In straightforward cases with no chain, a first time buyer purchase can complete in as little as six to eight weeks from offer accepted. However this is uncommon and most purchases take longer.

Most first time buyer purchases take between three and six months from offer accepted to getting your keys. This guide explains every stage, how long each one takes, and what you can do to keep things moving.

Initial discussion at no cost. £299 broker fee payable only if you choose to proceed after receiving a formal mortgage offer.

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3–6 Months Typical Timeline

8–12 Weeks for Conveyancing

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Quick answer

From offer accepted to completion, most first time buyer purchases take three to six months. A straightforward purchase with no chain can complete in as little as six to eight weeks. A complicated chain can take significantly longer. The biggest variable is usually how long local authority searches take and how quickly all parties respond.

The full picture

The Stages of Buying Your First Home

As a first time buyer, you might feel like there is a lot going on at once. Understanding what happens and in what order helps you feel in control rather than just waiting for other people to tell you what is happening.

1–2 Days for mortgage in principle

2–4 Weeks mortgage application to offer

8–12 Weeks offer accepted to exchange

1–4 Weeks exchange to completion

Timeframes are typical guides only. Your purchase may take more or less time depending on your circumstances.

Step by step

The Full Timeline Explained

Here is every stage from mortgage in principle through to picking up your keys, with typical timeframes and what you need to do at each point.

1–2 days

Mortgage in Principle

Before you start making offers, you need a mortgage in principle (also called an agreement in principle or decision in principle). This is a conditional confirmation from a lender that they would be willing to lend you a certain amount, based on a soft credit check and the information you provide.

It is not a formal mortgage offer, but it shows sellers and estate agents that you are a serious buyer. Most lenders and brokers can produce one within a day or two.

What you do: Speak to a broker, provide income and employment details, check your credit file.

Weeks to months

Finding a Property and Making an Offer

With your mortgage in principle in hand, you can start viewing properties and making offers. There is no fixed timescale for this stage. It depends entirely on what is available in your price range and how long it takes to find somewhere you want to buy.

When your offer is accepted, the clock starts on the legal and mortgage process. From this point, most first time buyer purchases take three to six months to complete.

What you do: View properties, make offers through the estate agent, negotiate the price.

Days 1–7 after offer accepted

Instruct Your Solicitor and Apply for Your Mortgage

Once your offer is accepted, do both of these things as quickly as possible, as they can run in parallel. Your solicitor handles all the legal work involved in the transfer of ownership. Your mortgage broker submits your full application to the lender.

Choose a solicitor who is on your lender's approved panel. Your broker can usually help with this. Delays at this stage push back everything else, so act quickly.

What you do: Instruct a solicitor, provide documents to your broker for the mortgage application.

2–4 weeks after application

Mortgage Valuation and Formal Offer

The lender will carry out a valuation of the property to confirm it is worth what you are paying. This may be a desk-based valuation (no one visits the property) or a physical inspection depending on the lender and the property type.

Once the valuation is satisfactory and underwriting is complete, the lender issues a formal mortgage offer. This is the document that confirms you have a mortgage. Keep it safe.

What you do: Respond promptly to any queries from the lender or broker. Book your survey now if you have not already.

2–6 weeks

Survey

The lender's valuation checks that the property is worth what you are borrowing, but it does not tell you about the condition of the building. As a first time buyer, commissioning your own survey is strongly recommended.

A HomeBuyer Report is the most common choice for standard properties. A full structural survey is advisable for older or non-standard properties. Your surveyor will flag any issues that could affect the value or require costly repair work.

What you do: Book and pay for a survey independently of the lender's valuation. Read the report carefully.

2–6 weeks (varies by council)

Conveyancing and Searches

While the mortgage and survey are progressing, your solicitor carries out searches and checks the legal title of the property. Local authority searches check for planning permissions, restrictions and potential issues with the land. Other searches cover drainage, environmental risks and sometimes flooding.

This is often the stage that takes longest. The speed of local authority searches varies enormously. Some councils return results in days, others take six weeks or more. Your solicitor has no control over this timeline, but will chase on your behalf.

What you do: Respond promptly to any enquiries from your solicitor. Review any documents they send you.

Typically 8–12 weeks after offer accepted

Exchange of Contracts

Exchange is the legal point at which the transaction becomes binding. Before exchange, either party can walk away. After exchange, you are legally committed to buy and the seller is legally committed to sell. A completion date is agreed at exchange.

You pay your deposit at exchange (typically 10% of the purchase price, though this can be negotiated). If you pull out after exchange without a valid reason, you lose your deposit. If the seller pulls out, you can claim compensation.

What you do: Confirm buildings insurance to start from exchange date. Have your deposit funds ready to transfer.

1–4 weeks after exchange

Completion

Completion day is when the remaining purchase funds transfer from your lender to the seller and you get the keys. You can then move in. Your solicitor handles the transfer of funds and registration of the title in your name at the Land Registry.

As a first time buyer with no property to sell, you have flexibility on the completion date. Many first time buyers choose completion on a Friday to give them the weekend to start moving in.

What you do: Transfer completion funds to your solicitor in advance. Arrange removal van. Collect your keys from the estate agent.

First time buyers exploring properties and planning their home purchase

Managing the process

What Causes Delays and How to Avoid Them

Most delays in a house purchase are not caused by you, but knowing what to watch for means you can act quickly when things slow down.

Common causes of delay

Slow local authority searches: some councils take six weeks or more
Issues raised in the survey requiring renegotiation or further investigation
Queries from the lender during underwriting that require additional documents
Problems with the seller's title, lease or documentation
Delays in the chain above you, particularly if your seller has not yet found their next home
Slow responses from any party: solicitors, estate agents or the other side
Gazumping, where another buyer makes a higher offer before you exchange

How to keep your purchase moving

Have all your documents ready before you make an offer: payslips, bank statements and ID
Respond to solicitor and lender queries the same day if possible
Choose a solicitor who is responsive and experienced in residential conveyancing
Book your survey as soon as your offer is accepted. Do not wait
Chase your solicitor regularly, politely but persistently
Ask your estate agent to keep all parties communicating
Have your deposit funds in a UK account well before exchange

A key advantage you have

Chain vs No Chain: Why Being a First Time Buyer Helps

As a first time buyer, you have no property to sell. This is one of your biggest advantages. You are chain-free below, which makes you a more attractive buyer and gives you more flexibility on timing.

You buying: no chain below

Typical: 3–5 months

You have no property to sell, so nothing is waiting on you. Sellers often prefer first time buyers for this reason, as the purchase is not held up by a dependent sale. You can also be flexible on the completion date, which sellers value.

Chain above you (seller has to buy)

Typical: 4–6+ months

If your seller is also buying a new property, there is a chain above you. Any delay in their purchase delays yours too. The longer the chain, the more moving parts there are. Your estate agent should keep you informed of how the chain above is progressing.

When you make an offer, ask the estate agent about the chain. If the seller is already in a proceedable position on their next purchase, your transaction is likely to be faster. If they have not yet found anywhere to buy, factor in extra time.

Buying a new build?

New Build Timescales Are Different

If you are buying a new build property, the timeline works differently. The completion date is determined by when the developer finishes building, not by when all the legal work is done.

Key differences for new build purchases

With a new build, you may reserve a plot before construction is complete. The developer will give you an estimated completion date, which can change. Your mortgage offer has an expiry date (typically six months), so if the build runs over, you may need to apply for an extension or reapply entirely.

Exchange of contracts typically happens within 28 days of reservation for new builds, which is much faster than a resale purchase. This gives you less time to arrange your finances, so having your mortgage in principle ready before you reserve is essential.

Build timescales vary significantly. A property that is almost finished might complete in a few weeks. An off-plan purchase on a development that has not started could take twelve to twenty-four months or more.

See our New Build First Time Buyer guide for more on how new build mortgages and developer incentives work.

The final straight

What Happens Between Exchange and Completion?

Once you exchange contracts, you have a fixed completion date and you are legally committed to the purchase. Here is what you need to sort in the gap between exchange and moving in.

Buildings Insurance

Arrange buildings insurance to start from the exchange date, not completion. You are legally responsible for the property from exchange, so you need to be insured from that point.

Notify Everyone

Update your address with your employer, bank, HMRC, DVLA, GP and Royal Mail. Set up a mail redirect from your old address. Contact utility providers at both addresses.

Completion Funds

Transfer your completion funds to your solicitor a day or two before completion, not on the day itself. Bank transfers can be delayed. Your solicitor will confirm the exact amount and account details.

First time buyers moving into their new home on completion day

On completion day itself, you do not need to do much. Your solicitor handles the funds transfer. Wait for confirmation from your solicitor that completion has occurred, then collect your keys from the estate agent. Take meter readings as soon as you arrive.

First time buyer couple discussing their mortgage options with a Woodhall adviser

Getting started