Delays in Housing Completions Linked to Rising Timelines and Failed Sales
Market Updates

Delays in Housing Completions Linked to Rising Timelines and Failed Sales

By Dr. Priya Sharma, Property Markets Analyst · 16 July 2026 · 1 min read

Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.

Delays in Housing Completions Linked to Rising Timelines and Failed Sales

The UK government announced new home buying and selling reforms in June, following concerns about delays in housing completions. According to Mortgage Solutions, one in three property sales currently fall through, with sellers facing a collective annual cost of £400 million.

Barclays’ Property Insight Report, as cited by Mortgage Solutions, indicates that the timeline for property transactions has increased by 21.7% year-on-year. The average property purchase now takes 120 days to complete.

Mortgage Solutions is currently polling its readers to identify the biggest causes of delays for clients completing property purchases or sales. The publication highlights the ongoing impact of these delays on the UK property market.

These developments are particularly relevant for letting agents and inventory clerks, as extended transaction times and failed sales can affect tenancy start dates, property availability, and the scheduling of inventories.


Source: Mortgage Solutions
About the author
Dr. Priya Sharma
Property Markets Analyst

Dr. Priya Sharma writes The Property AI's data-led coverage of UK property markets — rental indices, sold-price trends, mortgage flows, and regional analysis. Articles bylined Dr. Sharma cite ONS, Land Registry, Bank of England, and primary research data.

PhD Economics. Specialises in: ONS Index of Private Housing Rental Prices, Land Registry data, regional rental analysis, mortgage approvals trends.

Streamline Your Property Management

See how The Property AI helps landlords and letting agents create inventory reports and grow their business.

Book a Free Demo