How do chains work on completion day?

Archlever

Hi....this maybe a bit of a naive question but here goes anyway. We are nearing contract exchange (on a relatively short chain of 3). Our buyer is a FTB and our vendors have already bought the house they are moving to. All three of us live in the same city. My question is how does moving day work? My OH is stressing about how we would get packed and move and hand over a clean house all within one day . I know that keys are handed over on completion (and thats the day when our buyers money wil come throgh and get passed up the chain). Is this process staggered over a few hours / a delay of upto a day negotiated? Also, has anyone had experience of using packers and movers for relatively short distance moves?

One final thing, my OH is very allergic to cats and the vendors have two. We will need to get carpets cleaned just before the move....can we ask to do this before completion (but after exchange)?

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

cabbage

Hi

Most solicitors I have worked for have asked for the funds the day before and if that's the case, the only drawback is that your mortgage starts accruing interest on this day. However, it does save on delays on completion day which is stressful enough. If the money is not through, sometimes the solicitors agree between themselves and give each other an "undertaking" to pass on the money when it arrives. Most of this goes on in the background and you will hear from your solicitor when the ftb's money is through.

The money gets passed along the chain. Most people manage to get packed up by mid/late morning and then usually the money goes through around mid day (sometimes earlier).

The cleaning is a gradual thing over the week leading up to the move and the house should be clean and ready to move in on completion day. On the day of the move, it will be bathrooms/toilets, wash up any cups/saucers/breakfast bowls and maybe a quick hoover before you leave or a mop round if you have wooden/laminate floors. If you plan it well and clean nearly everything leading up to move day, it should go as smoothly as possible.

With regard to the cats, if the people you are buying off have already moved out you can organise to have the carpets cleaned between exchange and completion. Your solicitor will organise this for you and you will sign an undertaking not to cause any damage and if you do, to put it right. You will temporarily be given the keys to the new house to do what's necessary and then be expected to return them.

Hippychick

You will have to be out of your house by 1pm but you won't be able to move into your new place until your vendors solicitors have received the money and released the keys. It could be tight but is perfectly doable. it can't really be staggered and you can't stay any extra days in your old home.

Assuming the property you are moving to is currently vacant then you can certainly ask for access between exchange and completion to clean the carpets, contact your solicitor and ask them for a key undertaking to be sorted. They will sort this out with the vendors solicitors, basically you will agree to have the keys for the sole purpose of cleaning carpets etc.

If you have a lot of stuff and are moving yourselves could you store some at a mates/family members garage or even ask to store it at the new house (via the key undertaking)? that way you could leave the bare essentials at your old home and as long as you are packed and get cracking early you should be out in time.

Good luck!

PasturesNew

I watched some packers/movers in action. Pickfords ... it was awesome...

The house was utterly clutterly ... stuff everywhere. Pictures on every wall, nick nacks, carvings, bowls, pieces of 'art', books, just stuff, stuff, stuff.

They came in and worked like robots on speed. Each item was picked up, wrapped, packed in a box.. next... next .. next.

All done meticulously, speedily. They didn't slow down once. No cups of tea, no hesitations.. they just went like the wind. But carefully, professionally.

I think two of them had most of a 3-bed terraced house (FULL of stuff) packed up, boxed and in the van in about an hour.

Cost, I think, for that was £100 about 12 years ago.

HIGHLY recommended. Buy the packing ... do it!

Fishingtime

I used to work for a removal company,like Hippychick says you will ahve to e out of your house by 1pm.
You should be able to pick up the keys to your new house at 2pm.
Fridays seems to be the worse day for moving as the keys were never ready at 2pm,I think the solicitors must go for a longer lunch on fridays

silvercar

Since having the kids we've always got the packers in the day before. That way on completion day we are almost ready to go. Van loaded by 11am, quick last minute wipe around and we are out.

Lunch out somewhere and meet the loaded removal van at the new place, ready to start unpacking.

Sandra2

My friend has just had a quote for £180 from a man and van to move her 5 mins down the road - 3 bed terrace move in Hampshire. We're moving farther afield and quotes are £800 for removals and up to £1200 to include packing. Previous experience says to pack as much as possible the week before so you only have bare minimum left on the day to pack, bit of washing up, final clean and hoover and out by 1pm. Last time keys were ready around half two and we were buying an empty property and sold our flat to the bloke upstairs!!