It depends. The average time it takes to buy a house is around 3-6 months, from getting a mortgage approved in principle to completion. But there are so many factors that can speed things up or slow them down. You may have delays with surveys or be stuck in a chain. On the other hand, things can move more quickly if, for example, you’re a cash buyer and everyone’s motivated. Every sale is different.

You can, but depending on where you are in the process it can be tricky — and it might cost you. If you back out after the exchange of contracts, you can lose your deposit. If you back out before, you can still lose anything you’ve invested so far — like surveying fees. It’s certainly not a decision you should take lightly.

Yes and no. According to Citizen’s Advice, there isn’t a legal obligation to leave the house clean — though they are responsible for removing their personal belongings. If you want to be sure that your new home is left in a good state, you can arrange a final walkthrough or even add a clause into the contract that requires the home to be clean and tidy.

Officially speaking, Spring. Statistics from HMRC show that house sales tend to spike in March and again in the summer months, so that’s likely to be when more houses are on the market. That being said, there are also larger market trends that make a difference. If the market is hot in your area, the time of year might not matter as much — a boom tends to make more of a difference than any particular time of year. And it might be the right time for you to buy, based on events in your life — so just keep an eye on the listings and do what’s right for you.

Normally, yes. On completion day, your solicitor will take the funds they’ve received for the house (either from you or your mortgage provider) and transfer it to the seller’s solicitor. Once they confirm that they’ve received funds, you get the keys and can move straight in. But sometimes there are snags in the process. If your transfer gets held up or a solicitor isn’t on the ball, they might not receive the funds early enough to release the keys that day — so keep that in mind. Your estate agent should be able to talk you through the process.

Yes, Some experts think that the market has already seen the Brexit effect and evened out — especially now that the Brexit bill has been signed into law. But trade negotiations still have to take place and that can affect the pound and everything else, including the housing market. Then there’s the Coronavirus effect, which put the market on ice for a few months and the full effects may last much longer. Ultimately, only you know if it’s the right time to buy for you.

Buying a house with cash tends to go faster because you don’t have to go through the mortgage approval process or a mortgage valuation — plus, there’s no chain on your end. That being said, you can still run into the same snags, gazumps, and unexpected survey issues. You can speed up the process, but it’s still a process.

Good question. Normally there are viewings (you'll probably view a property multiple times before you buy it), offers, and negotiations — then your offer is accepted. Congratulations! But nothing is binding until you exchange contracts. After contracts are exchanged, there is often a break before "completion", which is when the home is really yours. You'll agree on the completion date when your conveyancers are doing the contracts, so they'll be sure to find a day that works for both of you. Then, you can move in!

To be honest, it depends on a lot of factors. Anyone who guarantees a quick sale may not be being 100% honest. We've found that the average time is anywhere from 15 to 24 weeks, from when you start viewings until moving day. W