Most people expect buying and moving home to take “a few months”. In reality, it moves in stages; some fast, some painfully slow, and the order is rarely as tidy as the guides suggest.
This timeline shows what typically happens, why delays creep in, and what you can do to keep things moving.
Deciding to move
Typical time: 1–3 months
The hardest part is usually the beginning: working out whether now is the right time.
People often sit here for weeks: comparing areas, weighing up schools, commute times, budgets, or simply outgrowing the home they’re in.
Why this stage slows down
- Uncertainty about where to live
- Comparing affordability
- Waiting for “the right” property to appear
How to make progress
- List non-negotiables (space, area, type of home)
- Check recent sold prices to set expectations
- Look at commute or school-catchment boundaries early
Checking what you can afford
Typical time: 1–2 weeks
Once you’re serious, the next step is getting a clear sense of your budget: deposit + mortgage borrowing.
Most lenders will offer around 4–4.5× your household income, but credit history and commitments matter too.
Do now
- Get a realistic budget using a mortgage calculator
- Work out your deposit position and any ISA timings
- Map out other costs: surveys, legal fees, removals, and Stamp Duty
Try our mortgage calculator for a quick understanding of your budget:
Getting a Mortgage in Principle (MIP)
Typical time: same day to 1 week
A MIP tells estate agents and sellers that you’re a serious buyer. For most people, it’s a quick online process. If you have complex income, expect extra checks.
Why it matters
It speeds up offer negotiations and reassures sellers that you’reable to proceed.
If you’re selling: preparing your current home
Typical time: 1–3 weeks
Small fixes and a quick declutter can make a big difference: tidy gardens, patchy paintwork, broken handles, stained carpets, etc.
Why this stage slows down
- Waiting for tradespeople
- Delays in getting photos or EPC updates
- Underestimating the prep needed
Choosing an estate agent
Typical time: 1–2 weeks
Most sellers invite 2–3 agents to value their home. Fees and contract terms vary, so take your time to compare.
Finding a property
Typical time: 1–3 months (can be faster or far longer)
This is the most unpredictable stage. Some people view one home and know instantly. Others spend months comparing areas and compromises.
Typical pattern
- Most buyers view around 10–20 properties
- Weekday evening viewings go quickly; weekend slots fill fast
- Good homes in good areas often go under offer within days
Tip
Check the EPC early — it tells you a lot about running costs and likely future upgrades.
Making an offer
Typical time: 1–5 days after viewing
Once you’ve found the one, you’ll usually negotiate within a few days.
You can ask the agent how much interest there’s been, but remember: they work for the seller.
If your offer is accepted
Ask the agent to stop marketing the property. Some sellers will pause viewings immediately; some won’t until you instruct a solicitor.
Instructing your conveyancer
Typical time: same day to 3 days
As soon as your offer is accepted, choose your solicitor or conveyancer.
This is the point where the legal work begins: ID checks, title documents and contract packs.
Why this matters
Conveyancing is one of the biggest sources of delay in the UK process (as highlighted in DPMSG research, buying and selling involves many interdependent steps and data requests).
Arranging your survey
Typical time: 1–3 weeks
Most buyers choose a HomeBuyer or Level 3 survey.
Surveyor availability varies by area — rural and coastal regions often take longer.
Why delays happen
- Surveyor schedules
- Sellers needing to confirm access
- Further specialist reports (damp, structural, roof)
Mortgage offer (full application)
Typical time: 2–6 weeks
Once the lender has your documents, valuation, and the survey info, they assess affordability and the property itself.
Common reasons for hold-ups
- Bank statement checks
- Missing documents
- Slow responses from employers or accountants
- Valuation queries
Searches and enquiries
Typical time: 2–10 weeks
Your solicitor orders searches (local authority, water and drainage, environmental).
Timeframes vary hugely depending on the local authority’s capacity — some return results in days, others in over a month.
Your solicitor will also raise enquiries with the seller about anything unclear in the contract pack or searches.
Exchange of contracts
Typical time: 2–4 months after offer
This is the point where the transaction becomes legally binding.
You’ll pay your deposit to your solicitor, buildings insurance needs to be in place, and a completion date is set.
Why this is often slow
- Chains, everyone must be ready at once
- Outstanding enquiries
- Waiting for funds from ISAs or gifted deposits
- Slow search results
- Lender conditions
Completion
Typical time: usually 1–2 weeks after exchange
On completion day, the lender sends the mortgage funds to your solicitor, who transfers them to the seller’s solicitor.
Once the money lands, you get the keys.
Most completions happen between 11am and 2pm.
Moving day
Typical time: 1–3 days
Whether you hire movers or do it yourself, allow more time than you think.
Pack essentials separately and keep all documents, keys, and chargers in one bag.
After you’ve moved
Typical time: 1–2 weeks
- Register with your utility providers
- Update your address across accounts
- Pay Stamp Duty (your solicitor usually handles this)
- Change the locks and meter readings
- Start planning any immediate repairs or upgrades
Typical overall timeline
StageTimeline
Deciding to move 1–3 months
Checking affordability & MIP 1–3 weeks
Finding a property 1–3 months (varies widely)
Offer accepted → Exchange 2–4 months
Exchange → Completion 1–2 weeks
Total typical duration 3–6 months (but 6–9 months is not unusual)
Why the UK process takes so long
Much of the delay comes from how many different parties are involved; lenders, surveyors, solicitors, local authorities — and how much information must be collected manually, often from fragmented or non-standardised sources (a recurring issue identified in the DPMSG report) .
Small delays in one place ripple through the whole chain.
How to keep things moving
- Respond to your solicitor’s requests quickly
- Send documents in one go, not piecemeal
- Book your survey early
- Keep in contact with your seller via the estate agent
- Chase local authority searches if they’re slow
- Have deposit funds ready before exchange
- Choose a conveyancer with capacity, not just the cheapest quote
One question to leave the reader with
What part of the process are you most unsure about right now: the legal side, the mortgage side, or the practical “moving” side?