House Purchase Progress Checker
Use this as a sanity check, not professional advice. Your solicitor, surveyor and broker remain the right people for case-specific decisions.
Timeline check
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Progress so far
This tool is general guidance only. It is not legal, financial, mortgage, surveying or conveyancing advice. Always rely on your solicitor, broker, lender or surveyor for decisions about your own transaction.
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Understanding the UK house buying timeline
Buying a home in the UK can feel slow because several workstreams happen at the same time. Your mortgage application, survey, searches, contract pack, enquiries and chain updates all need to move forward before you can exchange contracts and complete.
This page is designed for buyers who have had an offer accepted and want a clearer view of whether their house purchase timeline looks normal, delayed or blocked. The checker above uses the dates you know to estimate your current stage and suggest practical questions to ask next.
How long does buying a house take?
A typical house purchase often takes around 8 to 16 weeks from offer accepted to completion. A straightforward chain-free purchase can be faster, while leasehold, probate, new-build, mortgage-dependent or chain-heavy purchases can take longer.
The most useful way to think about your timeline is not simply how many weeks have passed, but which stage is currently blocking progress. A purchase that is 10 weeks in with searches and enquiries resolved may be close to exchange. A purchase that is 10 weeks in without searches ordered may need more urgent chasing.
Average conveyancing timelines
Every transaction is different, but these are common working ranges buyers can use as a rough guide.
| Stage | Typical timing | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Offer accepted | Day 0 | The seller accepts your offer, but nothing legal is binding yet. |
| Solicitor instructed | First few days | Your conveyancer opens the file and starts requesting information. |
| Mortgage application | First 1-2 weeks | Your lender assesses affordability, valuation and underwriting. |
| Survey | 1-3 weeks after ordering | The surveyor checks the property condition and reports back. |
| Searches | 2-6 weeks | Local authority and other searches are returned to your solicitor. |
| Enquiries | 2-8+ weeks | Your solicitor raises questions with the seller's solicitor and waits for replies. |
| Exchange | Often 8-16 weeks after offer | Contracts become legally binding and the completion date is fixed. |
| Completion | Often 1-2 weeks after exchange | Funds transfer, ownership changes and you get the keys. |
Why is my purchase delayed?
Most delays happen because one part of the transaction is waiting on another. Common causes include slow searches, unanswered enquiries, mortgage offer delays, survey issues, missing leasehold management packs, unclear chain positions or seller-side paperwork problems.
The hardest part for buyers is that the process is often invisible. You may be told that things are “in progress” without knowing what is actually outstanding or who needs to act next. That is why specific questions are usually more useful than asking for a general update.
Common causes of delay
- Searches taking longer than expected: local authority turnaround times vary and extra searches may be needed.
- Enquiries not answered: the seller's solicitor may be waiting for the seller, management company, freeholder or another third party.
- Mortgage offer not issued: the lender may still be reviewing documents, valuation or underwriting queries.
- Survey issues: damp, roof problems, structural concerns or valuation differences can create extra negotiation or specialist checks.
- Leasehold paperwork: management packs, service charge accounts, ground rent details and consents often slow things down.
- Chain complications: even if your own purchase is ready, another buyer or seller in the chain may not be ready to exchange.
How this timeline checker works
The checker uses your key dates to estimate which stage your purchase is likely to be at. It compares your timeline against typical UK home buying stages and highlights what may be overdue, what questions to ask and what to watch out for.
It is designed as a practical sanity check, not legal, mortgage or financial advice. Your solicitor, mortgage broker, lender and surveyor remain the right people for decisions about your own transaction.
House purchase timeline FAQs
Buying a home in the UK can feel unclear because several things happen at once: mortgage work, surveys, searches, enquiries and chain updates. These answers explain the most common timeline questions.
How long does buying a house take in the UK?
A typical UK house purchase often takes around 8 to 16 weeks from offer accepted to completion. Some purchases complete faster, especially if there is no chain and the buyer is not using a mortgage. Others take longer because of leasehold paperwork, slow searches, unanswered enquiries, mortgage delays, survey issues or chain complications.
Why is my house purchase taking so long?
The most common causes of delay are slow solicitor enquiries, outstanding searches, missing management company information, mortgage offer delays, survey findings, probate paperwork or problems elsewhere in the chain. The progress checker helps identify which stage looks most likely to be holding things up based on the dates you enter.
What happens after an offer is accepted?
After your offer is accepted, you usually instruct a solicitor, submit your mortgage application, arrange a survey and wait for the contract pack, searches and enquiries. Once the legal work, mortgage offer and any survey issues are resolved, you can move towards exchange of contracts and then completion.
How long do conveyancing searches take?
Conveyancing searches often take around 2 to 6 weeks, but this varies by local authority, search provider and property type. If searches have not been ordered after your solicitor has been instructed, ask whether anything is preventing them from being submitted.
How long after searches come back do you exchange?
Searches coming back does not automatically mean you are ready to exchange. Your solicitor still needs to review the results, raise any enquiries and resolve any issues. If searches are back but enquiries have not been raised, ask what remains outstanding before exchange.
How long do solicitor enquiries take?
Enquiries can take a few weeks or much longer depending on the property, seller, solicitor and any third parties involved. Leasehold enquiries often take longer because management companies and freeholders may need to provide extra information.
When should I chase my solicitor?
It is reasonable to chase when a key stage appears overdue or when you have not had a clear update for a while. Useful questions include:
- What exactly is outstanding before exchange?
- Who owns the next action?
- Have searches been ordered or returned?
- Have enquiries been raised?
- Which enquiries are still unanswered?
How can I speed up conveyancing?
You cannot control every part of conveyancing, but you can reduce avoidable delays by instructing your solicitor quickly, returning forms promptly, arranging your survey early, responding to lender or solicitor requests, and asking specific questions about what is outstanding rather than asking for a general update.
How long does a mortgage offer take?
A mortgage offer often takes around 2 to 4 weeks after the full application, but it can be faster or slower depending on the lender, valuation, underwriting and any documents requested from you. If it is taking longer than expected, ask your broker or lender exactly what is outstanding.
What delays exchange of contracts?
Exchange is often delayed by unresolved enquiries, missing mortgage offers, outstanding searches, survey issues, chain readiness, missing deposit funds or disagreement on completion dates. Everyone in the chain usually needs to be ready before exchange can happen.
Can exchange and completion happen on the same day?
Exchange and completion can happen on the same day, but it is less common and can be stressful because there is little time to deal with problems. Many buyers have a gap of around 1 to 2 weeks between exchange and completion, although the exact timing is agreed between the parties.
What happens on completion day?
On completion day, your solicitor sends the purchase money to the seller's solicitor. Once the funds are received and completion is confirmed, the estate agent can release the keys. Timing depends on bank transfers, solicitor processing and whether there is a chain.
Why do leasehold purchases take longer?
Leasehold purchases often involve extra information from a management company, freeholder or landlord. Service charge accounts, ground rent information, building insurance, consents and planned works can all create extra enquiries and delays.
Is my first-time buyer timeline different?
First-time buyers are often chain-free, which can help. However, a first-time buyer using a mortgage still needs lender approval, searches, survey checks and legal enquiries. Being chain-free reduces some dependencies but does not remove the conveyancing process.
What should I ask if I don't know what's happening?
Ask for a clear list of outstanding items before exchange, who is responsible for each one, when each item was last chased and what the realistic target date is. This usually gets a better answer than asking, “Any update?”