How long does it take to move house in the UK?

Moving house can be difficult, with logistics and a number of other factors to consider. Depending upon your current situation, it could even take up to six months! This timeline involves many steps and each one can run into roadblocks and other difficulties which significantly lengthen the process. 

Just finding a property that suits your specific needs and preferences could take months – after all, it’s essential that you carefully consider every option on the market before you commit to a new home. In this blog post, we look at the various factors and steps which form a part of the typical buying and moving processes and answer how long does it take to move house in the UK?

The Mortgage Application Process

After finding a property that you like, getting a mortgage is usually the next step. This might take up to 40 days due to the time it takes for banks and other lenders to validate your application; problems with your credit can lead to it taking even longer. 

Filling in the application should only take a few hours and includes details on your current financial situation and the property you want to buy. Documents such as bank statements and payslips are often essential for determining your ability to pay back the loan. After getting your mortgage, you have 3–6 months to complete the purchase.

Survey of Your Property

Before buying the property with your mortgage (but after finding a conveyancer to facilitate the sale), you may want to conduct a thorough survey. This ensures there are no serious issues with the building and typically takes between two and three weeks for the surveyors to complete. 

For properties built within the last 50 years, an RICS Level 2 HomeBuyer Survey offers a strong balance between depth and affordability. Older buildings can benefit from a Level 3 Survey that costs more but provides a greater level of detail; both survey types generate a report that illustrates the property’s condition.

Contract Exchange

It’s difficult to define how long it takes to move house, as the length of time for the contract exchange process can vary. This partly depends on the survey results, as they might reveal issues that need resolving before the sale. For example, if the surveyor uncovers a serious mould infestation in the property, the homeowner might have to repair this before the purchase. 

The property chain could also be a factor as the seller may be waiting to buy their next home first. There might be a range of other legal issues and considerations to account for during this stage, such as the possibility of lengthy contract negotiations.

Sale Completion

Signing the contracts provides you with a solid completion date. This is when you can move into the new home and is often 7–28 days after you finish the contract exchange – the completion date is also when the property’s seller receives their final payment. 

The conveyancer handles this specific part, transferring your deposit money and the mortgage payment straight to the seller’s own conveyancer. This is usually on a weekday to make sure solicitors, conveyancers, and the bank can coordinate the transaction.

Moving In

It generally takes a couple of days to move into the property; this frequently begins on the day of completion, as this is when you receive the keys. Depending on your own circumstances, you might need to wait a few days until the moving process, in which case your sale contract should include a stipulation about this. 

Make sure you book a removal service in advance for the day you intend to move in for further convenience or you might struggle to find a company that can help.

How Cubic Storage Can Help Make The Process Easier

The house moving process may take as little as 12 weeks with enough luck and preparation, though you should prepare for the possibility that it ends up taking many months instead. One useful way of speeding up the process is to hire a storage unit that can keep your belongings safe for weeks or even months in advance. At Cubic Storage, we have a range of different unit sizes to fit your needs and an online booking system that speeds up the process. We also offer flexible contracts with no long-term commitment and a variety of other features to make the moving process easier.