Selling your home is one of the most significant and decisions you’ll make. Not only do you need to consider where you’ll be living next, but you also need to understand the entire selling process. Understanding the steps involved in selling a house and the timelines involved can help you plan and organise your move more effectively.

At Beal Homes, we understand this process can be daunting and a little confusing at times. That’s why we’ve pulled together this informative guide to cover expected timings, delays to be aware of and how to speed up the selling process with solutions like Smooth Move and Part Exchange.

What Is the Average Time Scale to Sell a House?
The timescale of selling a house can differ significantly based on the length of the chain involved, the efficiency of your solicitors, any third-party solicitors involved within the process, and how quickly paperwork is signed and returned for all parties involved.
According to HomeOwners Alliance, it takes 4 to 6 months to sell a house in the UK on average. This timescale covers everything from putting your home on the market to the legal completion of the sale.

Here’s a typical breakdown of timings:
• Putting Your Home Up For Sale to Accepting an Offer: 4–8 weeks.
• Offer to Exchange of Contracts: 8 weeks.
• Exchange to Completion: For new build homes, this timeframe completely depends on the build stage of the home. However, most re-sale properties can be exchanged and completed in just a few days, or some cases, even on the same day.

The Full Process of Selling a House: Step-by-Step
Understanding how long it takes to sell a house starts with knowing what is involved at each stage of the sale process. From preparing your property to handing over the keys, below is a step-by-step look at the process and how long each stage might take.

1. Preparing Your Home

Before your property goes on the market, it’s essential to get it ready. This preparation stage includes:

• Tidy and Clear Out: Are there items in your home that could be tidied away in cupboards? Or maybe consider a tip run or donating any items that you no longer require.

• Quick Touch-ups: Do you have scuffs on skirting boards or scratches and marks on the walls? Making these quick and simple touch-ups can make a huge difference.

• Sorting the Garden: The outside of your home adds to its appeal, too. That’s why carrying out simple tasks such as cutting the grass, weeding, and planting some potted plants can have an impact.

• Get Specialist Advice: Get a professional valuation from one or more estate agents to get a clear view on how much your property may be worth.

While this step may seem simple, it plays a key role in speeding up the sale. Homes that are presented well typically generate more interest and can attract higher offers more quickly.

2. Marketing & Putting Your House on the Market

Once your home is ready to go live, your agent will put your house on the market using a property platform such as Rightmove or Zoopla. This phase involves:

• Taking high-quality photos and creating floorplans
• Scheduling and hosting viewings with potential buyers

It’s important to find a recommended local estate agent with a good presence in the area to help market your home as well as possible. Finding an efficient and professional agent will take the stress away from this stage, including pulling together floor plans and taking photos of your home.

If your property is priced well and in a high-demand area, you may receive offers within days. In slower markets or during off-peak seasons, it might take several weeks to attract serious interest.

3. Receiving and Accepting

After initial viewings, offers will likely begin to come in. Negotiation is key at this point. The estate agent will negotiate on your behalf, check the buyer chain and whether they are a good fit, i.e. whether they can obtain a mortgage offer, etc. You don’t need to do anything at this point, as the agent will update you throughout this process regarding offers that are put forward and will advise on which ones to accept based on price point and the buyer’s circumstances.
Once you accept an offer, it is essential to note that the sale is still not legally binding. Buyers can pull out at any time before contracts are exchanged, so keeping the momentum going through to the next phase is vital.

4. Legal & Financial Progression

This is typically the most time-consuming stage of the selling process. A lot of this part includes formalities such as:

• Appointing a solicitor to act on your behalf
• Arranging payment for searches
• Sourcing a mortgage broker to apply for a mortgage
• Complete any necessary property information forms

Your solicitor and/or mortgage advisor will be able to help you answer questions about any paperwork needed at this point.

5. Exchange of Contracts & Completion

Exchanging the contracts is the final stage in the process of selling a home. Once all the legal work is done, the contracts are exchanged, and the sale becomes legally binding. Once this stage has been completed, a completion date is then agreed between the buyers (through solicitors) as to when the keys will be handed over and the funds are transferred.

Throughout this phase, your solicitors and estate agents will liaise with each other to ensure this goes smoothly, and they will contact you if they need anything further. However, unlike other steps within this process, this stage is typically straightforward unless any unexpected issues arise with removals, finances or any other last-minute details.

How Beal Homes Make Selling Easier, Faster and More Efficient

At Beal Homes, we understand that moving house can be one of life’s most stressful events. That’s why we’ve developed schemes to speed up the process, all with our buyers in mind.

Smooth Move: With our ‘Smooth Move’ scheme, we take care of all the stress of selling your current property, meaning you can focus on your new dream home. Benefits of this scheme include:

• A free, trusted valuation of your old house
• We cover the costs of your agents’ fees
• Our dedicated team progress your sale and keep you up to date every step of the way
• If you’re not comfortable showing prospective buyers around, we can be on hand to do that for you

Part Exchange: Our ‘Part Exchange’ scheme really is as simple as it sounds. We will value your current home and make you an offer within 7 days. If you accept the offer, we will reserve your new Beal plot at a fixed price and begin the process of purchasing your existing property while all you have to do is wait for your new Beal home to be built. Here’s a quick breakdown of how this works:

1. Choose your new Beal home
2. We arrange a valuation of your current property using trusted local estate agents
3. We present your bespoke marketing plan; once you’re happy, a ‘For Sale’ board will go up!
4. Viewings will be arranged, and we will negotiate the best price on your behalf
5. Once you have accepted an offer, we will complete the reservation of your new home

Ready to Make Your Move?
Don’t let long chains or unpredictable buyers hold you back. Instead, take control of your move by exploring Beal’s tailored solutions. Whether you choose the convenience of Smooth Move, the speed and certainty of Part Exchange, or need expert guidance from our experienced sales team, Beal Homes is here to make your transition into a new home as smooth, secure, and stress-free as possible. With almost 60 years of experience in building homes, it’s clear to see why people choose Beal.