selling

How long from offer accepted to completion: what happens after your offer is accepted

How long from offer accepted to completion in England and Wales: the stages, what buyer and seller do at each, and when either side can still pull out.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 7

What the time looks like

General information, not advice. GOV.UK says buying a home takes about 5 months on average and can take longer if you are part of a chain. Our guide to how long it takes to sell a house sets out the sourced timings: Rightmove data reported on 31 July 2026 gave 154 days from sale agreed to completion, while a Rightmove guide gave 167 days as of March 2026. They come from different data and dates, and neither is a promise for your sale.

Part 2 of 7

Stage by stage

Stage	Buyer does	Seller does	Legal step
Offer accepted	Confirms their solicitor or conveyancer, and the proof of funds the agent asks for	Tells the agent which solicitor or conveyancer is acting	The sale is agreed "subject to contract"; nothing is binding
Memorandum of sale	Receives a copy	Receives a copy	Written confirmation of the agreed terms; not a contract
Legal work opens	Instructs the solicitor and pays for searches and a survey	Completes property information forms with the solicitor	Seller's solicitor prepares the contract pack; buyer's solicitor raises enquiries
Searches and mortgage	Arranges the mortgage valuation and offer	Answers enquiries	Searches and a review of the property's title
Exchange	Pays the deposit	Signs the contract	Contracts exchanged; the sale becomes legally binding
Completion	Pays the balance	Leaves the property empty and hands over the keys	Ownership transfers

The rows follow GOV.UK and Citizens Advice, plus a conveyancing firm's description of the memorandum of sale. The order can vary and some steps overlap.

Part 3 of 7

What a memorandum of sale is

A memorandum of sale is written confirmation that the seller has accepted an offer. One conveyancing firm describes it as a document confirming a property is sold subject to contract, with the key details needed to start the legal work. It is usually issued by the estate agent to the buyer, the seller and both conveyancers. It does not commit either party, and only exchange of contracts creates a binding commitment. That firm says it is usually issued within 24 to 72 hours of the offer being accepted, but it can be delayed if the buyer has not chosen a conveyancer or if identity or funds checks are pending. In a private sale with no agent, one of the conveyancers prepares a similar summary. Note that our glossary entry on the memorandum of sale describes the auction version, which works differently.

Part 4 of 7

Who does what after acceptance

GOV.UK says that once you accept an offer, the buyer's solicitor or conveyancer will arrange searches and a review of the property's title. The seller's solicitor sends the draft contract, and the buyer's solicitor can send enquiries about the title, the searches, the mortgage offer, the property and the transaction. A legal professional can advise you on how to answer them. Quick, complete answers are the part of the process most in your control.

Part 5 of 7

When can either side still pull out?

Citizens Advice says that even after you accept an offer, there is nothing in law to prevent you from changing your mind, and a seller can accept a higher one. The buyer can also withdraw, for example if their mortgage falls through or a survey finds a problem. GOV.UK says an offer is not legally binding in England and Wales until contracts are exchanged. Our guide to gazumping and gazundering explains the two best-known cases. Citizens Advice advises keeping the details of other buyers who made offers in case the accepted sale falls through. In Scotland the rules differ, so check Scottish guidance if your sale is there.

Part 6 of 7

What happens at exchange and completion

At exchange, Citizens Advice says the buyer's deposit goes to the seller's solicitor, who holds it until completion, and no work should be carried out on the property before completion. At completion the seller must leave the house empty and hand over the keys, and the solicitor receives the balance of the price and passes it, with the deposit, to the seller. GOV.UK says that after exchange neither side can usually withdraw without paying compensation; if you need a longer account of the legal stages, see our conveyancing timeline guide.

Part 7 of 7

What helps a sale move

Choose your solicitor or conveyancer before you accept an offer, so the memorandum of sale is not held up.
Complete property information forms and gather documents early.
Reply to enquiries within days, not weeks.
Ask your agent for regular updates on the chain.

Before exchange, a plain-English OfferCheck report on the address sets out crime, flood, planning and tenure facts, with sources.

This page is general information, not advice. Speak to a conveyancing solicitor about your own sale.

Our take

An accepted offer is only the start

Until contracts are exchanged, an accepted offer is not legally binding in England and Wales, and either side can still withdraw. GOV.UK says buying takes about 5 months on average, and longer in a chain. We think the common mistake is to relax after acceptance, when this is the stage to check the facts behind the price.

OfferCheck is a plain-English risk report on any UK address, covering crime, flood, planning, tenure and more, with every figure sourced. There is a free snapshot, the full OfferCheck Report is from £4.99, and the OfferCheck Pack is £9.99. It is designed to be read while your conveyancer works.

Get OfferCheck

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

What happens after your offer is accepted?

The sale is agreed subject to contract. The agent issues a memorandum of sale, both sides instruct conveyancers, and the buyer's solicitor arranges searches and a review of the title, per GOV.UK. Nothing is binding until contracts are exchanged.

What is a memorandum of sale?

Written confirmation from the estate agent that an offer has been accepted, sent to the buyer, seller and both conveyancers. One conveyancing firm says it is usually issued within 24 to 72 hours and that it is not legally binding.

How long until exchange?

GOV.UK gives about 5 months for the whole purchase on average. Rightmove data reported on 31 July 2026 gave 154 days from sale agreed to completion. Exchange comes before completion, and your own timetable depends on the chain and the searches.

When can the buyer still pull out?

Until contracts are exchanged. Citizens Advice says a buyer can withdraw, for example if their mortgage falls through or a survey finds a problem, and a seller can accept a higher offer. GOV.UK says after exchange neither side can usually withdraw without paying compensation.

Is an accepted offer legally binding?

No. GOV.UK says an offer is not legally binding in England and Wales until contracts are exchanged. The rules in Scotland differ.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.