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Understanding the journey, end to end

Every stage from first savings goal to keys in hand, with honest timings.

By Paddy Carroll · Founder, HomePlanner

Knowing the shape of the whole process is what stops it feeling chaotic. Here it is end to end. Everyone's journey differs with their finances, their market and the kind of property, and the timings below are ranges rather than promises.

Save and plan3 months – 2 years1–2 weeksPre-approvala real budget1 month – 1 yearHuntthe widest range3–8 weeksOffer and financeand inspections4–8 weeksSettlekeys
The shape of it. Two thirds of the elapsed time is the first phase and the hunt, and both are the ones you control. The detail of each is below.
  1. 01

    Financial fitness and planning · 3 months to 2 years

    Work out where you stand, set a deposit goal, understand what you can borrow, and check which government schemes you qualify for. This is the longest stage and the one with the most leverage over the final outcome.

  2. 02

    Getting to know the market · 1 month to 1 year

    Look at properties online and in person to learn what your budget actually buys. Research suburbs, compare property types, and go to inspections with no intention of bidding. This runs alongside the stage above.

  3. 03

    Financing and pre-approval · 1 to 2 weeks

    A lender or broker assesses you and issues a conditional approval. It gives you a real budget and tells an agent you're serious. It is conditional, it expires, and it is not a guarantee.

  4. 04

    House hunting · 1 month to 1 year

    Now you're looking properly, either on your own or with a buyer's agent. The range is wide because it depends on your market and how specific your requirements are.

  5. 05

    Inspections and appraisals · 1 to 2 weeks

    A building and pest inspection on the place you're serious about, and a valuation that tells your lender what they think it's worth. Budget for doing this on more than one property.

  6. 06

    Making an offer and negotiating · 1 to 2 weeks

    Private sale or auction. At auction there is no cooling-off period, so everything below has to happen before you raise your hand.

  7. 07

    Securing the loan · 2 to 6 weeks

    Your conditional approval becomes an unconditional one: full application, valuation, and the lender's final sign-off.

  8. 08

    Legal and closing · 4 to 8 weeks

    Your conveyancer or solicitor runs the contract review, the searches and the exchange. Timelines here are set by the contract, usually 30, 60 or 90 days.

  9. 09

    Settlement and moving in · 1 day to 2 weeks

    Money moves, title transfers, you get the keys. Arrange insurance from the day you exchange, not the day you move.

The order above is the common one, but the first three stages overlap in practice. Looking at properties teaches you what things cost, which changes your savings target, which changes what you ask a lender for.

Do this in HomePlannerPurchase journey Work the whole thing as a checklist you tick off, with the documents you'll need kept against each step.Free account required
app.homeplanner.io/purchase-journeyDemo profile
The purchase journey at the Getting prepared stage, on a phone: tasks to optimise borrowing capacity and compare prices and deposits, each linking to the tool that does it.
  1. Your stage, the same four the guide uses
  2. Each task opens the tool that does it
Demo profile with made-up figures. Rates are the live feed on the day it was captured.

Before you move on

  • You can describe the process from savings to settlement
  • You know which stages take the longest
  • You know what pre-approval is, and what it isn't