In short
The average UK home sale takes about 22 weeks from listing to completion in 2026 — roughly 5 – 6 weeks to find a buyer and another 12 – 16 weeks of conveyancing. Cash buyers and chain-free flats can shave 4 – 8 weeks off the back end. Almost every avoidable delay is caused by paperwork, not by buyers changing their minds.
Last updated . Reviewed by FindYourAgent editorial.
The four phases
Phase 1 · Pre-listing
Weeks −4 to 0
- Wk −4
Decide and gather
Get three in-person valuations from local agents who can show you sold-board evidence on your street. Order an EPC if yours is older than 10 years. Pull together your mortgage offer and any leasehold paperwork.
- Wk −2
Instruct agent and conveyancer
Sign the agency agreement (read the tie-in clause carefully). Instruct a conveyancer the same day, even before you have a buyer — most fall-throughs we see come from paperwork delays, not buyer cold feet.
- Wk −1
Photos, copy, prep
Professional photographer (insist on it). De-clutter, deep clean, fix anything obviously broken. Sign off the listing copy yourself — agents will write a generic version unless you push back.
Phase 2 · On the market
Weeks 0 to 6 (typical)
- Wk 0
Listed on Rightmove and Zoopla
First 14 days drive 60 – 70% of total interest. If you have fewer than 4 viewings booked in week one, the price is too high — talk to the agent immediately, do not wait three weeks to reduce.
- Wks 1 – 4
Viewings and offers
Average UK home gets 6 – 12 viewings before a sale agreed. First offer is rarely the best; highest offer is rarely the most likely to complete. Ask the agent to verify the buyer's mortgage in principle and chain position before you accept.
- Wk 5 – 6
Sale agreed (STC)
Memorandum of Sale goes out. Both sides' solicitors are formally instructed. Listing flips to 'Sold STC' on the portals.
Phase 3 · Conveyancing
Weeks 6 to 18 (typical)
- Wks 6 – 8
Forms and pack
You complete the TA6 (Property Information) and TA10 (Fittings and Contents). Leasehold flats also need TA7 plus the management pack — this is where most leasehold sales lose 2 – 4 weeks. Order the pack the day the sale is agreed.
- Wks 8 – 12
Searches and survey
Buyer's solicitor orders local authority, water and environmental searches (4 – 6 weeks in slow councils). Buyer commissions their survey. Any issues come back as enquiries — answer them within 48 hours, every time.
- Wks 12 – 16
Enquiries cleared, mortgage offer issued
Buyer's lender issues the formal mortgage offer once the survey is back and enquiries are clear. Both solicitors agree the contract pack and a target exchange date.
- Wks 16 – 18
Exchange of contracts
Buyer pays a deposit (usually 5 – 10%) and the sale becomes legally binding. Pulling out after this point costs serious money. Completion is set 1 – 4 weeks after exchange.
Phase 4 · Completion
Weeks 18 to 22
- Day 0 (exchange)
Book removals, confirm utilities
Removals firms get fully booked 2 – 4 weeks ahead, so book the day exchange is confirmed, not before. Notify utilities, council tax, broadband, electoral roll, GP.
- Wks 19 – 21
Pack and finalise
Final readings on completion day — photograph every meter. Forward post via Royal Mail's redirection (£40+, set up at least a week ahead).
- Completion day
Funds transfer, keys handed over
Buyer's solicitor transfers funds to yours, your solicitor redeems the mortgage, agent releases keys. Most completions land between 12 noon and 3pm.
The four bits that always slip
If a UK sale takes longer than 22 weeks, it's almost always one of these four. Plan around them and you'll often complete in 16.
The leasehold management pack
Two to four weeks if you ask on the day of sale agreed; instant if you ordered it the day you listed.
Local authority searches
Some councils (Bromley, Tower Hamlets, parts of Birmingham) routinely take 6 – 8 weeks. Personal search firms can shave 3 – 4 weeks off but cost £150 – £250 more.
Buyer's mortgage valuation
If the surveyor down-values, the buyer either renegotiates or has to find more deposit. Either way, expect a 1 – 2 week wobble.
Slow replies to enquiries
A 5-day delay on a single enquiry can push completion back two weeks because of how solicitor diaries chain together. Reply same day, even with 'I don't know — checking'.
How to shave weeks off
- Instruct a conveyancer the day you list, not the day you have an offer. Worth 2 – 4 weeks on a leasehold sale.
- Reply to enquiries within 48 hours. The seller who answers same-day shaves another 1 – 2 weeks off the back half.
- Pre-pay for searches via your solicitor on day one. Some firms only order searches once the buyer has signed off the contract pack — you can request earlier.
- Accept the most proceedable offer, not the highest. A chain-free buyer at £5k under often completes 4 weeks faster than a top-of-chain buyer at full asking.
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