Completing on Monday - What happens?

gimpymoo

After 4 months, we are going to complete on Monday, well, so ive been told

I am unsure as to what happens.

We are both selling a house and purchasing.

I have hired a van to move us but this would mean a couple of trips to do it (only a local move!!).

Do we have to vacate our property at the same time as our purchase is completed or are we given a few hours so we can shift our stuff in the van as I think we will need a couple of trips and dont want our belongings just laying out on the street.

Does the person at the bottom of the chain move in last?

Thanks for any advice.

dehowletts

this is my experience (but i've only done it twice so v limited)
1. as much direct conversation as poss within the chain relieves the frustration of waiting for the solicitor to get in touch all the time (1st time we didn't - VERY horrible as it was this time of year and so she was VERY unavailable/ un helpful)

2. try to pin the solicitor down a bit to 'estimated' time boundaries

3. have a fab friend the other end (that was the one that saved my sanity!) with a kettle (or a bottle)!

mrsc_4

We moved on the 6th, we hired a man and his van as no one drives in my family. Our Solicitor had estimated a mid morning completion.

On the day we were all ready to go and doing the final bits when the man and van turned up about 10:10ish as we hadn't had any news he suggested having breaky and coming back in an hour we were fine with that. At 10:55 we got the call to say we'd completed (YAY) so we quickly got on with the last bits, man and van turned up at 11:15 we loaded the first load and I called the EA to see if we could have the keys this was about 11:40 they put me on hold and answered another call which was the solicitor saying they could release the keys (more yays)

We promptly picked the keys up and went to the new house and unloaded and then hubby, my dad and van man went back to the flat for the final load and to lock up.

You have to legally vacate your "old" property by 2pm we did so at 1:15 and called our EA to confirm they were okay to hand the keys over to our buyer.

I would imagaine your get the completion call and then they will give you a time span to vacate.

We were lucky a FTB brought our flat and we moved into a vacent property so we didn't need to wait on other people.

Good luck for monday

WestonDave

In answer to your last point technically the person at the bottom of the chain moves first as their money will arrive at their vendor completing their purchase, and will then be used in turn up the chain to complete.

If you are going to do more than one trip you need to talk to the other people in the chain and agree a strategy because technically you will need to provide vacant possession at least as early (if not minutes earlier) than you will get access to your new place. You may find yourself very unpopular if your completion happens a bit later in the day - say lunchtime and your buyers roll up in their big one load truck and professional removers, only to find they have to wait while you do your return trips especially as the truck will be full of big hairy types wanting to get finished so they can knock off early! This will be compounded if you are having to wait for your vendors to do the same thing!

Talk to both sides and if necessary agree that you will clear certain rooms first so that they have somewhere to start unloading, and likewise on your new place (garage?).