keys handover on completion - please help

halia

Hi all, well we have completion set for this thursday. The buyer is transfering money via CHAPS (they aren't using a solicitor) to my solicitor who will then give me a call to say money has arrived and I can hand over the keys.

problem - the buyer is travelling over from the other side of the country and by the sounds of things is expecting to meet me in the morning to hand over keys (I work in the afternoon) however I've been told by my solicitor that the CHAPS might not clear until close to 5pm and that I'm not under any circumstances to hand over keys until I get that phone call.

Is therer any way round this? I can't take the afternoon off work but OH could take keys over if its after 12pm, however I know the buyers won't want to just be hanging around all day.

Could I let them in at 11am, but retain keys until I get the phone call or is this just plain silly?

Or should I suggest we arrange a 5pm meeting as the money should DEFINITLY have cleared by then (I finish work at 4.30pm)

ginvzt

Leave the keys with Estate Agent? Don't let the buyer in the house until money has cleared!

olly300

Contact the buyer and inform them that your solicitor has informed you, that for legal reasons you cannot give them the keys until the money has been received.

Therefore ask them for their mobile number and tell them that you will phone them once your solicitor has phoned you. Then they can come over for the keys.

If they come before them tell them to go away.

Sometimes you just need to be polite but firm with people.

Doozergirl

Leave the keys with the EA.

Even if you need keys after you've taken them to the EA, presumably you have two sets so you just post the last set through the letterbox when you've finished in the house.

Win/win.

halia

No E.A involved - private sale. Although I dont' need the keys at all as its vacant so thats one less worry. Have contacted buyer and said I will call them once I get confirmation that money is transfered safely from solicitor. Or we can arrange to meet after 5pm if they dont' want to just be sitting round waiting for a call all day (as CHAPS should go through by 5pm) but still assuming that I do get confirmation before 5pm.

Doozergirl

Have you already exchanged? If it's a simple no chain sale and you've already exchanged then I can't see how the CHAPS payment wouldn't clear in time.

You can leave keys with your solicitor too if you ask nicely.

planemad

CHAPS is normally within a few hours of the payment being put through.

They do say 5pm max but it normally well within this.

hamblettamaud

i agree with all of above.

leave the keys with the estate agent with instructions that they're only to be handed over on completion.

otherwise you could end up with squatters.