{"id":5757,"date":"2025-08-07T04:19:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T11:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=5757"},"modified":"2025-12-21T22:01:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T06:01:00","slug":"how-long-does-closing-take","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-long-does-closing-take\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does Closing Take on a House From Start to Finish?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve accepted an offer on your house and both you and the buyer have signed the <\/span>purchase contract<\/span><\/a>. How long does closing take from here?<\/span><\/p>\n

Next steps include the <\/span>home inspection<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>appraisal<\/span><\/a>, and final <\/span>paperwork<\/span><\/a>. But the time required to process and underwrite the loan will be in large part what dictates the length of your closing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Step one: Talk to an expert!<\/h3>\n

Selling your house soon? Connect with a top agent near you to get an expert opinion on how much your house will sell for, what to fix before listing, and the latest local housing market trends.<\/p>\n \n

\n Learn More<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

How long does it take to close on a house?<\/h2>\n

Once the purchase agreement has been signed, closing on a house can take <\/span>an average of 41 days<\/span><\/a> when a buyer is using a mortgage, <\/span>as of August 2025,<\/span> according to the loan software firm ICE Mortgage Technology. For example, if you list your home on Jan. 1 and accept an offer on Jan. 24, you can expect to close on the sale of your home somewhere between the end of February to mid-March.<\/span><\/p>\n

For all cash purchases, closing can take as little as 1 week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Broken down by type of loan, you can expect the following:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Average time to close<\/b><\/td>\nLoan Type<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
41 days<\/span><\/td>\nConventional loan<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
42 days<\/span><\/td>\nFHA loan<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Source:<\/span><\/i> Ice Mortgage Technologies<\/span><\/i><\/a>, Data for August 2025<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The <\/span>buyer will sign the brunt of the paperwork<\/span><\/a>, especially if they are securing a mortgage. The seller\u2019s portion of <\/span>closing day<\/span><\/a> usually takes one to two hours, according to <\/span>Sherry Wiggs<\/span><\/a>, a top real estate agent in Westchester County, New York. And in some scenarios, the seller won\u2019t be required to attend in-person if they pre-sign the deed and other documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, a holdup could push out your projected closing date. Let\u2019s take a look at how long <\/span>each step of closing<\/span><\/a> takes, so you have a better idea of what to expect and what you can do to help prevent delays.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Does cash speed up closing?<\/h2>\n

You need extra cash now, you\u2019re <\/span>relocating for a job<\/span><\/a>, or a family member had a change in health \u2014 some scenarios such as these require sellers to move more nimbly than a <\/span>41<\/span>-day closing timeline allows. If you are concerned about the process taking too long, consider the alternative of <\/span>requesting a cash offer<\/span><\/a> for your home.<\/span><\/p>\n

A cash sale can usually be turned over in <\/span>a week to two weeks<\/span><\/a>, as it allows you to skip the mortgage process and the appraisal, which are typically the two most time-consuming steps in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

HomeLight\u2019s <\/span>Simple Sale<\/span><\/a> platform provides cash offers for homes in almost any condition across the country. To get started, complete a <\/span>brief questionnaire<\/span><\/a> about your property and your selling goals, and we\u2019ll provide an all-cash offer for your home within 24 hours with the ability to close in as little as <\/span>7<\/span> days.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Get to Closing Day Faster With a Cash Offer<\/h3>\n

Get a no-obligation all-cash offer through HomeLight\u2019s Simple Sale. Cash offers can reduce the time it takes to close from months to weeks (or even days) and eliminate the risk of a sale falling through due to your buyer’s financing. You can skip repairs and sell without paying commission or additional fees. You’ll also see an estimate of what a top agent might get for your home.<\/p>\n \n

\n Request Offer<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n

How long each closing step takes<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a lot that has to happen in that <\/span>41-day<\/span> window of time between offer and closing. <\/span>Stephen Donaldson<\/span><\/a>, a real estate attorney and founder of <\/span>The Donaldson Law Firm<\/span><\/a> in New York, breaks down approximately how long each step takes along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Signing the purchase agreement: 1-3 days<\/h3>\n

Once the parties reach an accepted offer, Donaldson says that signing a purchase agreement or contract of sale can usually be accomplished within 1-3 days, assuming no one\u2019s on vacation or otherwise unavailable.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, if the sale involves <\/span>contingencies<\/span><\/a> for repairs, post-closing possession, or anything the parties <\/span>negotiated<\/span><\/a> specific to the sale, that can add a day or two if the parties or their <\/span>attorneys<\/span><\/a> get particular about the language addressing those contingencies.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to price, the purchase and sale agreement details other points of negotiation, such as who gets to keep the fridge, the buyer\u2019s <\/span>inspection<\/span><\/a> period, how much the buyer will put down in <\/span>earnest money<\/span><\/a> \u2014 and your closing date. Each step from here on out will be scheduled based on that date, the final deadline on your home sale (which can be renegotiated in the event of delays or surprises).<\/span><\/p>\n

Open escrow: 0 extra days (bundled into contract of sale)<\/h3>\n

Donaldson says that in New York, it\u2019s customary for the seller\u2019s attorney to hold the earnest money deposit in an <\/span>escrow<\/span><\/a> account with the attorney escrowee\u2019s obligations and rights spelled out in a lengthy paragraph in the contract of sale. \u201cThis usually does not add any time to the closing process, as it\u2019s pretty standard,\u201d he notes.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve accepted an offer on your house and signed the purchase contract. How long does closing take from here?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":364,"featured_media":46087,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[322,341],"tags":[569,568,567],"class_list":["post-5757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logistics","category-closing","tag-closing-a-home-sale","tag-closing-process","tag-how-long-does-closing-take"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Long Does Closing Take on a House?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You\u2019ve accepted an offer on your house and signed the purchase contract. 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