January from a FTB, offered on a vacant property in mid Feb and were hoping to complete by the end of May but are looking like mid June. 

Bigphil1474

We completed our chain end of March last year, we all moved in early August last year. Roughly 4 months. It was only 3 properties, FTB bought ours, we bought the next up, and they bought an empty property. Solicitors were a bit slow, so probably added a month on. 3 months is reasonable expectation once the chain is complete. In your case it isn't yet - hope that your vendors or their vendors are buying an empty property or going into rental or something else to end the chain. Long chains are a mare. 

Don't move on a Friday.

ellsbells97

We're currently 9 months in and counting (we're not even in a long chain - and we were the final piece of the puzzle to complete the chain when our offer was accepted). One of my friends completed within 6 weeks of their offer being accepted. All depends on what comes up during conveyancing, how long mortgage offers take, etc etc.

janoid19

We sold our house to FTB in October 2024 and made an offer on a house a week later.

Our buyer pulled out in November and we got through a further 3 buyers. Our final buyer made their offer 20th Jan and we completed 28th March 2025 so from the 4th buyers offer it was only 2 months but 6 month for us.