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Original poster

How long between getting an offer accepted to completion?

44 replies

PolypGrunterPulpit · 22/08/2021 15:06

I expect it's a case of how long is a piece of string, but I'd be interested in hearing people's recent experiences. DH and I are planning to take the plunge and start looking to move soon. Last time we were first time buyers with no chain so it took less than three months from our offer being accepted to moving in. Somehow I don't think we'll be as lucky this time!

OP posts:

monkeynutter · 22/08/2021 19:38

We bought and sold end of Feb and completed mid May. There was a chain of 6 😱 estate agent and solicitors were surprised how quickly we all got it done

Original poster

PolypGrunterPulpit · 22/08/2021 19:39

@Getyourarseofffthequattro

Too bloody long.

We accepted an offer on our sale 8 weeks ago and wanted to be completed in two weeks so 10 weeks but isn't gonna happen. Our vendor has only just found an onward purchase last week, which thankfully is vacant and searches have been done. But fuck knows when we will complete our solicitor won't even discuss it with me.

Going to have to leave dp here and me and ds move in with my parents for ds new school 2nd week of sept. I'm not happy!

This is what worries me. Our eldest would be changing schools and the youngest would need to change nursery so it's a very delicate timing situation! It could all go horribly wrong...

OP posts:

Getyourarseofffthequattro · 22/08/2021 19:46

It's really hard isn't it. We thought we'd have enough time but our vendor just took ages to find an onward purchase. If they don't get a shift on we may have to complete our sale and all move in with my parents because our buyer is getting frustrated understandably.

EventOfTheSeason · 22/08/2021 19:51

We put our offer to them on the 28th May and got the keys on the 1st July. It was a private sale and empty house in Scotland if that makes a difference.

Aprilinspringtimeshower · 22/08/2021 19:54

Offer accepted 7th April. I moved into my new home 16th June - this year despite stamp duty madness. So 10 weeks. It was a shortish chain. Mine were cash buyers. I was cash from sale proceeds.
Critically though I pushed the solicitors extremely hard, turned around any request from them in hours, and chased progress. Spoke to the agents of my vendors to keep progress updates between my solicitor and my vendors solicitors transparent. It was extremely stressful. Worst stress move I’ve ever had. But it was achievable if you have the time to chase and monitor constantly.

Aprilinspringtimeshower · 22/08/2021 19:58

@CharlieBrown65

Offer accepted 15th may, completed on 30th July. Just over 10 weeks and we were in the middle of a three person chain. We hassled our solicitors constantly though.

Snap, see my later message. 10 weeks but constant hassling . I think they hated me by the end🤣

Bas27 · 22/08/2021 20:00

We recently moved into our new house (2 weeks ago) after accepting an offer on April 12th. It was a small chain - house was empty, us, and first time buyers for our house.

harknesswitch · 22/08/2021 20:06

We sold in March, fpund a house in May and are due to compete mid September. So about 16 weeks.

Roselilly36 · 23/08/2021 07:11

So many variables, depending on the chain etc. We sold our house in mid October 20 last year, chain of 4, other than the first buyer in the chain, we were all buying cash from sale, so no mortgage complications. We completed the middle of February 21. So 4 months in total. Very stressful move, but totally worth it in the end. Good luck with your move OP.

CharlieBrown65 · 23/08/2021 08:10

@Bas27 honestly we were ringing them 3 times a week most weeks then towards the end it was daily. Wed been made to use Countrywide by the vendor/EA and their reviews had made us panic. We kept a detailed notebook with all our conversations in it 😂 it worked though!

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 23/08/2021 08:16

6 months. of which 3 months was the in depth stuff following the searches.

SushiGo · 23/08/2021 08:23

4-5 months from our end (with one sale falling through) longer for our vendors who had their chain collapse twice.

The last year was crazy with a lot of chains falling apart due to covid, hopefully that has calmed down now.

flintyminty · 23/08/2021 09:32

We sold our house in mid May. Found our next house and offer accepted in mid June but vendor is still looking for their onward move. So 14 weeks so far. Our buyers are chain free and as yet not nipping at our heels but surveyor booked for beginning of Sept.
Our plan had been to have completed move by now LOL. We are looking for alternative properties to buy which are chain free but there is nothing of interest coming on the market.

Bells3032 · 23/08/2021 09:34

took us 8 months to sell our chain free flat. but he had terrible buyers who sat on paperwork and appointed the worst conveyancer our estate agent had ever come across.

My advice - good convayencer will make a massive difference

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 23/08/2021 09:37

Barring glitches, I’d always expect 3-4 months.

So it was a bit of a turn up when dd and future SiL got the keys to their first house just 6 weeks after the offer was accepted.

They did use the EA’s recommended solicitor though, since they had no recommendation for another, plus eventually used the in-house mortgage broker - after they found the same deal for a lower fee elsewhere, he then said he’d match it.
I’m sure those two factors must have helped to speed things along - they all wanted their cuts sooner rather than later. Plus the vendors were in a hurry.

FiveShelties · 23/08/2021 10:38

Sold in Late March, cash buyer, property empty - may exchange next week....................

I have no idea how it can take so long - the sooner this system is overhauled the better.

hopefully2021 · 23/08/2021 10:50

We had our offer accepted on the 11th March and completed 23rd July so just over 4 months with a chain of 3

blitzen · 23/08/2021 10:58

27 weeks for us, October to April. We were not in a chain, and the vendor was buying a property not in a chain, so fairly minimal in terms of hassle. Their searches took ages unfortunately.

LadyShort · 23/08/2021 13:13

Reading these am thinking we are being unreasonable. We offered on a house beginning of April, with proviso we'd like to be in by end of September. Found out last week the chain has broken down, the owner of the property our vendors are buying has pulled out of his purchase.

We don't have property to sell, money is in bank and our solicitors have had our signed paperwork about eight weeks, we are ready to exchange.

We are on the point of just pulling out, as we've been given no idea of any time we're likely to be able to move in, and don't want to hang on indefinitely.

Estate agent has been shocking with his communication, we are left for weeks with no contact, until we start chasing.

Would you think we are being reasonable to just park this one and carry on looking?

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