How Long Does It Take to Buy a House?

A home purchase has a lot of moving parts, and each one takes time. Understanding the process before you begin can help you set realistic expectations and make decisions without feeling rushed.

How Long Does It Take to Buy a House From Start to Finish?

You can expect buying a house to take nearly four months. That timeline includes finding a home and closing the deal. Keep in mind, that’s a planning estimate—not a promise. A lot of variables can make the process move faster or slower.

How Long Does It Take to Buy a House With Cash vs. a Mortgage?

One study found that cash purchases closed about 10 days faster than comparable mortgage-financed purchases.² Paying cash can make the closing process faster because you skip the mortgage application, underwriting and lender-required appraisal. But it won’t eliminate every step: You’ll still need time for house hunting, inspections, and the paperwork required to transfer ownership.

Paying all cash isn’t realistic for everyone—and that’s okay. It’s usually the fastest way to buy a house, though, and it saves you from lining your lender’s pockets with interest for years. If you go the mortgage route, stick to a 15-year, fixed-rate conventional loan to avoid spending decades in debt and save tens of thousands in interest.

---

Avoid overpaying for your home with a RamseyTrusted® agent.

Find an Agent

---

To get a better idea of how long it could take you to buy a house, let’s break down each home-buying step.

Before You Start: Get Your Finances Ready and Find a Real Estate Agent

Before you start house hunting, get your finances in order. That means saving for closing costs and either a down payment (if you’re using a mortgage) or the full purchase price (if you’re paying cash). If you’re using a mortgage, you’ll also want to get preapproved. Building your savings may take time, but finding a real estate agent should only take a few days.

A whopping 88% of home buyers work with a real estate agent to buy their home—and that’s the way it should be.⁵ Having a knowledgeable agent on your side is a must when you’re buying a house. They’ll coach you through the entire buying process, help you find a home in your price range, and handle a lot of the paperwork.

Now, you could find an agent in your area by doing a quick Google search, but don’t do that—it’s a great way to wind up with someone who doesn’t really know what they’re doing. Instead, connect with a local agent through our RamseyTrusted^® program, which matches you with multiple top-notch, experienced agents in your area.

Go House Hunting

Time: About 10 weeks

Plan to spend about 10 weeks shopping for a house.⁶ It’s a major time commitment because there’s more to it than you might expect.

First, you need to make a list of your must-haves. Chances are, there are a few things a home’s got to have before you’ll even consider buying it—like a certain number of bedrooms, bathrooms or stories. Or maybe you want a yard, a pool, a three-car garage, or a kitchen with marble countertops. You also may prefer to live near schools, community spaces or shopping centers that fit your lifestyle.

After your agent knows your must-haves, they’ll get busy finding homes for you to visit. That means you’ll also be busy balancing your schedule with trying to make it to those viewings and open houses.

The housing market also plays a huge role in how long it takes to find a house. When you’re competing for a limited number of homes, the best homes at the lowest prices get snatched up quick.

With that said, you may have to be extra patient to find a house that fits your budget and lifestyle. Don’t give up, and don’t go over budget!

Make an Offer and Go Under Contract

Time: A few days

Once you’ve found the house you want, work with your real estate agent to make a formal offer. The seller can accept it, reject it, or make a counteroffer with different terms.

If the seller counters, you may need a few days to negotiate before you have a signed purchase agreement.

Schedule a Home Inspection

Time: A few days, plus any repair negotiations

After the seller accepts your offer, schedule a home inspection as soon as you can. If it uncovers issues, you can ask the seller to make repairs, lower the price, or offer a credit. Those negotiations can add time before closing.

Finalize Your Mortgage

Time: A little over a month from application to closing

In March 2026, mortgage purchase loans took an average of 36.8 days from application to closing.⁷ After you and the seller sign a purchase agreement, your lender will start processing your mortgage and order an appraisal to confirm the home’s value.

The home appraisal itself may take only a few hours, but scheduling and reviewing it can take longer. If the appraised value comes in below the purchase price, you may need to renegotiate with the seller, bring more cash to closing, or adjust your loan.

Your lender will review your financial documents, the appraisal and other requirements before approving your loan.

During this time, your title company or closing attorney will also search and check the title of the home. They’ll make sure there are no issues stopping them from transferring your name to the title and deed.

Want to make sure this part of the process doesn’t drag out? Get preapproved for a mortgage before you even start house hunting. (We’ll talk more about mortgage preapproval later.)

You’ll also need to get homeowners insurance before closing. If you have a mortgage, the premium is often included in your monthly payment through escrow.

Close on Your Home

Time: A few hours

Closing day usually takes only a few hours. You’ll sign a ton of paperwork, hand over one of the biggest checks you’ll ever write, and then the keys are yours.

How Can You Speed Up the House-Buying Process?

You can speed things up a little bit by getting preapproved (not just prequalified), gathering all the documents your lender will need, and having your closing funds ready.

Get preapproved for a mortgage.

If you do decide to get a mortgage, getting preapproved before you go house hunting gives you a head start. It shows sellers that a lender has reviewed your basic finances and helps you move faster once you find the right home.

Preapproval can take a few days, but it may help prevent delays after you go under contract.

Gather important paperwork.

If you’ve been preapproved by a mortgage company, you may already have many of the documents your lender will need, like pay stubs, bank statements and tax returns. Keep them handy and up to date—you may need to submit newer copies as your mortgage is finalized.

Have your closing funds ready.

When you’re saving for a house, don’t forget to save up for closing costs too! You’ll want to keep these funds somewhere you can easily access them. That way, you’ll be ready to move that money to the right place when the time comes.

Not sure where the extra cash will come from? Build a budget in EveryDollar and track your savings for your down payment and closing costs there. It’s the easiest way to find margin in your budget and hit your goal faster.

Buying a house isn’t a race. Take the time to find the right home, stick to your budget, and make a decision you can feel good about for years. These next steps can help you move forward with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions