How Long Does It Take to Buy a House? A Quick Guide

Buying a house is an incredibly exciting experience. Once you start, all you want is to be settled in your new home! The truth, however, is that as much as you’d like to skip straight to the fun part of unpacking and decorating, buying a house takes time.

How long does it take to buy a house? Well, it depends. If everything goes to plan, it takes about five months on average, but it’s not uncommon for the timeline to stretch into years.

Your timeline will depend on your specific set of circumstances, but if you know the typical breakdown of time, you can get a good idea of how long the home buying process will take for you. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know!

Finding the Right House

For most home buyers, this is the step that takes the longest – and there’s nothing wrong with that! Buying a house is a major life decision, you should be absolutely sure that the house you’re buying is the right one for you before signing the paperwork.

Now, you might take one look at a listing site, see your dream home, and submit an offer on the same day. On the flip side, it could take years of careful search before you find the ideal home. There’s no right or wrong answer.

If you want to learn more about finding a home (and a realtor who can help!) you can read more now.

Making an Offer

Once you find the perfect house, it’s time to make an offer. This is a quick process; it takes minutes for your real estate agent to draw up the paperwork to send over to the seller’s agent. You’ll then likely spend a few days in negotiations with the seller.

Keep in mind, however, that this is the best possible scenario. If you get into a bidding war or the seller is stubborn with their price, it could take longer.

The Closing Process

Closing is the most stressful part of the process, as you’ve chosen your home and made an offer, but it isn’t yours quite yet. There are typically 1-2 months between the time the deal is accepted and the time you’re given the keys.

Inside this window, you’ll go through underwriting, a home appraisal, an inspection, a title search, and finally, the closing meeting itself.

Thankfully, closing only takes an hour or two. And once you’ve signed the last document, you’ll get the keys and the house is yours!

How Long Does It Take to Buy a House?

When it comes to the timeline of buying a home, there are no rules. It could take days or it could take years; it all depends on what you’re looking for and what the market looks like when and where you’re interested in buying.

That said, you now have a rough idea of what to expect. And now that you no longer have to ask “how long does it take to buy a house?” you can approach the process stress-free!

Interested in learning more about navigating the home buying process? Take a look at our blog!