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Original poster

How long from offer to completion

36 replies

Wednesdayonline · 03/04/2023 19:01

Hello
Just wondering if anyone in the process over last six months or so can advise how long the conveyancing process is taking? Assuming nothing serious gets flagged. We are in the SW if that helps. I appreciate it may be dependant on lots of factors but would be great to see if there is an average.
Thanks :)

OP posts:
Catsonskis · 03/04/2023 19:04

Northwest. Went on market in May and offer accepted 3 days later. We complete on Thursday. It’s been a shambolic shit heap since day 1. Never moving again!

But we were told should be 12 weeks. The searches alone took 12 weeks. Hope SW is better for you. Anecdotally I’m hearing 5-6m is average, we’re just unlucky

Original poster
Wednesdayonline · 03/04/2023 19:43

Oh I'm sorry it's taken so long for you! Fingers crossed all goes smoothly Thursday.
An estate agent told me 3 months but I thought that seemed a bit ambitious!

OP posts:
WestendVBroadway · 03/04/2023 19:46

We put in offer last May, and finally completed and moved in mid November.
Solicitors and estate agents were shite😒

AwkwardSquad · 03/04/2023 19:55

If all goes according to plan, mine will be 12 weeks from offer to completion. No chain involved.

VölligLosgelöst · 03/04/2023 20:02

We've been told 12 weeks.

It's been... 3 maybe? 4? Maybe it's not been 3 yet and it just feels like forever. Flat went on sale last September, only sold a month ago or so.

I'm not sure what I think about it right now.

LionessesRules · 03/04/2023 20:12

Bought in April last year. Under 4 months.
Finally managed to sell in July. Just over 4 months.
Quoted 12-16 weeks.

Disco123456 · 03/04/2023 20:22

We had offer accepted September 12th and our purchase offer accepted 19th September. We completed 9th December but I think we were lucky and chain of 3. Surely conveyancing should be quicker than last year with less market activity?

WhatWouldHopperDo · 03/04/2023 20:41

We accepted an offer on MILs house first week of January and we have a predicted completion date of mid June. South East. No chain. Nobody buying or selling anything else.

Karmatime · 03/04/2023 20:42

5 and a half months, beginning of October to mid March. Only 2 properties in the chain but lease problems with the sale of my buyer’s flat caused 2 months of delays.

Greensleevevssnotnose · 03/04/2023 20:43

12 weeks

Fifthtimelucky · 03/04/2023 21:01

Is it freehold or leasehold? In general freehold properties should be quicker.

My daughter moved recently into a leasehold flat. It took 5 months between offer and completion which was far longer than it should have done given that there was no chain. The solicitors were awful.

We are currently selling a freehold property and it's going much more quickly. We had the offer in the middle of Feb. The searches have just come back and the survey has been done so we're just waiting to see if that has thrown up any issues. Solicitors (much better ones) think we should complete by the end of April.

FootnerFanatic · 03/04/2023 22:23

We had an offer accepted 31st May, completed and moved in 19th August. We're in Scotland and 8 - 12 weeks is standard here.

Original poster
Wednesdayonline · 03/04/2023 22:31

Thank you everyone! Its good to see different time frames. It is freehold so fingers crossed it takes under 6 months anyway!!

OP posts:
sunnysideurp · 03/04/2023 22:47

SW here, too.

Offer in and accepted end of Nov. Completion end of April. No chain, however a few awkward hoops to jump through.

MrsBlondie · 03/04/2023 23:40

It'll be 7 months for us. Sold October and moving next month.

isurvived3under2 · 03/04/2023 23:56

SW here. Put an offer in on 13 January. Was given a completion date of 24 March. We indeed completed on 23 March and moved two days later.

It all went incredibly smoothly and there were no issues. Also no chain in either direction and no mortgage, which I know is not the norm.

isurvived3under2 · 03/04/2023 23:57

That's just under 10 weeks. Forgot to say.

Cornwallinthesun · 03/04/2023 23:58

Cornwall
7 months for us!
Chain of 3

PermanentTemporary · 04/04/2023 00:05

I'm in SE and am 6 weeks post acceptance. There was a long wait between offer and acceptance, but once that was done it's progressing quite well. I got the surveyor before the final acceptance for an appointment a few days after. I phone the estate agents at both ends and my solicitor every week which is definitely saving days here and there. My buyers have a relative as a solicitor, and my solicitor is one I've used for other things, I trust him up to a point. There's no chain. I assumed it would take a minimum of 5 months but 12 weeks is just about possible.

Busyas54321 · 04/04/2023 07:43

Mine completed 2 weeks ago, it took 12 weeks in total. If you had of asked me the week before completion when I was moving though, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. It seems to go through the process (which feels so long) and them boom. All done.

I hope yours goes through nice and quickly , it’s such an exciting but stressful time isn’t it?

katienana · 04/04/2023 07:48

It should take 12 weeks max if everything goes smoothly, but apparently the searches are taking a really long time to come back at the moment which is adding several weeks. I'm in the NE and I've been told to expect 6 months. I read something in the Times about some councils taking ages with the searches. I guess if the market slows down the transactions should speed up.

PermanentTemporary · 04/04/2023 08:12

I was told locally in the SE the searches are taking about 3 weeks.

Maybepossibly22 · 04/04/2023 08:36

Last year we bought in the SE, offered in January, completed middle of June. I always assumed it was a long process due to shared ownership but it seems that’s the norm. Hoping to move in again in 18-24 months time and now I’m not so sure!

Fifthtimelucky · 05/04/2023 14:42

I can now update since my post a couple of days ago.

We put the house on the market in the middle of January and had an offer in the middle of February. We have exchanged today and completion will be next week.

It obviously helps that there is no chain but, even so, under 3 months from start to finish is pretty good going!

Seaitoverthere · 05/04/2023 20:52

We’re in SW and agent said searches are approx 3 weeks where we are. Offer accepted 3 March, no chain. Mortgage offer came last week and at that point one search was outstanding. I’d like to complete mid May.

Sold last summer after losing first buyer as they couldn’t get a mortgage. New buyer used the same solicitor. Split chain involving 4 properties, took 9.5 weeks.