"How long does it take to buy a house?" The honest answer: it mostly depends on you. The time between an accepted offer and getting the keys is fairly predictable. What varies enormously is everything that comes before: putting together the down payment, getting pre-approved, finding the right property.
The typical first-purchase timeline
Here are the main phases, in order, with the usual timeframes. These are general benchmarks: every transaction moves at its own pace, and it's the promise to purchase that sets the deadlines you're bound by.
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A few months to over a year before
Financial preparation
Build your down payment, check your credit report, pay down your debts, budget for closing costs. This is the most variable phase: some people are ready in a few months, others save for years.
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A few days
Mortgage pre-approval
The lender reviews your income, debts and credit, then confirms a maximum amount. You'll usually get an answer within a few days if your file is complete, and the rate is typically guaranteed for a few months. Pre-approval vs pre-qualification →
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A few weeks to several months
Searching and visits
How long it takes depends on the market, your budget and how precise your criteria are. It helps to know ahead of time what's non-negotiable.
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Offer day
Promise to purchase
Your offer sets the price, the conditions (inspection, financing) and the date of signing at the notary's office. The seller generally responds within a deadline stated in the offer.
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Usually 7 to 10 days after acceptance
Pre-purchase inspection
You need to find an available inspector, have the inspection done, read the report and decide: waive the condition, renegotiate or withdraw according to the terms of the offer.
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Usually 7 to 21 days after acceptance
Financing confirmation
The lender orders an appraisal of the property and gives final approval. Once this condition is waived, the sale becomes firm.
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Often 30 to 90 days after acceptance
Signing at the notary's office and taking possession
The notary prepares the deeds, calculates the adjustments and receives the funds. You sign, then you get the keys on the date set in the offer.
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A few weeks after signing
Welcome tax bill
The municipality sends the bill for the welcome tax (property transfer duties, droits de mutation) after the signing. It's generally payable within 30 days: keep that money set aside.
Summary table of typical timeframes
| Step | Typical timeframe | What can make it longer |
|---|---|---|
| Financial preparation | A few months to over a year | Incomplete down payment, debts to pay off, credit report to fix |
| Pre-approval | A few days | Missing documents, self-employment income, credit history that needs explaining |
| Search | A few weeks to several months | Competitive market, rejected offers, criteria too broad or too narrow |
| Inspection | Usually 7 to 10 days | Inspector with limited availability, a problem that calls for a specialist |
| Financing | Usually 7 to 21 days | Appraisal below the price, job change, new debt |
| Signing at the notary's office | Often 30 to 90 days after acceptance | Possession date negotiated further out, time needed to release HBP or FHSA funds |
| Welcome tax | Bill a few weeks after signing | Varies by municipality |
The signing date is negotiated in the promise to purchase
The date for signing the deed of sale and the occupancy date aren't imposed on you: they're part of the offer, just like the price. A seller who also has to move may prefer a later date; another will want to close quickly. A date that suits the seller can even make your offer more attractive.
Before you write down a date, check three things:
- Your notary needs enough time to receive the lender's instructions and prepare the deeds.
- Your funds must be available in time, including withdrawals from the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) or your First Home Savings Account (FHSA — CELIAPP in French), which require a few steps with your financial institution.
- Your current home: the possession date needs to line up with the end of your lease.
Lease end and July 1: plan backwards
In Quebec, many leases end on June 30, and July 1 is an extremely busy moving day. If you rent, that's often your real deadline.
The simplest approach is to start from that date and work backwards:
- Your lease sets a deadline for telling your landlord you won't renew. Check it early: once you've told them, you'll have to leave at the end of the lease, whether or not the purchase goes through.
- If signing is scheduled a few weeks before your lease ends, you'll have time for small jobs and painting, but you'll be paying rent and a mortgage at the same time for a while.
- Movers are in very high demand around July 1: book as soon as the sale is firm.
For a sale to be firm in the spring, pre-approval and the search generally need to start several months earlier.
HBP and FHSA: deadlines to respect
If your down payment comes from the HBP or an FHSA, timing also matters for tax purposes. In both cases, the property must be bought or built before October 1 of the year following the withdrawal. Withdrawing too early, before you've even found a property, reduces your room to manoeuvre.
For the HBP, an RRSP contribution made less than 90 days before the withdrawal may not be deductible: if you plan to contribute and then withdraw, do it early enough. For the full order of steps, see the 8 steps to buying a house.
Official sources: CRA — Home Buyers' Plan, CRA — First Home Savings Account, City of Montreal — property transfer duties (in French).
Frequently asked questions
How long between an accepted offer and signing at the notary?
The signing date is negotiated in the promise to purchase. It often falls 30 to 90 days after the offer is accepted, but it can be shorter or longer depending on what the buyer and seller need.
How long is the financing condition?
It's generally 7 to 21 days after the offer is accepted. During that time, the lender has the property appraised and gives final approval.
When should I start looking if I want to move on July 1?
There's no single rule, but you need to allow for pre-approval, the search and 30 to 90 days between the accepted offer and the signing. Starting several months ahead and checking when you must tell your landlord you're leaving keeps you from getting stuck.
