How long does it take to sell a house?

Selling a house in England or Wales takes about 5 months on average, according to GOV.UK, and longer if you're part of a chain. That time splits into two parts: finding a buyer, which depends on your price, your home and your area, and the legal work after you accept an offer, which the government says takes around 120 days on average to complete.

The good news is that much of the delay is predictable, and some of it you can deal with before you even put the house on the market. Here's what happens at each stage, how long it tends to take, and what you can do to shorten it.

The stages of selling a house, and how long each takes

Stage	What happens	How long it can take	What slows it down
1. Getting ready	Valuations, choosing an agent, getting an EPC, instructing a solicitor, gathering paperwork	Days to a few weeks	Missing documents, putting off choosing a solicitor
2. On the market	Photos, listing, viewings, offers	Days to many months	Price set too high, condition, a quiet local market
3. Offer accepted to exchange	Draft contract, property forms, searches, buyer's survey and mortgage, questions between solicitors	The longest stage; often a few months	Chains, mortgages, searches, leasehold packs, slow replies
4. Exchange to completion	Contracts become binding, removals booked, money lined up	Whatever you agree: same day to several weeks	Usually little, once both sides are ready
5. Completion day	Money moves, mortgage is paid off, keys handed over	One day	Late transfers of money, usually sorted the same day

1. Getting ready

Before you list, you need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which lasts 10 years, so you may already have one. GOV.UK also suggests gathering your title deeds, planning permission and building regulations certificates, warranties, surveys, electrical checks and any party wall agreements, and checking with your lender what you owe and whether there's an early repayment charge.

This is the stage where you can save the most time later. Instruct your solicitor or conveyancer now, and fill in the property information forms (such as the TA6) before you have a buyer.

2. Finding a buyer

There's no average that fits every home. A well-presented family house priced in line with recent sold prices can get offers within days; a flat with a short lease, or a house needing major work, can sit for months.

The biggest lever you control is the price. Check what similar homes nearby actually sold for, not just what they're listed at, and be wary of any agent whose valuation is far above the others. If your home has had plenty of viewings but no offers, the price or the presentation is usually the problem. Our guide to a house not selling covers the fixes.

When offers come in, look at the buyer's position as well as the figure. Your agent must pass on every offer until contracts are exchanged, and an offer isn't legally binding in England and Wales until then.

3. From accepted offer to exchange of contracts

This is where most of the time goes. Your solicitor drafts the contract and sends your property forms. The buyer's solicitor orders searches, checks the title and raises questions (called enquiries). If the buyer needs a mortgage, their lender values the home and issues a mortgage offer. Exchange of contracts, when the sale becomes legally binding, can only happen when everyone in the chain is ready.

The government's 2026 roadmap says the whole buying journey now takes around 60% longer than it did in 2007. Our conveyancing timeline for sellers goes through this stage week by week.

4. Exchange to completion

At exchange, GOV.UK explains, both sides sign final copies of the contract and send them to each other, and from then the sale is legally binding. The completion date is fixed at the same time. The gap is whatever you agree: some people exchange and complete on the same day, others leave a few weeks to arrange removals.

5. Completion day

The buyer's solicitor sends the money, your solicitor pays off your mortgage and the costs of the sale, and you hand over the keys. GOV.UK explains that the balance is then paid to you. See what happens on completion day.

What causes the most delays?

• Chains. Every sale and purchase in the chain has to be ready at once, so the slowest link sets the pace for everyone. One collapse can bring the whole chain down. See what is a property chain.
• Mortgages. The buyer's lender has to value the home and issue an offer. If the valuation comes in below the agreed price, the buyer may need to renegotiate or find more money.
• Searches. The buyer's solicitor orders local authority and other searches. How long they take depends on the council and the search provider.
• Leasehold management packs. For flats, the buyer needs information about service charges, ground rent and the building from the landlord or managing agent. It can be one of the slowest parts of a leasehold sale, so ask your solicitor to request it early.
• Probate. If you're selling for an estate, you can't exchange until the executor has the grant of probate. GOV.UK says it's usually granted within 12 weeks of applying.
• Paperwork gaps. Missing building regulations certificates, an extension without planning permission, or an unclear boundary can all hold up a sale while they're sorted out.
• Sales falling through. The government estimates around one in three transactions falls through. Each one sends a seller back to stage 2. See what happens if a house sale falls through.

How to shorten each stage

• Before listing: instruct a solicitor, get your EPC, complete the property forms and collect certificates and warranties. For a flat, order the management pack.
• When pricing: use sold prices and two or three agent valuations. Pricing realistically at the start is usually quicker than cutting the price later.
• When choosing a buyer: favour buyers who are chain-free, have a mortgage agreed in principle, or have already sold. Ask the agent to check.
• During conveyancing: answer your solicitor's questions the same day, keep a list of what's outstanding, and ask for weekly updates. If you're also buying, keep your buyer and seller informed so the dates line up.
• If your mortgage has an early repayment charge: ask your lender whether timing completion just after the fixed rate ends would avoid it.

How long does each way of selling take?

Route	Typical timescale	The trade-off
Estate agent	About 5 months on average (GOV.UK), longer in a chain	Usually the highest price, but less certainty
Traditional auction	Binding on the day; completion usually 20 working days later (RICS), plus time to get into an auction	Fees, and the price depends on the bidding
Cash house buyer	Usually weeks; sometimes as little as 7 days	Price usually below market value

At a traditional auction, the sale is binding when the hammer falls. RICS says completion usually takes place 20 working days after the auction where its Common Auction Conditions are used, though you need to allow time beforehand for the auctioneer's catalogue and your solicitor's legal pack.

A cash buyer with money ready cuts out the buyer's mortgage and the chain, which removes two of the biggest causes of delay. The price is usually below market value, so it suits people who value speed and certainty more than the last pound. If your home is in good condition and you can wait a few months, an estate agent will usually get you more, even after their fee. If that's you, we make an offer within 24 hours and you choose the completion date. Our offer is below market value, and we explain how we worked it out. For a full comparison, see cash buyer vs estate agent vs auction.

Is the process going to get faster?

In June 2026 the government published a roadmap to speed up home buying and selling. It plans a Code of Practice for property agents this year, then upfront "sales packs" with searches and a condition report at the point of listing, and later, binding contracts earlier in the process. The legislation for sales packs and binding contracts isn't in place yet and is planned by the end of this Parliament, so for now the timescales above still apply.

These timings are for England and Wales. The process is different in Scotland.