The short answer
Most purchases take somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks from an accepted offer to completion, though this varies significantly depending on whether you're in a chain, how quickly searches come back, and how smoothly the mortgage process goes. Cash purchases with no chain can complete much faster; complicated chains can easily stretch well beyond three months.
Know your numbers before you start
Before the process below begins in earnest, it helps to know exactly what stamp duty and monthly repayments you're working with.
Open the calculators →The stages, in order
Offer accepted
You and the seller agree a price. Nothing is legally binding yet — either side can still walk away without formal consequence.
Instruct a solicitor and formalise your mortgage application
You appoint a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to handle the legal side, and submit your full mortgage application if you haven't already secured a decision in principle.
Mortgage valuation and searches begin
Your lender arranges a valuation to confirm the property is worth what they're lending against. Your solicitor starts local authority searches, which check for planning issues, flood risk, and similar factors.
Your own survey (if you're commissioning one)
Separately from the lender's valuation, you may arrange a HomeBuyer Report or full structural survey to check the property's actual condition before committing further.
Enquiries and contract review
Solicitors exchange information, raise queries about the property, and finalise the draft contract. This stage often takes longer than expected, especially if issues come up in the searches or survey.
Mortgage offer issued
Once your lender is satisfied with the valuation and your application, they issue a formal mortgage offer, which is usually valid for a set period (often around 6 months).
Exchange of contracts
Both sides sign and exchange contracts. This is the point the transaction becomes legally binding — you pay your deposit, and a completion date is fixed. Pulling out after this point has serious financial consequences.
Completion
Remaining funds transfer, you become the legal owner, and you get the keys — usually on the same day, though timing during the day depends on funds clearing.
Stamp duty return and Land Registry
Your solicitor files the stamp duty return and pays the tax on your behalf within 14 days of completion (the deadline set by HMRC for SDLT, with equivalent deadlines from the devolved tax authorities for LBTT and LTT), and applies to register you as the new legal owner with the Land Registry.
What commonly causes delays
- Chains — if your seller is also buying, or your buyer is also selling, everyone's timeline depends on everyone else's, and one slow link delays the whole chain
- Down-valuations — if the lender's valuation comes in below the agreed price, it can trigger renegotiation or a scramble to cover the gap
- Search delays — local authority searches can take longer than expected depending on the council
- Survey findings — significant issues found in a survey can lead to renegotiation or further investigation, adding time
- Slow responses — enquiries between solicitors can stall if either side is slow to respond, which is one of the most common (and most avoidable) sources of delay
Frequently asked questions
What's the actual difference between exchange and completion?
Exchange of contracts is the point at which the transaction becomes legally binding — both sides are now committed, and pulling out afterward has serious financial consequences. Completion is the day the sale actually finalises: funds transfer, you legally become the owner, and you get the keys. There's typically a gap of one to two weeks between the two, though same-day exchange and completion also happens.
Can I still pull out before exchange of contracts?
Yes, generally without serious financial penalty, though you may lose money already spent on surveys, searches, or legal fees up to that point. Before exchange, neither side is legally committed, which is exactly why the process can feel uncertain right up until that moment.
What actually happens on completion day?
Your solicitor transfers the remaining funds (your deposit balance plus your mortgage) to the seller's solicitor. Once they confirm receipt, the seller's solicitor releases the keys, usually via the estate agent, and you become the legal owner. It's common for this to happen sometime midday rather than first thing, since it depends on funds clearing through the banking system.
When exactly is stamp duty paid?
Your solicitor must file the return and pay the tax within 14 days of completion — that's the deadline HMRC sets for Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland, and the devolved authorities set equivalent windows for LBTT in Scotland and LTT in Wales. In practice, your solicitor will have collected the funds from you before completion so it's ready to pay promptly, rather than asking for it as a separate step afterward.
How long does it take for a mortgage to be approved?
A mortgage offer typically takes two to six weeks from application, though it can be faster with a straightforward case and a responsive lender, or longer if the property needs extra checks or your file needs more underwriting. This sits inside the wider timeline above — you'll usually have applied not long after instructing a solicitor, with the mortgage offer landing before exchange of contracts. Using a broker who packages your application well and chases the lender can help keep this stage on track.
This guide is for general information and doesn't constitute financial or legal advice. Timelines are typical estimates and vary significantly based on individual circumstances, chains, and market conditions — always get a realistic estimate from your solicitor and lender for your specific purchase.