House Sale

[yansee]

Is there a set time after contracts have been exchanged for final completion or does it vary according to circumstances ?

[rockyracoon]

The completion date is usually set at exchange, and it'll be a mutually convenient time for both buyer and vendor. Next door to me sold last week, with 1 week between exchange and completion, but, I have heard that some folk have done it all on the same day. I think the average is 4 weeks.

[Buenchico]

See 'Pros and Cons for the length of time between exchange and completion' here:
https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/conveyancing/how-long-between-exchange-and-completion-2932

A week or two might be normal but it can be quicker. (I've sold a house with only a couple of days between exchange and completion but I actually gave the keys to the buyer, and invited her to move in, as soon as we'd exchanged contracts). It can also be a lot slower if there's a chain involved.

[Peter Pedant]

well the soonest is exchange and complete on the same day

otherwise it is up to discussion
and can be 'quite long' I think the longest for me is 16 wks
I have never been in a chain...

I cant remember my first 1978
it was so long - that my frenz said - no dont delay - say complete as I was buying and he can stay so long as he pays you rent

the seller went pretty quickly after that and as so often was just taking advantage of a young first time buyer

The quickest was 7 days ( I had the cash and knew the area as I had bought before ) - he knocked 2% off if I did it ....

if you are in a chain - remember 67% fall apart ....

[Baldric]

Couple of years back, selling a Rental had call from Agent to say "Your Buyer has had to drop his price by £8K so you will have to do the same"
I asked " Is he with you now?"
Yes.
"Could you ask him if he owns a bike please?"
Yes he does.
"Well, tell him to get on it!"

24 hrs later he was back with the full asking price, we did the deal.

[yogi-bear]

I remember, in 2004, before we moved down to the south coast here in Sussex, we had an apartment/flat in Streatham, South London we needed to sell.....Once our tenants left we decorated and new carpets all round....Put it on the market on Monday, someone came to view it on Wednesday, exchanged Friday and they apparently moved in at the weekend.
Can be different depending on if chain involved, as PP mentions.....Gets a bit messy if chain breaks down.....happened before to us on other property.

[yansee]

Thank`s all very helpful,i`m just dying to get my hands on the cash,it`s a house that was left to me so no chain