Would you move around christmas time?

gingernights

Had a offer put in on march this year , buyer was in a chain and pulled out so they had to find a new buyer and all the rest if it, to cut a long story short everything now is sorted, my partner wants to move before christmas and so does everyone else in the chain, but I'm not sure I'm just really stressed, there's boxes all around my house no christmas decorations, Just can't think of anything worse. I'd perfer to put it off Intill tbe new year for the children's sake aswell.
What would you do?

laurel7172

Why not? However, you sound stressed already and you may need to lower your expectations to stay sane. The year you strung tinsel on the unpacked boxes would make a happy family memory. The year everybody spent screaming at each other over the lack of a "perfect family Christmas"would not.

ihatemyhouse

I am moving on the 23/24 decmeber, as want out of this house, what dates are you looking at

freeisgood

If it didn't affect anyone else I would wait, if it did affect anyone as in your case, I would move.

There will be many more christmases. Kids dont really care what happens just as long as there is a little tree, pressies and loved ones around. I hope it all goes smoothly for you and you could either have a "christmas day" in january or just have a lovely housewarming party in the new year.

hcb42

I would, and I have done, life doesnt have to stop for Christmas...

borkid

I've moved in on 16th Dec, a friend is due to move on 19th Dec. When we moved on 16th it was great. We had moved to a different part of the country and hadn't bought many presents and no food. Most of our preparations were done in just a couple of days, ordered and bought food from the local shops and presents in 1 day from the city no dithering around! No worrying about getting the house tidy for visitors etc

The only thing that might concern me would be bad weather. The day we moved in there was a strong northerly wind and rain. Due to delays in the chain we didn't get the go ahead to move into our new place until 4:30 so the move was done in the dark and we couldn't get the front light to work so had to find the torches! We were out in the sticks so no street lamps either.

Just think what a fantastic Christmas present, a new home and you wont be worrying over Christmas what might go wrong before completion.

PasturesNew

When I was a child we moved on the last day of school term. I went to school, parents moved, after school I walked 'home' and parents were sitting outside in the car waiting to take me to the new house.

I'd rather move 1-2 weeks before Xmas than after it.

wabbitpoo

Moving on the 19th to N Wales (rhymes with Gales - let's hope weather is kind)

mgtr

Small note of caution;

Currently we're seeing some people who find their agents and even solicitors a tell them the 20th (for example) is a-ok.

Yet we know that somebody else in their chain - their firm of solicitors are closing at lunchtime on 20th and completing simply will not be possible.

Same scenario for 23rd. One solicitor I know is planning on being available and in work through to 5pm, yet now she finds very few will do as she is.

Also, dates prior to 8th Jan;
Some firms absolutely won't exceed the draw down of mortgage funds 5 working days in advance. Therefore a draw down prior to 2nd Jan is difficult. Besides which many firms won't be operating on 2nd Jan anyway!

Advice: No matter what your agent says, and even to a degree your solicitor you must find out what the opening hours are for the firms acting throughout your chain (if applicable).

A very good (conveyancing solicitor) friend of mine has already stated she expects nothing but new builds (FTB or BTL) to go through on 20th.

And as she breaks up at 5pm on 20th she is already waiting for suggestions of 23rd to fall flat on their face.

PompeyPete

Excellent posting mgtr.

All in our upward chain have just exchanged yesterday, with completion next Thursday [12 December].

I wouldn't have liked to go beyond that date as things would just get too frantic, there always the real chance of someone taking their eye off the ball, and that's when too many unwrapped toys start being flung around!

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally I wouldn't.

Reasoning being that I didn't even want Completion Day to be on a Friday just in case....

.....and there's always a "just in case". With that...I want people available (of whatever type is needed, be it workmen working or shops open or whatever else) so that I can get on and deal with the unexpected.

It's bad enough dealing with the expected, but when the unexpected also comes in....it pays to have everyone available to help sort it out as fast as possible.

YOU may not "shut up shop" at Christmas...but, with the fact that the rest of the country virtually shuts down for about a fortnight....yikes...