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Original poster

Time from offer to completion?

22 replies

Springforward · 09/05/2012 17:09

Hello all, more housebuying woes in the Springforward household.

Having just drawn another blank in the housemoving game (Sad/ Angry), we're back on Rightmove.

For DS' school and my sanity, we MUST be in by Christmas.

Soooo... I know this is a "how long is a piece of string" question really, but please reassure me - how long did your last purchase take, from offer to completion? We are the bottom of a chain as we are currently renting.

I have owned two houses previously, mine took 10 and 12 weeks respectively, first was my first time buy but with an upward chain, the second with me selling but no onward chain. Is that about right?

TIA

OP posts:
RickGhastley · 09/05/2012 18:18

4 weeks!

The vendors were desperate to sell as they'd had 2 sales fall through and were in danger of losing their dream home. They only accepted our offer on the grounds that we could complete in a month. We were FTBs in rented accommodation with a mortgage agreed in principle so it was no problem.

I hope that gives you some hope!

Good luck, tis a bloody nightmare.

wannaBe · 09/05/2012 18:25

the average is sixteen weeks. Which means there will be some which take longer, some which happen sooner. We accepted our offer in March and didn't move until August.

It really is length-of-string teratory I'm afraid because there are so many variables.

MrsCampbellBlack · 09/05/2012 18:28

We were in rented and still took about 12 weeks mainly down to stuff like easements over a neighbour's property for buttresses of a big wall!

But if its a standard house should be able to get it done quicker.

Our mortgage was agreed within hours and survey done quickly - it was just the legal stuff that took the time and I did a lot of chivvying/chasing.

PotteringAlong · 09/05/2012 18:33

We took 11 weeks.

Doilooklikeatourist · 09/05/2012 18:59

Took us 14 weeks felt much longer
We had our offer accepted in early December , our buyer was a cash buyer , and the house we wanted was empty .
Had a valuation survey done on Dec 15th ( and then the office closed for 3 weeks ) so were advised it would be at the earliest completion at the end of February .
We moved in on March 16th ( having exchanged on the 14th )

Iwannamovenow · 09/05/2012 19:25

We accepted an offer on our house last week, off ftb's, we put an offer on a house the next day, which was accepted. That house is empty, so it's a short chain.
We've been told it should all be done in 6 weeks but I doubt it!

Iwannamovenow · 09/05/2012 20:18

Stupid phone...

When I've bought in the past it's been 14 weeks and 9 weeks.

Good luck :)

grobagsforever · 09/05/2012 20:23

Three moves, two took ten weeks and this one took five months but most of that was waiting for vendors to find somewhere.

Original poster
Springforward · 09/05/2012 23:28

Thanks all - reassuring that we have a little time to get this sorted!

OP posts:
RCheshire · 09/05/2012 23:35

My three experiences:

6 weeks
5 months (!!!)
3 months (!)

Original poster
Springforward · 10/05/2012 06:51

5 months, R - what happened?

OP posts:
Rhubarbgarden · 10/05/2012 07:23

4 months and 3 months. I thought the last one was quite fast, but probably because my brother was buying at the same time and his took a year.

lostboysfallin · 10/05/2012 07:28

10months

Original poster
Springforward · 10/05/2012 07:33

10 months - what happened?

OP posts:
RCheshire · 10/05/2012 07:49

As far as I (& my solicitor) could make out, nothing more than a very poor solicitor on the buyer's side.

lostboysfallin · 10/05/2012 08:01

Beware when there is a messy divorce up the chain

Sushiqueen · 10/05/2012 12:10

Our sale took almost 6 months (problems at the bottom of the chain including the solicitors who were reported apparently).

Our purchase (we were then in rented) took 10 weeks - no chain at all but still had delays between the 2 sets of solicitors. Would have been quicker if they had answered emails/calls etc.

thomasbodley · 10/05/2012 12:32

You can make it a condition of your offer that you complete within x time. You can make incentives and penalties part of your offer.

Make it easier on yourselves by only looking at chain-free properties.

We did it in a month (no chain or mortgage on either side) because our landlord returned to the UK unexpectedly and DH couldn't face renting again.

Beware, this option doesn't allow you the luxury of waiting to fall in love with a house. Hence why we'll be on the market again in a year Grin

thomasbodley · 10/05/2012 12:33

You can also ask for an attended exchange ie both solicitors sit down in a room and bat the whole thing through. This is very expensive normally, we were able to do it for very little because a lawyer friend who owed me a favour did it.

minipie · 10/05/2012 13:14

Under 6 weeks. We offered towards the end of Feb and moved in on 1 April.

No chain in either direction. There were issues thrown up by the survey though (subsidence and drains issues) which took some time to investigate so it wasn't all plain sailing. Without those issues we could have done it in 4 weeks I reckon.

echt · 10/05/2012 13:16

30 days. But this was in Oz.

Original poster
Springforward · 10/05/2012 18:41

OK, so there's hope yet....

OP posts:
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