How Long Is The Process Of Buying A House In England?

Ask the question ‘how long is the process of buying a house’? and you’ll often be met with the frustrating answer: ‘how long’s a piece of string?’ However, in this guide, we’re offering our expert advice and providing an average timescale for the entire property buying process, from searching the market to exchanging contracts.

The below timeframes are estimates based on our professional experience and national averages.

The timeline will also depend on your circumstances. Having a property to sell on top of making a purchase can be quite the juggling act. However, even first-time buyers don’t have it easy as they can often be outbid by more mature and well-off buyers, making the first step of getting an offer accepted a long ordeal for many. In other cases, it may just take that little longer to find the perfect home.

It’s important to bear in mind that delays and issues can arise that could delay your purchase at any point in the process. In England, a house sale is not legally binding until the contracts have been exchanged right at the last hurdle. But don’t let a setback or two dishearten you!

House buying timeline

The average house purchase timeline in 2021 took 19 weeks, with some taking significantly longer at 26-39 weeks. However, typically once a house is found and an offer accepted, it takes 13 weeks to complete.

Where does finding a mortgage fall into the timeline?

You should speak to a mortgage expert as soon as you know you want to move house. They will be able to help you calculate how much you’d be likely to afford and even offer some financial advice to help improve your chances of securing a loan. You can get a mortgage agreed in principle which gives you a strong indication of whether you will secure a loan for the type of property you’re looking to buy. As soon as you find the house you want and have instructed your solicitor, you should get back in contact with your mortgage broker to start your application process.

Speak to Agentis today to get all the mortgage advice you need. With our ‘Whole of Market’ broker service available nationwide, you can benefit from finding the right mortgage for your circumstances with the best rate available to you.