How Long Does A House Sale Take?

The first thing to do when selling your house , or if your house is taking too long to sell, is to get your finances in order. Selling your property can be expensive, especially when you factor in things like stamp duty and fees from high street estate agents.

You’ll need to check where you are positioned with your mortgage. If you’re still making payments, you should check if you’ll be liable for any charges if you move your current mortgage to your new property or if you repay it early.

If you’re moving to a more expensive property, you should check how much you can borrow on the mortgage and what the best deal will be for you. You may find it helpful to talk to a professional mortgage broker, so you have as much information as possible before you sell your home.

Whilst figures in this early stage may just be approximate, it’s a good idea to get an idea of the value of your house, so you know how much it’s worth and how much money you’ll likely get from a sale.

You will need to provide various pieces of paperwork throughout the selling process. Sorting out the relevant documents early can help to avoid any delays later on if you need to share information with estate agents or potential buyers.

Another thing we ask people to consider when they ask how long a house sale could take is how organised they are with their own documentation. If all the correct paperwork is in order before the sale goes ahead, there is nothing causing additional delays or potential blockers to selling your home quickly.

For example, you may need to commission an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), unless your property is exempt, or you have a valid certificate issued in the last 10 years. An accredited assessor will need to oversee this for a fee.

You will also need to collect other documents such as the HM Land Registry title documents, valid gas and electrical checks, planning permission for any major work that has been done, subsidence and damp guarantees or warranties, and FENSA or CERTAS certificates for windows. These are all documents that you may already have and might have received when you bought the property. Other documents you may need will depend on any work that has been carried out on your property, or any specific issues that a buyer will need to know.

There are a variety of different ways that you can sell your house, but each service will provide a different timeline and if you are wanting to sell your home quickly or are wondering how long a house sale takes then you might want to research into some of the ways you could choose to sell your house.

How long does a house sale take via auction?

You can choose to sell your house via an auction or private sale, which removes the need for an estate agent. However, these methods can have problems, with it sometimes taking months to complete a sale and sometimes no sale being made at all.

How long does a house sale take via a high street estate agent?

You could choose to sell your property with a high street estate agent. Different estate agencies will have different packages available, with some organising a viewing for you and some providing a dedicated sales team to advertise your property on the open market. You should investigate agencies thoroughly to make sure they are transparent with their fees. You are likely to have to sign a contract with an estate agency, so make sure to check the length of the contract and what your options will be if your property hasn’t sold after a few months.

How long does it take for a house sale with Smoothsale?

You could choose to sell your house through a trusted property buyer like SmoothSale. We can guarantee you a cash sale with funds that we already have. This means that, unlike traditional estate agents, you won’t have to wait months for an offer to be made or a sale to be completed.

With SmoothSale, you can sell your house for free, as we cover all the legal costs and have no fees of our own, we buy property in any location, in any condition.

You set the timescale, so it’s not a problem if you need to wait to sell your property so you can move to your new home. We can also buy your home in as little as seven days if you need to sell your house fast.

If you’re using a traditional estate agency, they will tell you every offer that has been made, even if it’s below the asking price. You should not feel pressured to accept any offer. Whether you accept an offer might depend on whether the buyer is part of a chain, the length of the chain and whether the offer is cash or mortgage. These can all affect whether the sale will actually go through and/or extend the time it takes to complete.

Once you have accepted an offer from a buyer, they will undertake their own surveys and then you will exchange written contracts to complete the sale. The property will then be removed from the market.

How to sell my house on my terms

SmoothSale is not part of any chain, nor do we rely on third parties to buy your property. We have the funds to secure you a sale and can do so away from the stress of the open market. We can make a no-obligation cash offer to start the process of selling your house today. Alternatively, you can call us on 0113 539 6600 to talk to one of our property experts about how we can help you sell your house.