I'll Be Home For Christmas? Homebuyers Face "Rising Anxiety" as Completion Times Hit Record Levels.

Pepperells Solicitors, which has acted on home purchases nationwide for more than 40 years, predicts the 2026 festive period will be busier than usual as buyers and sellers rush to complete ahead of the festive season – with average completion times in England now over 20 weeks.

The firm has reported buyers are showing more anxiety over timescales than in previous years, with enquiries about Christmas completion dates beginning by summertime.

Parminder Othi, Head of Residential Property at Pepperells Solicitors, said:

"It's fair to say there is a rising anxiety among homebuyers at the moment. 

"In previous years, buyers could leave it until late October to instruct a solicitor and still be confident about getting the keys before Christmas.

"We now have clients in July and August worrying about whether they'll be in their new home before the year is out.

"Christmas is the first thing on 90% of clients' minds at the moment. They know waiting times can be longer in the last months of the year, and they want their families settled before it ends.

The average time between an agreed sale and completion hit a record 150 days in July 2026, according to Rightmove.

With just 72 days until Christmas, Pepperells warned that buyers who have only just agreed a sale may be waiting until the new year to collect their keys.

Parminder added: 

"The data on completion times is stark, but the picture is not the same for every buyer.

"Property sales in the North East of England tend to move much faster than in London and the South, with an average difference of 30 days depending on where you are buying.

"Not all sales are the same. Buying a city centre flat can be more complex than buying a suburban semi-detached house, but delays usually stem from individual buyer and seller circumstances.

"Some purchases can take just a couple of months to complete, particularly when there is no onward chain. But because transactions can throw up unexpected problems, we would urge any buyer or seller to act now if they want to complete by Christmas."

The Autumn Budget could add further pressure on waiting times, Pepperells said, with changes to Capital Gains Tax and the so-called 'mansion tax' rumoured, alongside a recently announced Government-backed loan scheme for first-time buyers.

Parminder said: 

"The Government seems to be focusing on helping first-time buyers with smaller deposits, which will drive up demand in many areas of England, particularly in the North and East, where property tends to be that bit cheaper.

"We will probably begin to see the effects of that policy from next year onwards, which means next year could become even more competitive for buyers."

For Pepperells' own team, the run-up to Christmas is particularly busy, with solicitors also racing to complete sales before December.

Parminder added:

"We work overtime through autumn and winter, as December can be very unpredictable, with lenders and agents starting to close up shop by mid-December.

"It's a dream come true when we can get homeowners into their properties by Christmas, which fortunately is the majority of the time, provided we are instructed early enough.

"Christmas can be stressful enough for families without the added pressure of buying a home, so to see that happening for our clients is the perfect gift."