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Read Full Bio >Yes — you can sell a house in 28 days in the UK, but only by selling to a cash buyer. A standard estate agent sale takes 22 to 28 weeks, not days, because of the chain and the buyer’s mortgage.
Key takeaways
- 28 days is the realistic fast-sale window. Seven days is possible on a simple, unencumbered freehold; 28 days is the timescale that works for most properties, including leaseholds and probate sales where the grant is already issued.
- It only works with a genuine cash buyer. No mortgage application means no lender valuation and no four-week underwriting wait. That single fact is what compresses five months into four weeks.
- The bottleneck is your solicitor, not the buyer. A firm that does not do fast-track work will take eight weeks whatever the buyer does. Agreeing the 28-day target with them on day one is the single most important step.
- You pay for the speed in price, not in fees. Expect roughly 80% to 85% of market value, which is the range the National Association of Property Buyers gives for genuine cash offers. There should be no fees at all.
- Certainty is the underrated benefit. TwentyEA put the national fall-through rate at 23.7% in the first quarter of 2026. A chain-free cash sale removes the two things that cause most collapses: the chain and the mortgage.
Can you really sell a house in 28 days?
You can, and thousands of UK homeowners do it every year — but only down one route. On the open market the 28-day question does not really arise, because finding a buyer alone takes four to twelve weeks before any legal work begins. A 28-day sale is not a faster version of an estate agent sale; it is a different transaction with fewer moving parts.
Three things get removed. There is no marketing period, because the buyer is already found. There is no chain, because a company buying for its own portfolio is not waiting to sell somewhere else. And there is no mortgage, so there is no lender valuation, no underwriting and no offer that can be withdrawn six weeks in. What remains is conveyancing, and conveyancing can be done in four weeks when nobody is waiting on anybody.
The 28-day timeline, week by week
Here is what a four-week sale actually looks like, and who is responsible for each stage. Nothing in it is unusual — it is the same legal process as any sale, run without the waiting.
| When | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | Valuation, formal written offer, offer accepted, memorandum of sale issued | Buyer and you |
| Days 4–7 | Solicitors instructed, identity and anti-money-laundering checks, searches ordered | Both solicitors |
| Days 8–14 | TA6 and TA10 forms returned, title checked, draft contract issued, survey if the buyer wants one | You and your solicitor |
| Days 15–21 | Enquiries raised and answered, search results returned, mortgage redemption figure requested | Both solicitors |
| Days 22–26 | Contract approved and signed, completion date agreed, removals booked | You |
| Days 27–28 | Exchange of contracts, then completion — funds transferred, keys handed over | Both solicitors |
Exchange and completion can happen on the same day in a cash sale, which is why the final stage takes two days rather than the one to four weeks a chain sale needs. If you want the compressed version of this, our guide to selling a house in 7 days covers what has to be true for a one-week completion.
What do you need to have ready on day one?
A 28-day sale fails on paperwork more often than on anything else. Have these five things to hand before you accept an offer and the timeline holds:
- Photo ID and proof of address for every owner named on the title. Anti-money-laundering checks are a legal requirement and cannot be skipped or rushed.
- Your title deeds or Land Registry title number. If the property is unregistered, say so on day one — first registration adds time.
- Certificates for any work done — building regulations sign-off for extensions and loft conversions, FENSA for replacement windows, a gas safety or electrical certificate if you have one.
- Your mortgage account number, so your solicitor can request a redemption statement in week one rather than week three.
- The leasehold management pack, if you own a flat. This is the single most common reason a 28-day sale becomes a 45-day sale, because the freeholder controls the timing, not you.
What can stop a 28-day sale?
Four things, and three of them are knowable in advance.
- A leasehold pack that takes six weeks. Order it the day you start, not when the buyer’s solicitor asks for it.
- Probate that has not been granted. You can agree a sale while waiting, but you cannot complete. Grants commonly take four to sixteen weeks — see our guide to selling an inherited property.
- A solicitor who does not work to deadlines. Ask directly whether they can complete in 28 days before you instruct them. Many good firms simply do not operate that way.
- A buyer who is not really a cash buyer. If the money is coming from an investor or a bridging loan, the timescale is not in their control. Ask for proof of funds before you take the property off the market.
Be wary of a 28-day promise with no proof behind it. A company that guarantees a four-week completion but cannot show a bank statement or a solicitor’s letter confirming cleared funds is promising something it may not be able to deliver. The National Association of Property Buyers lists proof of funds as one of the basic checks a seller should always make.
What does a 28-day sale cost you?
Nothing in fees, and something in price. There is no estate agent commission, no marketing cost, and with a genuine buying company the legal fees are covered. What you give up is the difference between a full open-market price and a cash offer — typically 15% to 20% of market value.
Whether that is a good trade depends on what four extra months would have cost you. Mortgage, council tax, insurance and utilities on a property you are not living in commonly run to £1,000–£1,700 a month, and roughly one agent sale in four collapses before completion anyway. Our cash buyer versus estate agent comparison works both routes through to a net figure, and how much below market value cash buyers offer explains where the discount goes.
28 days, 7 days or the open market: which should you choose?
| Route | Timescale | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-day cash sale | 7–10 days | Lowest of the three | A hard deadline — repossession, emigration, a broken chain |
| 28-day cash sale | 4 weeks | 80%–85% of market value | Most fast sales, including leasehold and probate |
| Estate agent | 22–28 weeks | Full market value, minus commission | No deadline and no carrying costs |
Springbok Properties Ltd (company no. 09045757) buys directly from homeowners across the UK, is regulated by The Property Ombudsman and is a member of the National Association of Property Buyers. There are no fees, we cover the legal costs, and there is no tie-in — see how the process works, what fees to expect, or start at sell house fast. If you are still weighing the options, six ways to sell your house fast and how to sell your house fast set out the alternatives.
Frequently asked questions about selling a house in 28 days
Can you sell a house in 28 days in the UK?
Yes, if you sell to a genuine cash buyer. Removing the marketing period, the chain and the buyer’s mortgage leaves only the conveyancing, which can be completed in four weeks. An estate agent sale takes 22 to 28 weeks on average.
Can you sell a house in 28 days with an estate agent?
Almost never. Finding a buyer on the open market alone takes four to twelve weeks, before any legal work starts. Even a chain-free agent sale with a cash buyer already lined up usually takes 12 to 16 weeks from listing to completion.
What is the fastest a house sale can legally complete?
About seven days, on a registered freehold with no mortgage, no chain and all paperwork ready. Anti-money-laundering checks, a title check and searches still have to be done, and those cannot be skipped however motivated everybody is.
How much less do you get selling a house in 28 days?
Typically 15% to 20% below full market value, so an offer of roughly 80% to 85%. In return there is no estate agent commission, no marketing cost and, with a genuine buying company, no legal fees for you to pay.
Can you sell a leasehold flat in 28 days?
Often, but only if the management pack is ordered on day one. Freeholders and managing agents commonly take four to six weeks to produce it, and nothing else in the transaction can be finalised until it arrives.
Written by Dan Green, Property Expert at Springbok Properties. Last updated 2 September 2026. Timescales are typical rather than guaranteed and depend on tenure, title and your solicitor; fall-through data from TwentyEA, Q1 2026, and offer ranges from the NAPB.
