The complete selling timeline
This guide covers selling a home in England and Wales, from the first valuation through to exchange, completion, moving the money, booking removals and telling the utility companies. It also covers selling one property and buying another as part of a chain. Homes in Cardiff and the rest of South Wales follow the same conveyancing process as England, with Land Transaction Tax in Wales instead of Stamp Duty.
A straightforward sale often takes around 12–20 weeks from accepting an offer to completion. Chains, mortgage problems, leasehold enquiries and legal complications can make it considerably longer. Here's how an illustrative 16-week sale breaks down:
Prepare & market the property
Valuation, estate agent, EPC and paperwork
Offer accepted: Sold STC
Confirm buyer, chain and solicitors
Legal work & mortgage applications
Contracts, ID checks, mortgage, searches
Surveys, searches & enquiries
Investigations, replies and negotiations
Prepare for exchange
Sign contracts, agree completion date, arrange removals
Exchange contracts
Legally binding, with a fixed completion date
Final moving preparations
Utilities, packing, redirection, meter readings
Completion & moving day
Money transferred, keys released, move done
These weeks are estimates, not deadlines. Several stages overlap, and there is no legally fixed time between exchange and completion.
Step-by-step process and responsibilities
Open each stage to see what needs doing. Tick items off as you go. Your progress is saved on this device.
11–4 weeks before marketingBefore putting the property on the market
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You must order an EPC before you market the property, unless it's exempt.
2Week 0Offer accepted: Sold Subject to Contract
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Once a buyer makes an acceptable offer, the property becomes Sold Subject to Contract (STC). The price is agreed, but the sale is not yet legally binding.
Not binding yet. Either party can normally pull out before exchange without being in breach of contract, although any money already spent may be lost.
3Weeks 1–3Solicitors instructed and paperwork
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Good time to book a removal survey (home or video) so you have an accurate quote ready.
4Weeks 3–10, sometimes longerSearches, survey and legal enquiries
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This is usually the longest and least predictable stage. Legal enquiries can be raised more than once, and the mortgage lender may need to approve particular arrangements.
While you wait, start sorting unwanted belongings and getting boxes and packing materials together.
5Typically weeks 10–14Preparing to exchange contracts
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Signing isn't exchanging. Exchange only happens when the solicitors formally exchange contracts under the agreed procedure.
What actually happens at exchange?
Illustration only. A reduced deposit can be agreed, and a chain may use deposit money received from a linked sale.
The buyer's solicitor holds the deposit before exchange. Depending on the contract and the chain's arrangements, it may then go to the seller's solicitor, be held by a solicitor as stakeholder, or be used towards an onward purchase.
On exchange:
- The transaction becomes legally binding
- The completion date becomes contractually fixed
- The seller commits to transferring the property
- The buyer commits to paying the purchase price
Pulling out or failing to complete after exchange can have serious financial consequences. You don't normally receive the full sale money at exchange; the balance is paid on completion.
When should you book a removal company?
Waiting until exchange to start looking can leave you without availability, especially on popular Fridays and month-ends across Cardiff and South Wales. Here's when to act:
- Sold STCStart researching removal companies
- Weeks 2–5Arrange a home or video survey for an accurate quote
- Weeks 5–9Choose your removal company and discuss likely dates
- Completion date discussedAsk them to provisionally reserve availability
- Exchange confirmedFirmly confirm the booking and pay any deposit
- 7–14 days beforeConfirm access, packing, parking, storage and inventory
- 1–2 days beforeFinish packing, unless professional packing is booked
- Completion dayThe team loads, transports and unloads as agreed
Ideally, get your removal quote within the first month of Sold STC. For larger moves, professional packing is often booked for the day before completion.
A provisional reservation isn't always a guaranteed booking. Ask whether dates are flexible, what happens if exchange is delayed, and whether postponement or cancellation charges apply.
Dates don't line up?
If your sale completes before your purchase, or the chain slips, we can collect, store and deliver when you're ready, all from our Cardiff warehouse.
Moving to or from somewhere near Cardiff?
When to contact utilities and other providers
Gas & electricity
Give your moving date; take final readings on the day.
Water supplier
Close or transfer the account; final reading if metered.
Council Tax
Tell both your old and new councils your moving dates.
Broadband
Arrange transfer, cancellation or installation. Some take weeks.
Sky / TV services
Arrange equipment, service transfer or installation.
Home insurance
Cover for the new property; coordinate cancelling the old policy.
Royal Mail redirection
Set it to begin on moving day.
Removal company
Quote early; confirm when dates become firm.
Banks & credit cards
Update your correspondence address.
DVLA
Update your driving licence and vehicle logbook separately.
GP, dentist & vet
Update your details or register with new practices.
Electoral register
Register at your new address.
These are practical recommendations, not mandatory notice periods. Broadband and TV contracts may need longer notice.
Meter readings: give gas, electricity and water suppliers your moving date in advance, then photograph final readings as you leave. At the new property, record opening readings and contact the existing suppliers even if you plan to switch.
Buildings insurance: buyers commonly need cover from exchange, particularly for a freehold purchase with a mortgage. Sellers shouldn't cancel their existing insurance too early.
What happens on completion day?
Completion is the day the property legally changes hands and the buyer becomes entitled to the keys.
How the money moves through a chain
First-time buyer
Deposit, mortgage and other purchase funds
Buyer's solicitor
Sends the completion balance by bank transfer
Your solicitor
Confirms receipt; settles your mortgage and fees
Your onward purchase
Funds go on to the next seller's solicitor
Final seller
Receives completion funds via their solicitor
Illustrative three-property chain. The actual transfers and deductions depend on the transactions and solicitor arrangements.
An example completion-day schedule
Illustrative times only. Funds may arrive later, especially in longer chains.
The critical point: keys should only be released once the seller's solicitor confirms legal completion. An estate agent can't safely hand over keys just because the buyer's van has arrived.
What happens to the seller's money?
For example, if a property sells for £350,000:
The remaining equity is either sent to your nominated account or used towards your onward purchase. Any additional mortgage, taxes, fees or required purchase funds are accounted for separately. Solicitors usually use same-day transfers such as CHAPS, and in a chain each solicitor must confirm receipt before releasing the corresponding property.
Moving day checklist
Tick as you go. Saved on this device.
At your old home
At your new home
After completion
In the first week after moving, check that final utility bills are being processed, your Council Tax accounts are updated, your mail redirection is working and your insurers have the right details.
If you've bought another property, your solicitor will also handle any Stamp Duty Land Tax (England) or Land Transaction Tax (Wales), and apply to HM Land Registry to register the new ownership. Registration can take considerably longer than the physical move.
Common problems and delays
For removals, the key distinction is exchange vs completion. Exchange gives everyone a binding completion date, but it doesn't rule out delays on the day itself.
Your moving reminder schedule
Official references
This guide explains the general process of selling and moving home in England and Wales. It isn't legal or financial advice and doesn't replace your solicitor or conveyancer, who should advise on your specific transaction. Timescales and figures are illustrative.