House sales are taking more than three months to complete once an offer has been accepted, according to analysis by property buying website OneDome.
The research looked at almost 200,000 property listings over the course of 2024 and found that property transactions took an average of 108 days to complete.
However, in some parts of the country, buyers are finding they are having to wait for an agonising five months.
Buyers in the capital typically face the slowest completion times.
The north London borough of Islington was found to be the slowest market in the country, with homebuyers facing waits of 141 days or almost five months between their offer being accepted and completion.
In the London Borough of Bexley it takes 133 days on average, in Greenwich it drags on for 129 days and in Redbridge, it is 126 days.
Bracknell Forest in Berkshire also came high on the list at 133 days.
In stark contrast, buyers in Tower Hamlets, in East London, completed transactions in just 62 days on average in 2024.
This was the fastest in the UK and more than twice as quick as those in Islington.
Outside of London, Swansea stands out for its fast-moving property market, with home purchases completing in just 67 days on average.
Overall, Wales boasts some of the quickest transaction times in the UK, averaging 101 days – significantly faster than many other regions.
In contrast, the West Midlands records the slowest completion times of any region at 113 days, narrowly ahead of both the South East and East of England, which each average 112 days.
Babek Ismayil, founder and chief executive of OneDome said: ‘Buying a home is an exciting but stressful experience that can be made worse by a lengthy sales process.
‘Once a sale is agreed, homebuyers are often desperate to complete and to move into their new home as soon as possible.
‘Sadly, in some parts of the country, they can face a wait of several months due to complex property chains, delays with searches and lots of legal wrangling among all those involved.
‘Transaction times in the UK have only modestly improved in recent years and an average of 15 weeks is still too long.’
Stamp duty changes create need for speed
This will make concerning reading for thousands of home buyers currently trying to complete on house purchases before stamp duty increases on 1 April.
From next month, homebuyers will start paying stamp duty if the property they’re buying costs more than £125,000, rather than the £250,000 they start at now.
The maximum extra charge for home movers that miss the deadline is £2,500.
| Property price | Current stamp duty charge | Stamp duty from 1 Apr 25 | Additional charges £ | Current stamp duty charge | Stamp duty from 1 Apr 25 | Additional charges £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-first-time buyer | First-time buyer | |||||
| £125,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| £250,000 | £0 | £2,500 | £2,500 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| £425,000 | £8,750 | £11,250 | £2,500 | £0 | £6,250 | £6,250 |
| £500,000 | £12,500 | £15,000 | £2,500 | £3,750 | £10,000 | £6,250 |
| £625,000 | £18,750 | £21,250 | £2,500 | £10,000 | £21,250 | £11,250 |
| £750,000 | £25,000 | £27,500 | £2,500 | £25,000 | £27,500 | £2,500 |
| £925,000 | £33,750 | £36,250 | £2,500 | £33,750 | £36,250 | £2,500 |
| £1,000,000 | £41,250 | £43,750 | £2,500 | £41,250 | £43,750 | £2,500 |
First-time buyers currently pay stamp duty if their home costs more than £425,000. This will drop to £300,000 from 1 April.
This means instead of paying no stamp duty on a purchase worth £425,000, from next month they will soon pay £6,205.
Last week, Rightmove reported that around 74,000 home buyers across England are predicted to narrowly miss the stamp duty deadline next month.
The property portal said more than 25,000 first-time buyers and nearly 49,000 home movers in England will fail to complete before 1 April, despite currently going through the legal process.
‘There will be thousands of home buyers now biting their nails with just over a month to go before the stamp duty changes take effect,’ added Ismayil.
‘Thousands of home buyers are going to have to pay more stamp duty through no fault of their own.’
How to buy a home faster
Whether or not a buyer completes on time will largely be in the hands of their conveyancing solicitor, as the legal process is usually the most time-consuming aspect of buying a home.
Conveyancing timelines are often heavily influenced by the time it takes for local authority searches to be returned.
A local authority search looks into whether the property is listed or located in a conservation area, as well as presenting information relating to new road proposals, rail schemes and planning decisions that might impact the property.
The nuclear option for buyers who are unable to get their searches completed in time is to go ahead with the sale anyway, and take out search indemnity insurance to cover any costs that might come up as a direct result.
The caveat here is that doing this this will be subject to your mortgage lender’s approval – and many banks and building societies won’t accept it.
It will typically cover some, but not all, of the issues that would have otherwise been revealed had a search been carried out before completion.
On top of delayed searches, there are other issues that can delay the conveyancing process.
Many property transactions are dependent on a chain of buyers and sellers, all relying on each other to ensure they can complete on their own purchase.
If any transaction in the chain is delayed or collapses, everyone in the chain is impacted.
A further issue that can arise is when the buyer, seller, or their legal teams take too long responding to emails, returning documents and completing forms.
It is vital to be proactive and ensure any delays are being chased up.
Inconsistencies with the title deeds, issues with planning permission such as loft or garage conversions that have not been properly approved, and problems relating to the buyer’s mortgage application or survey can also slow down the legal process.
Another factor that many buyers are not aware of is that buying a leasehold property typically takes a lot longer than buying a freehold.
For those who are yet to have an offer accepted on a property and wish to beat the stamp duty changes then their chances of success are sadly slim to none.
The London borough of Islington was found to be the slowest-moving property market with homebuyers facing a five month wait between their offer being accepted and completion
For someone buying with cash and willing to forgo most of the legal checks and surveys, then it may still be possible.
For anyone else yet to have an offer accepted, they may wish to try their luck buying at auction – though this is not without its risks and careful research is advised.
Last week, Auction House recorded its highest-ever bidder registration numbers for its national online auction, marking an 85 per cent increase on registrations this time last year.
It says high property auction activity is likely to remain as the stamp duty deadline draws ever closer.
‘Traditional property auctions provide a fast-track solution,’ said Oliver Prior, national commercial director at Auction House.
‘Exchange is immediate upon the fall of the gavel and completion occurs within the 28 days that follow. Auction is fast, straightforward and guarantees a sale once the hammer goes down.
‘To avoid complications or delays, involve a solicitor early on and carry out financial due diligence as soon as you can.
‘Relying on lenders can sometimes be a lengthy process, so engage with them right at the start.’
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