What Happens After an Offer Is Accepted on a House?
An accepted offer is the beginning, not the end. Here's exactly what happens between offer acceptance and getting the keys — and what you can do to keep things moving.
Having your offer accepted feels like the hard part is over. In reality, it's the starting gun for a legal and financial process that typically takes three to five months and involves multiple parties, any one of whom can cause delays or trigger a fall-through.
Understanding what happens — and in what order — means you know what to expect, what to do proactively, and how to spot when things are going wrong before they become serious problems.
The most important thing to know upfront: nothing is legally binding until contracts are exchanged. Until that moment, either party can walk away without penalty. Your offer being accepted is a commitment in good faith — not a guarantee.
The Journey from Offer to Keys
What Can Go Wrong — and How to Manage It
Even well-prepared transactions hit obstacles. Knowing the most common ones helps you respond quickly rather than letting delays compound.
Slow searches. Local authority search turnaround times vary enormously by council — from a few days to several weeks. Your solicitor can often use a personal search agent as a faster alternative, at a slightly higher cost. If timelines are tight, ask about this early.
Survey findings. A survey that identifies defects isn't a disaster — it's leverage. Get quotes for the work identified and use them to negotiate a price reduction before exchange. Most sellers will engage with this if the evidence is clear and the request is reasonable.
Mortgage complications. Missing documents, a down-valuation from the lender, or a change in your financial circumstances can all delay or derail a mortgage offer. Respond to every lender query the same day it arrives. Any delay on your side adds directly to the timeline.
Chain problems. A delay or fall-through anywhere in the chain affects everyone above and below it. Stay in regular contact with your solicitor and estate agent so you know as early as possible if something is going wrong. Our guide to what is a property chain explains how chain risk works and what you can do to manage it.
Gazumping. Until exchange, the seller can legally accept a higher offer from another buyer. The best protection is to move quickly and ask the agent to take the property off the market immediately after your offer is accepted. Some buyers also take out Homebuyer Protection Insurance, which covers survey and legal costs if the purchase falls through before exchange.
The period between offer acceptance and exchange is the most uncertain part of the entire process. Both parties remain uncommitted, costs are accumulating, and there are multiple points of potential failure. Staying proactive — responding quickly, chasing your solicitor regularly, and keeping everyone in the chain informed — is the most effective thing you can do to reduce the risk of falling through.
What the Seller Should Be Doing
This process involves both sides, and delays are often caused by sellers rather than buyers. If you're selling, these are the things that keep the process moving on your side:
Respond to solicitor enquiries promptly. Every day it takes you to answer a question is a day added to the timeline. Gather your paperwork — EPC, planning permissions, building regulations certificates for any extensions, FENSA certificates for windows, boiler service records, and lease documents if leasehold. Missing documentation is one of the most common causes of exchange delays. Keep your estate agent updated on your own onward purchase so the chain can be managed as a whole.
After Exchange: The Final Stretch
Once contracts are exchanged, both parties are legally committed. The completion date is agreed — usually one to four weeks after exchange, though it can be longer to accommodate chain coordination or moving logistics.
In the period between exchange and completion, arrange buildings insurance to start from exchange day (your mortgage lender will require this). Book your removal company if you haven't already — they get booked up quickly around popular completion dates. Sort utilities, broadband, and address changes so everything is ready for moving day.
On completion day itself, your solicitor transfers the funds electronically. Once the seller's solicitor confirms receipt, the keys are released. Your solicitor then registers the title in your name at HM Land Registry and pays any stamp duty to HMRC within 14 days.
For a full explanation of what happens specifically on exchange and completion day, see our guide to exchange of contracts and completion day.
Before You Get to This Stage
The best way to protect yourself through the offer-to-completion process is to have done your homework before making the offer. Knowing what the property is genuinely worth — based on what comparable properties have actually sold for — means you're not overpaying and gives you a solid baseline if renegotiation is needed after the survey.
Brix&Mortr gives you an independent price check based on real HM Land Registry sold prices before you make any offer, so your opening position is grounded in evidence rather than guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take from offer accepted to getting the keys?
The typical timeline in England and Wales is three to five months from offer acceptance to completion, according to government data. Chain-free purchases can complete in eight to ten weeks. Long chains or complex conveyancing can extend the process beyond five months.
Can a sale fall through after an offer is accepted?
Yes. Until contracts are exchanged, either party can withdraw without legal penalty. Common reasons include survey findings, mortgage problems, gazumping, and chain collapses. Around one in four agreed sales falls through before completion.
When do I pay the deposit?
The deposit — typically 10% of the purchase price — is paid to your solicitor at exchange of contracts, not at offer acceptance. This is weeks or months into the process, once all searches and surveys are complete and both parties are ready to commit legally.
What is gazumping and can I prevent it?
Gazumping is when a seller accepts a higher offer from another buyer after already agreeing to sell to you. It's legal in England and Wales until exchange of contracts. You can reduce the risk by asking the estate agent to take the property off the market immediately, moving quickly through the conveyancing process to reach exchange as fast as possible, and taking out Homebuyer Protection Insurance to cover your costs if it happens.
Do I need to do anything immediately after my offer is accepted?
Yes — the same day if possible. Contact your solicitor, ask the estate agent to mark the property as sold subject to contract, and begin your full mortgage application if you haven't already. The faster you start these steps, the sooner you can reach exchange and the lower your risk of the sale falling through.
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