How long does it take for a paypal payment to go into my bank account?

[puffling]

Also, is it possible to tell that the payer has paid by paypal before the money actually goes into my bank account.
I'm new to this. I don't want to appear to be slow to send the items. Neither do I want to send them before i receive payment.

once payment is in your paypal account and shows as cleared ie not a pending echeque then it's yours. You don't have to wait until it's in your bank account. Waiting until it is in your bank account will delay the posting and annoy the buyer, as paypal is considered instant.
Clearing into your bank depends on your bank. Mine usually takes about 5 working days.