How Long Does It Take to Move Home?

October 2026 update · Snapes Estate & Letting Agents, Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme

Moving home takes longer than most people expect. Rightmove figures show the average move in Great Britain now takes more than seven months from the day a home goes on the market to the day the keys change hands. Here is where that time goes, what it means if you are planning a move from Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme or anywhere in SK7 and SK8, and the practical steps that can take weeks off the process.

The average move now takes over seven months

Rightmove's analysis, published on 31 July, found that the average home move now takes 216 days from listing to completion. That is made up of 62 days to find a buyer and a further 154 days from sale agreed to completion. Rightmove says it is the longest wait at that point in the year since its records began in 2012.

Rightmove's Chief Executive, Johan Svanstrom, called the 154-day wait "simply far too long". Times vary across the country: Rightmove puts London at 174 days from sale agreed to completion and the North East at 141 days, while Scotland, with its different legal system, is the fastest at 98 days.

Finding a buyer is also taking a little longer. Rightmove's September House Price Index put the average at 64 days.

What it means if you plan to sell this autumn

If you put your home on the market in mid-October and follow the national averages, you would find a buyer before Christmas and complete in spring 2027. Many sales move faster, especially well-priced family homes in popular areas such as Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme, but it is sensible to plan around realistic timescales.

In short: if you want to be in your next home by spring or early summer, now is the time to get started.

Where the time goes

Finding the right buyer. Pricing correctly from day one attracts the most interest while your listing is fresh.

The buyer's mortgage. Valuations, underwriting and the formal mortgage offer all take time, especially if the buyer applies late.

Searches. Your buyer's solicitor will order local authority searches. Stockport Council says it aims to return its CON29 search answers within 5 to 10 working days, and it does not offer a fast-track service.

Surveys and enquiries. Questions raised after a survey, or missing paperwork, are among the most common causes of delay.

Chains and leaseholds. Every link in a chain adds risk. Rightmove found that flats take longer to complete (169 days) than terraced and semi-detached houses (149 days), often because of leasehold paperwork.

Rightmove also found that 23% of sales fell through at the first attempt, which is why preparation matters.

How sellers can speed things up

Instruct a solicitor before you accept an offer. Ian Harris, President of NAEA Propertymark, advises sellers to "instruct a conveyancer and prepare paperwork as early as possible."

Gather your documents now. Have your title deeds, guarantees, building regulations sign-offs, planning permissions and boiler service records ready. For a leasehold home, request the management pack early, as it can take weeks to arrive.

Price it right. A realistic asking price brings serious buyers quickly and reduces the risk of a renegotiation later.

Know your buyer's position. Before you accept an offer, ask whether the buyer has a mortgage agreement in principle and where they sit in any chain.

How buyers can speed things up

Get a mortgage agreement in principle before you start viewing, and have your documents ready to submit a full application as soon as your offer is accepted.

Choose your solicitor early, so they can start work on the day your offer is accepted.

Book your survey promptly and reply quickly to questions from your solicitor and lender.

Check how long your mortgage offer lasts. If your completion date is likely to slip, talk to your lender or broker early about an extension.

Faster moves are on the way, but not yet

In June 2026 the government set out plans to reform home buying and selling in England. They include sellers providing key information upfront, offers becoming legally binding earlier in the process, and penalties for buyers or sellers who pull out without good reason. The government estimates the changes could cut around four weeks from a typical transaction.

These are still plans and are not yet in force. For now, the best way to move faster is to prepare well.

The market backdrop

The wider market is steady rather than spectacular. Nationwide reports that UK house prices rose 0.8% in the year to September, while prices in the North West rose 3.9% over the year to the third quarter. Lloyds reports that UK prices were unchanged in September.

The RICS Residential Market Survey for September shows new sales instructions rising for the first time since mid-2025, while buyer enquiries remain subdued. That means more choice for buyers, and good reason for sellers to prepare carefully.

Locally, values have held up well. According to Rightmove's sold-price data for the last twelve months, the average home in Bramhall (SK7) sold for £589,558 and the average in Cheadle Hulme (SK8) sold for £420,601.

Your moving timeline checklist

1. Book a valuation and agree a realistic asking price.

2. Choose a solicitor and start the paperwork before you have an offer.

3. Gather certificates, guarantees and, for leasehold homes, the management pack.

4. Get a mortgage agreement in principle for your next purchase.

5. Agree a target completion date with everyone in the chain once a sale is agreed.

6. Reply quickly to every question from your solicitor, lender and agent.

Talk to our Bramhall or Cheadle Hulme team

Planning a move in 2027? Book a free, no-obligation valuation with our Bramhall or Cheadle Hulme office. We will help you plan a realistic timeline and keep your sale moving

Buying your next home? Get mortgage advice so your finance is ready when you find the right property.

For any other enquiries, email [email protected] or pop into our Bramhall or Cheadle Hulme office.

Sources: Rightmove home-moving timescale analysis (31 July 2026); Rightmove House Price Index (21 September 2026); Stockport Council, local land charges search guidance; MHCLG, home buying and selling reforms (June 2026); Nationwide House Price Index (2 October 2026); Lloyds House Price Index (7 October 2026); RICS UK Residential Market Survey (September 2026); Rightmove sold-price data for Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme.