On average, it takes two or three months to complete a property sale. This is noticeably longer than other European countries like the UK. This is because the initial agreement to a sale, the promesse de vente, takes place early in the process. An approximate date will be part of the promesse de vente, but this is an estimate and the signing of the final acte de vente won’t happen until the notaire has finalised their checks and the conveyancing process.