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Original poster

Current timescales of sales

21 replies

Anotheradventureforme · 27/02/2023 20:43

How long, on average, is it all taking from offer accepted to completion?

Uncomplicated sale with no significant chain.

I was hoping at least 12 weeks (bit to organise!) , but I've been told it could be as little as 8?!

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unluckyinlife · 27/02/2023 20:48

We're hoping to be in by July latest (no chain and house were Purchasing is empty) our conveyancers say the national average is 20 weeks currently and their average 16-20.

Original poster
Anotheradventureforme · 27/02/2023 21:05

Actually that's quite reassuring! I was hoping to move at the beginning of summer but was told by a colleague today that 8-10 weeks was average currently.

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whatyoulookingfor · 27/02/2023 21:14

Accepted an offer in May... Completed mid January

unluckyinlife · 27/02/2023 21:14

Hopefully it works in your favour. Apparently searches are taking on average 6 weeks alone which holds the process up.

Our searches can't be done until full mortgage offer is complete! Is this your first house? It's mine and the process feels so overwhelming!

whatyoulookingfor · 27/02/2023 21:14

I should add that there was no chain. I was selling an empty property to first time buyers... Fucking nightmare

Original poster
Anotheradventureforme · 27/02/2023 21:18

@unluckyinlife Yes, it is. Doing it on my own and I am trying to treat it as an adventure (in-between the gut wrenching bouts of panic! 😬)

@whatyoulookingfor Oh my word. Poor you - what on earth happened?

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Lcb123 · 27/02/2023 21:19

We sold last autumn, no chain. Took 3 months to the day. It’s the searches that tend to take ages

unluckyinlife · 27/02/2023 21:20

@unluckyinlife wow! Thats really brave! I don't think I'd have the strength. Currently doing this while pregnant so trying desperately to keep busy and keep my mind off things! 😀

good96 · 27/02/2023 23:52

My neighbour put their house up for sale mid November, they accepted an offer two weeks later at the start of December and are moving on Friday. It all depends if there are any hold ups / or chain.

good96 · 27/02/2023 23:53

I have also known a house sale/buying process go on for as long as 9 months… No way would I wait that long - each to their own though!

lookslikeitsgoingtosnow · 28/02/2023 07:19

We accepted an offer on a property we had refurbished in Nov and the sale completed in Jan, 8.5 weeks total & included 2 week Sol shut down at Christmas/NY. We sold to a cash buyer and he had a survey done. I think his searches came back within 3 weeks.

Rnt95 · 28/02/2023 08:52

We accepted our offer in November. We exchanged yesterday and complete Thursday. Chain of three, our buyers, us, our sellers (probate property).

Sirius3030 · 28/02/2023 08:52

Sold in September, completed last week. 5 months. I was in no hurry, but was originally told mid-December, then the buyers’ solicitor dragged it out for a further 2 months over petty details. Then the CF’s insisted on only a few days between exchange and completion.

Mildura · 28/02/2023 15:39

unluckyinlife · 27/02/2023 21:14

Hopefully it works in your favour. Apparently searches are taking on average 6 weeks alone which holds the process up.

Our searches can't be done until full mortgage offer is complete! Is this your first house? It's mine and the process feels so overwhelming!

There are a couple of hundred local authorities in England. Some will return search results in under a week, at the other extreme some may take 2 - 3 months. It really does vary a lot.

There is no need to wait for your mortgage offer to be received before applying for searches, they are two entirely separate parts of the process.

unluckyinlife · 28/02/2023 15:44

Mildura · 28/02/2023 15:39

There are a couple of hundred local authorities in England. Some will return search results in under a week, at the other extreme some may take 2 - 3 months. It really does vary a lot.

There is no need to wait for your mortgage offer to be received before applying for searches, they are two entirely separate parts of the process.

Show quote history

It's interesting you say that. I work in a job that requires the same process (planning) across different local authorities and I have the same experience.

The LA the searches need to be done are over three hours away from me so I have no experience with of yet.

Our conveyancer was adamant the mortgage offer or at least the valuation needed to be done first so I will broach this with them!

This has been really helpful thank you! X

Mildura · 28/02/2023 16:24

Our conveyancer was adamant the mortgage offer or at least the valuation needed to be done first so I will broach this with them!

The only reason that you would hold off applying for searches until the mortgage offer is in that I can think of is if you were worried about obtaining the mortgage. Potentially ending up with a scenario where you had been turned down for the mortgage but already spent a few hundred pounds on searches that you no longer had any need for.

There is absolutely no reason not to run both processes simultaneously.

Mildura · 28/02/2023 16:36

How long are searches taking by local authority:

www.propertysearchesdirect.co.uk/turnaround-warnings

Original poster
Anotheradventureforme · 28/02/2023 17:21

How interesting. Thanks @Mildura for that and I'm glad to hear the mortgage doesn't have to be in place before searches.
Looks like the LA at the place I'm looking at is a quick one.
I would be happiest with a 12-16 week process, but there again I would be happy with a job as a judge on Bake off and a size 12 figure - I'll be grateful for what I have!

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unluckyinlife · 01/03/2023 07:20

I thought an update might help:

I got an update from my solicitors yesterday (I believe they've now been instructed for a week) our welcome pack Details and ID have been checked and verified. They are now waiting on the contract pack from the seller's solicitors. Once this has been received the searches will start.

Our mortgage valuation has apparently been done (online valuation I assume) and we should either have an offer or request for more information by Friday.

Our homebuyers survey is happening today.

This is 8 days after offer was accepted.

CoffeeWithCheese · 01/03/2023 10:01

We went on the market late September - quiet on viewing front as it was just before that Kwazi budget - offer accepted mid/end of Oct, exchanged last week and complete on Friday.

Original poster
Anotheradventureforme · 01/03/2023 17:54

@unluckyinlife I like the updates 🙂I have finally had memorandum of sale from seller's estate agents (online company) and am also hearing about mortgage on Friday.
Memorandum had estimated completion date as 6th Sept 😬I'm hoping that's just a 6 month (ish!) standard date they put in. I'll ring tomorrow and find out.
Got to sort surveys now.
Congrats @CoffeeWithCheese

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