When an offer is accepted on a property in Scotland, it may seem like the hard work is over, but the real sale process is only just beginning. This guide walks through what happens after an offer is accepted, how long it takes, and how a cash offer from Sell My House Fast In Scotland can make the whole thing quicker and less stressful.
Outline of the article
- What does it mean when your offer is accepted on a property in Scotland?
- Should you accept an offer on your house from a cash buyer or a mortgage buyer?
- How long does it take from “offer accepted” to the completion date in Scotland?
- What does a solicitor actually do in the conveyancing process?
- What happens after you accept an offer on your house with a cash offer?
- When is the sale legally binding, and what is the exchange of contracts in Scotland?
- Surveys, the surveyor, and the condition of the property
- Property on the market, gazumping and when a property is taken off the market
- Planning your move date, completion day and removal company
- Frequently asked questions about the house sale process and next steps
What does it mean when your offer is accepted on a property in Scotland?
When a seller accepts an offer on a property in Scotland, the estate agent records that the property is “under offer,” but the deal is not yet legally binding. At this stage, the buyer and seller have agreed on a price, but either party can still withdraw until the legal work is complete and the missives are concluded.
From the buyer’s point of view, you’ve had an offer accepted, and it feels huge, but you still need a solicitor, a mortgage offer if you are not a cash buyer, and the full conveyancing process to transfer ownership of the property. From the seller of the property, this is the moment when you decide to accept an offer and start thinking about your own next move and how long it takes to get to your completion date.
Should you accept an offer on your house from a cash buyer or a mortgage buyer?
If you sell a house through an estate agent, you might need to decide which offer is best: a higher offer from a buyer who needs a mortgage, or a slightly lower offer from a cash buyer. A buyer relying on a lender will have to make a mortgage application, wait for a mortgage offer, and fit into a longer property chain, so the whole property transaction can take longer and could take longer still if something goes wrong.
With Sell My House Fast In Scotland, the offer on your house comes from a genuine cash buyer, so there is no lender, no mortgage application, and no risk that another buyer further up the long property chain will cause delays. That means when the seller accepts an offer from us, you get a cash offer with a much simpler sale process, and we can buy your property to a timescale that suits your move date.
How long does it take from “offer accepted” to the completion date in Scotland?
Once an offer has been accepted on a house, most traditional sales in Scotland typically take around 12–16 weeks from offer acceptance to completion, although some property transactions can take longer. How long it will take depends on how quickly the buyer’s solicitor and the seller’s solicitor progress the conveyancing process, how fast the lender issues the mortgage offer, and whether the house survey or local authorities searches reveal problems.
If you accept an offer from a cash buyer like Sell My House Fast In Scotland, the sale can move significantly faster because there is no mortgage to arrange and no long property chain to hold everything up. In many cases, a cash offer can be completed in a few weeks or even days, which is a big relief if you’ve struggled to sell or you simply want to sell your property quickly and move on.
What does a solicitor actually do in the conveyancing process?
Once there is an offer on a house and the buyer’s offer is accepted, both sides instruct a conveyancing solicitor to handle the legal work. The solicitor will ask about key details, check the title deeds, carry out searches with local authorities, and make sure the ownership of the property can be transferred safely.
During the conveyancing process, your conveyancing solicitor negotiates the missives, raises and answers legal questions, and keeps the process moving towards the point where contracts are exchanged, and the deal becomes legally binding. With Sell My House Fast In Scotland, we work closely with your solicitor to keep the sale process straightforward, so the seller of the property is not left wondering what happens next or why things take a little longer than expected.
What happens after you accept an offer on your house with a cash offer?
If you accept an offer on your property from Sell My House Fast In Scotland, the first thing we do is agree on the basic terms of the house sale and your preferred completion date. Because our buyer’s offer is a genuine cash offer, there is no waiting for a mortgage lender, and the sale process can be tailored around your next move, whether you need a quick completion day or a bit more time.
From there, the buyer’s and seller’s solicitors handle the conveyancing while we stay in touch to keep the process moving and keep you updated on every stage. You do not have to accept any offer that does not feel right, but when you decide to accept an offer from us, we work to your timescale and help you sell your house without the stress that often comes with buying a home through a long property chain.
When is the sale legally binding and what is the exchange of contracts in Scotland?
In Scotland, the moment the sale becomes legally binding is when the missives are concluded, which is slightly different from the English idea of the exchange of contracts. Until offer acceptance is followed by concluded missives, either the buyer or the seller can still walk away without penalties, so this stage of the conveyancing process really matters.
Once the contracts are exchanged through the final missive and the offer is accepted without conditions, both sides are committed, and the property off the off-the-market status is effectively locked in. At that point, the seller agrees to sell, and the buyer commits to purchase the property, and everything focuses on preparing for completion day and the move date.
Surveys, the surveyor, and the condition of the property
In a typical house-buying journey, after an offer on a property is accepted, the lender instructs a surveyor to carry out a house survey and confirm how much the property is worth for mortgage purposes. If the surveyor finds issues with the condition of the property, the buyer might come back with a lower offer or ask for repairs, which can take longer and occasionally cause the property transaction to fall through.
When you sell your property to Sell My House Fast In Scotland, we buy your property as is, so you are not relying on a lender’s surveyor or worried that another buyer will pull out if the report is not perfect. That helps keep the house sale process smoother for the seller, especially if you have struggled to sell through an estate agent due to an older property or cosmetic issues that traditional buyers often overthink.
Property on the market, gazumping and when a property is taken off the market
After the seller accepts an offer, the estate agent will usually mark the property as sold subject to contract or say the property is “under offer,” but technically, the seller can still receive offers from another buyer. If the seller accepts a higher offer from someone else before the missives are concluded, that is known as gazumping, and it can cause huge frustration for the original buyer.
A good agent will remove the property from the market once you’ve accepted an offer and everyone is moving towards completion, but it is wise to check that your property on the market listing is actually removed from the market or clearly marked as sold. When you accept an offer from a cash buyer like Sell My House Fast In Scotland, you do not have to worry about whether another buyer might gazump you, because we are committed to buying the property we have agreed to purchase.
Planning your move date, completion day and removal company
As the conveyancing progresses and the mortgage (if any) and legal work are sorted, the buyer, seller and solicitors agree on a completion date that works for everyone. This completion day is when the funds are transferred, the keys are released, and the buyer finally completes buying a house, so it is the day you arrange your removal company and final move date.
If you sell your house to Sell My House Fast In Scotland, we talk about your next steps and your next move right at the beginning, so the completion date fits your plans, not the other way round. Whether you need to find your next home first or you are ready to move out as soon as possible, we use the flexibility of a cash offer to keep the process as simple as possible.
Frequently asked questions about the house sale process and next steps
People often ask how long it takes from the moment you’ve accepted an offer to the day you actually move, and the truth is that it can typically take around three to four months with a mortgage buyer, though it could take longer with a long property chain. With a straightforward cash offer from Sell My House Fast In Scotland, it may take a little longer, only if you choose a later date, because the timing is usually driven by your circumstances rather than a slow lender.
Another common question is whether to accept any offer or wait for a higher offer, and only you can decide whether to accept, depending on your priorities and how quickly you want to sell your house. If you want certainty, speed and a buyer’s offer that will not fall apart at the last minute, an offer from a cash buyer like our family team at Sell My House Fast In Scotland often makes buying and selling feel more human and less like a gamble.
When an offer on your property is accepted, the deal is not legally binding until missives are concluded in Scotland.
Traditional sales with a mortgage buyer typically take 12–16 weeks from offer acceptance to completion, and complex chains can take longer.
A genuine cash offer from Sell My House Fast In Scotland avoids lender delays and can be completed significantly faster.
Your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor manage the conveyancing, title checks, and transfer of ownership of the property.
Removing the property off the market and avoiding gazumping gives both buyer and seller peace of mind as the sale process moves towards completion day.