Moving day when in a chain

moneybunny123

This is a really silly question, I know, but I've never had to consider the answer before as every time I've moved in the past there has never been a chain.

We've sold our house (to a couple who live in rented) and we're buying a house from a couple who are going to move into rented.

Therefore, on completion day (which is a way off yet given that offers were only made and agreed at the weekend) how does anybody move given that one house has to be empty before the others move in. Will it be the people at the top of the chain who move first? And I assume they do this maybe the day before completion so their house is empty on the day it becomes our house?

Sorry for being dumb (I blame my baby brain)

Property_Auctions

Hi MoneyBunny,

When Solicitors confirm that completion has taken place, it is up to the people you are buying from to ensure they have somewhere to move to as you will have legal ownership of their of their house.

When exchange of contracts takes place (typically two weeks before completion) the moving day will be set so everybody knows what's going on. Once exchange has taken place, everything is legally binding.

Good luck with it all.

Richard_Webster

Everybody in the middle of the chain moves on the same day - they have to be out by lunchtime and don't get in until sometime in the afternoon, depending on how long the money takes to get through.

The people at the top of the chain (not buying on) can move out beforehand if they want and those at the bottom don't have to move in on the day of completion, but everyone in the middle at least has to move out that day and normally will move in that day also unless they are travelling a long way.

moneybunny123

Thanks Property Auctions for your reply. I understand the legalities though, I just don't understand the logistics of it all. How can I vacate my house (ensuring it's empty for the new owners) before I've moved into my new house?

Property_Auctions

Hopefully Richard has addressed that bit above - but please get in contact if you need any further clarification.

Gonzo33

You start packing the removals van the day before. That is what we had to do anyway.

BornAtTheRightTime

The idea usually is that all your stuff is in the removal van which is travelling to/sitting outside your new house waiting for your to obtain access.

mumcoll

We had always moved without chains until our last move into our current property. This was the worst experience of moving - We were trying to move in and the people moving out still had clothes in the fitted wardrobes! The people moving into our 'old' house were chucking stuff on the garden that weren't yet in our removal van. It was very stressful but is only one day after all.

krlyr

You normally complete at 1pm on completion day. Say you're completing on 15th December, you'd spend the next two weeks packing everything, book your moving van first thing on 15th (or if you're hiring your own van, hire it for the 14th to the 15th) and when you get up on the 15th you pack everything. Everyone else in the chain is busy packing their stuff. Come 1pm, you get your new keys and take all your stuff to the now-empty house, leaving your house empty for the other person.

We have no chain thankfully but we have a relative nearer to the new house than our current house so we've moved a lot of our boxes there (saves living in a cardboard box jungle!), so you could see if you have a relative or friend with a spare room or garage space to move some boxes into, so there's less to move on completion day.

Richard_Webster

If you hire a van, hire one big enough to take all your stuff.

Not acceptable to pack van with what you can in the morning, deliver first load in early afternoon when you get keys and then come back to load up for second run - by then your buyers will be wanting in!

Sometimes helpful sellers will let you put some stuff in their garage the night before so as to avoid two runs on the day , but you need to negotiate this detail beforehand - do not assume that you can keep your buyers waiting until the evening to get in. They will get very cross.

moneybunny123

Ah, it all makes sense now. Thanks everyone