Weeks to keys, not days
A resale purchase runs from reservation deposit to handover in a matter of weeks, assuming clean searches. Off plan follows the construction schedule with staged payments instead.
Investment guide · 05 of 08
The Buying Timeline
What happens in which week, from the first phone call to the deed in your name, with the honest waiting periods included.
Property purchases fail on sequence more often than on substance: money moved before contracts checked, contracts signed before searches complete, keys accepted before snagging done. The timeline here is forgiving if you follow the order and expensive if you improvise, so this page lays it out week by week as it actually runs for our clients.
Two clocks tick at different speeds. The transactional clock runs from reservation to keys and, for a resale with clean searches, typically completes in a couple of months or so. The administrative clock, which runs from purchase permission to final title transfer, trails months behind it and restricts nothing meanwhile. Confusing the two clocks is the commonest source of needless anxiety, so we separate them clearly below.
The four things to hold on to
Three fixed deadlines
Contract registration within 21 days of signing, stamp duty within the same window, and the snagging inspection before final payment. These are the dates worth diarising.
One trip strictly necessary, two sensible
With a power of attorney, everything after the viewing trip can complete without you. Most clients still choose to be present for handover, and we recommend it.
The slow clock costs you nothing
The permission process runs in the background for months while you occupy, furnish and let the property. It changes the paperwork date, not your life.
The first weeks: from shortlist to reservation
The first stage is remote work: a proper conversation about what the property is for, a shortlist of verified listings, video walkthroughs where useful, and the planning of a viewing trip. The trip itself takes two or three days on the island, covering a manageable set of properties and time in the areas at different hours, with no sales choreography.
When the decision lands, a modest reservation deposit fixes the price and removes the property from the market, with refund conditions in writing. The same week, you appoint your independent lawyer, and we suggest interviewing two, then hand them the reservation paperwork. From this point the transaction has a file, a fee quote and a timetable.
The middle weeks: searches, contract, registration
The title search takes one to three weeks: deed class, registered owner, boundaries, encumbrances, and for off plan the developer’s land position and financing. Only clean results move the transaction forward; a problem at this stage costs you nothing but the wait, which is precisely what the refundable reservation bought.
Contract drafting and negotiation follow, then signing, either in person or via power of attorney, and then the two statutory deadlines: stamp duty at half of one per cent and Land Office registration, both within twenty one days. For a resale, the balance typically moves a few weeks after contract; for off plan, the first stage payment moves and the construction calendar takes over.
Completion, handover and the slow clock
Completion week is practical: the snagging inspection with a written list for new builds, corrections verified before final payment, then handover, which covers keys, meter readings, utilities into your name and warranties collected. We attend every client handover and stay for the unglamorous first jobs: internet, insurance, a spare key with someone reliable.
Behind all of this, the permission application filed at contract time grinds through its months. When it is granted, your lawyer pays the transfer fee, the deed is registered in your name, and the file closes. It is often a pleasant anticlimax you learn about by email while sitting on the terrace the paperwork describes.
- 2 to 3 days
- Viewing trip
- 21 days
- Registration and stamp duty window
- Weeks
- Reservation to keys, resale
- Months
- Permission to title transfer
Asked about this topic
Can the timeline run faster if I need it to?
A clean resale with a motivated seller can complete quicker than the typical run, and we have seen it happen. What we will not compress is the search period or the snagging, the two stages where speed genuinely costs money. The permission clock cannot be hurried by anyone.
What are the most common causes of delay?
On resales: slow document production by sellers and encumbrances that need clearing before contract. On off plan: construction running behind schedule, which is why completion dates in the contract carry penalty clauses. Neither is exotic; both are managed by a lawyer who chases and a contract with teeth.
When do I actually get the keys?
For a resale, at completion, once the balance has moved against the signed transfer papers, typically a matter of weeks after reservation. For off plan, at handover after the snagging list is resolved. In both cases, well before the title deed formally transfers, which follows months later without affecting your use.
Figures on this page are indicative for 2026 and describe the general case, not advice for your situation. Rates and rules change; your lawyer and tax adviser confirm the current position before you commit. More in our disclaimer.