Once an offer is accepted on a property, the formal transaction process begins. The time from accepted offer to completion is the conveyancing phase, and for most sellers and buyers this is the period they want to understand most clearly. The good news is that this phase has more predictable timescales than the marketing phase, though it is still subject to variation.

What Happens After an Offer Is Accepted

Accepting an offer is not legally binding in England and Wales until contracts are exchanged. In the period between offer acceptance and exchange, both parties instruct solicitors and the legal, survey, and mortgage processes run concurrently. The seller's solicitor prepares the contract pack and answers the buyer's enquiries. The buyer commissions a survey, submits a full mortgage application, and has searches carried out through their solicitor. Once all of these are satisfactorily resolved, the solicitors agree a date for exchange of contracts and then for completion.

Factors That Determine the Timeline

The chain

Whether the transaction is in a chain is the biggest single factor. A transaction with no chain, for example selling to a buyer who has no property to sell, can proceed independently. A transaction in a chain of three or four properties requires all links to be ready to exchange simultaneously, which typically extends the timeline and increases the risk of delays from any link.

The local authority search

The local authority search is the most variable element in the legal process. In fast-processing councils, searches return within one to two weeks. In slower councils, they can take six to eight weeks. The overall transaction cannot proceed to exchange until the buyer's solicitor has reviewed the search results.

The mortgage offer

A straightforward mortgage application where the buyer is employed, has a good credit history, and the property is a standard construction can result in a mortgage offer within two to three weeks. More complex situations or additional underwriting queries extend this to four to six weeks or more.

Exchange and Completion Gap

Once all parties are ready, contracts are exchanged and a completion date is agreed, typically one to four weeks after exchange. Some transactions complete on the same day as exchange, though this is more common in chain-free transactions. In chains, the completion date must work for all parties, which sometimes requires a longer gap.

Summary

The time from accepted offer to completion is typically 12 to 16 weeks for a chained transaction and 8 to 12 weeks for a chain-free one. The local authority search turnaround and the mortgage offer timeline are the main variables. Choosing a well-prepared buyer with a short or absent chain, instructing a proactive solicitor, and responding promptly to enquiries are the most effective ways to minimise the time between offer and completion.