How long does it usually take to purchase a house in Scotland once an offer is accepted?

[Redqueenheart]

I wonder if anyone could share roughly how long the process takes at the moment?

I have sold my property and will start making offers on houses.

I am wondering though how long the process takes once the bid is accepted as I am trying to work out how long I might have to rent while I find the right house and go through the buying process.

I am in England at the moment where the buying process can take forever but I am reading that it is much quicker in Scotland. I see 6 to 8 weeks mentioned but wonder if that is realistic at the moment.

It is likely I won't need a mortgage.

Depends on the circumstances
Are you getting a mortgage
Have you exchanged in England
Is your seller ready to proceed or do they have to find a property

I have sold already and won't need a mortgage. I am going to rent for a few months while I look for a house in Scotland.

No mortgage you should manage 4 to 6 weeks

@Turnaroundandigone, thank you!

It all depends on the individual circumstances. We completed our sale within 6 weeks and agreed a date as we were going to another house but people I know have bought a house but the move in date has been delayed by 5/6 months

You might struggle to get short term renting , unless willing to pay extortionate air b n b rates.

It depends on the people you’re buying the house from. Sometimes the house is empty, therefore a quick entry date can be arranged. However, owners still living in the house might want a late entry especially if they haven’t bought yet.

Your Scottish solicitor will be able to negotiate for you. An offer could be made which is dependent on a certain entry date and, if the offer is a good one, sellers will be keen to work with you. Most owners in Scotland move directly from one house to the other and it’s relatively rare for a family to rent in between houses although it does happen.

Roughly 3-4 months is around the average.

The new Scottish tenancy agreements are month to month

3-4 months?! When I've bought and sold with a mortgage and to people getting a mortgage it's never been more than 9 weeks and that was because of a hiccup with a mortgage application.

@Turnaroundandigone
''The new Scottish tenancy agreements are month to month''

That's really interesting! I guess it all depends as well if I end up buying a home that needs work first.

Thank you everyone for all the replies so far, it is really helpful.

I do realise I will very much depends on the circumstances of the sellers as well so it is hard to predict but it is good to hear about people's experience.

As your sale has gone through and you are getting a mortgage the only thing that would hold you up would be if the seller has still to find a house
Your solicitor can check the seller’s position with their solicitor and take it on from there

Yes but landlords don't want to take on people who are short term.

We were 6 weeks with a mortgage

They can't put it in the tenancy though and you don't have to tell them.

Cash buyer, no mortgage, no chain can be 2-3 weeks for entry assuming both sets of solicitors are able to proceed quickly. A chain can make the process longer if other buyers and sellers need mortgages. 8-12 weeks on average.

It really will depend on circumstances of others at the time of offering.

You will struggle to get a rental for a short period of time. Being honest you will need to lie. Don’t tell agent or LL that this is a rental between properties. They will almost certainly turn you down.

We were 30 days from offer to getting the keys with a mortgage but we really had to push the solicitors.

Turnaroundandigone
**
3-4 months?! When I've bought and sold with a mortgage and to people getting a mortgage it's never been more than 9 weeks and that was because of a hiccup with a mortgage application.

That’s your experience. It’s rather rude to imply that your experience is the only valid one.

Other people have different experiences. I’ve bought and sold 6 houses. One of them took 6 months from offer to finalised sale due to an error in the deeds. Large solicitor firms are quoting a previous average of 2-3 months but currently taking 4 months.

I was 4.5 weeks from offer accepted to getting my keys

Thank you everyone.

It sounds like people have very varied experiences but it is good to hear some of you have managed to complete everything in just a few weeks!!