What is the process and timeline for completing the sale once the offer is accepted?

Once a cash offer has been accepted, the sale progresses through the legal conveyancing process until the contract is exchanged and the purchase money is transferred on completion. There is no fixed completion date for every transaction: the timetable is shaped by the property’s title, the information available, the parties’ solicitors and any issues discovered during the legal work.

Acceptance of an offer is not normally legally binding. Either party can usually withdraw before exchange of contracts, so the early stage is focused on preparing the transaction and identifying anything that could prevent the sale from proceeding.

• Instructing conveyancers: The seller appoints a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to handle the legal transfer. The buyer’s legal representative will also begin their checks and request information needed to proceed.
• Providing property information: The seller may need to complete forms about the property, boundaries, alterations, utilities, disputes, guarantees, fixtures and contents. Accuracy matters because incorrect or incomplete information can lead to further enquiries or later liability.
• Checking ownership and title: The conveyancer reviews the Land Registry title, confirms who is entitled to sell and identifies restrictions, charges, rights of way, covenants or other matters affecting the property. Any mortgage or secured borrowing must be accounted for so it can be redeemed from the sale proceeds.
• Addressing property-specific issues: Leasehold homes may require information about the lease, service charges, ground rent and the managing agent. Probate sales, trust ownership, absent owners, tenants, unregistered land and previous alterations can each require additional evidence or approvals.
• Answering enquiries: The buyer’s conveyancer raises questions about the title and the information supplied. The seller’s representative obtains answers and supporting documents, then both sides assess whether the legal position is acceptable.
• Agreeing the contract: The contract records the parties, property, price and relevant terms. The proposed completion date is discussed alongside practical arrangements such as vacant possession, included fixtures and the treatment of any outstanding payments.
• Exchanging contracts: Exchange is the key legal milestone. Once contracts have been exchanged, the agreement is generally binding, and the agreed completion date becomes fixed subject to the contract’s terms. Before this point, the transaction remains at risk of being delayed or withdrawn.
• Preparing for completion: The conveyancers obtain a final statement of the money required, arrange redemption of any secured borrowing, complete final legal checks and prepare the transfer. The seller should make arrangements to vacate and hand over the property as agreed.
• Completion: The buyer’s funds are sent to the seller’s conveyancer. When the money has been received and the contractual requirements are satisfied, completion is confirmed and the keys can be released in accordance with the agreed arrangements. The buyer’s conveyancer then deals with registration of the new ownership.

A cash purchase can remove the need for a mortgage application and lender valuation, but it does not remove the need to establish ownership, deal with charges and satisfy the legal requirements of the transfer. The buyer may still commission searches, request documents or raise questions before committing to exchange.

The timetable can lengthen where the title is defective, documents are missing, searches reveal a restriction, a mortgage lender needs to provide a redemption figure, a probate grant is outstanding or several linked property transactions are involved. Leasehold information, planning or building-regulation evidence and disputes over boundaries can also require further investigation. If a problem is found, the parties may need to obtain specialist advice, supply additional evidence or agree a solution before exchange.

For a straightforward property with responsive parties and complete paperwork, the legal process may be relatively short, while a sale involving probate, arrears, tenancy arrangements or title complications can take longer. The most useful indication comes from the conveyancers after they have reviewed the property and identified the work required, rather than from the offer acceptance alone.

To help avoid preventable delays, sellers should return forms promptly, disclose known issues, locate guarantees and planning documents, provide details of any mortgage or tenancy and keep their conveyancer informed of changes. They should also avoid committing to a related purchase or removal date until the legal representatives have confirmed that exchange has taken place.

Before completion, ask the conveyancer to confirm the agreed price, deductions, redemption of secured borrowing, items included in the sale, vacant-possession requirements and the practical arrangements for releasing keys. This provides a clear record of what must happen on the completion date and helps distinguish an accepted offer from a legally binding sale.