Need to take anything when picking up keys?

G_M

Maybe a silly question, but have you been told the EAs will be holding/releasing the keys.....??

If so, hang around till you get a call from your solicitor (if using one) to say Completion has taken place, then off you go.

ID is sensible.

Miss_Marple_2

Whne I picked up mine - I went into the estate agents and said 'someone just phoned me - I'm here to pick up the keys for . . . ' and without giving name or address, without having to sign anything or give id, I was given the keys by someone who I had never seen before. As I walked way with the keys, I got a little concerned that anyone coud have just wandered in and been given keys.


I assumed that I was the only one completing that day, but it did all seem a bit easy.

googler

Miss_Marple wrote: »

Whne I picked up mine - I went into the estate agents and said 'someone just phoned me - I'm here to pick up the keys for . . . ' and without giving name or address, without having to sign anything or give id, I was given the keys by someone who I had never seen before. As I walked way with the keys, I got a little concerned that anyone could have just wandered in and been given keys.

I assumed that I was the only one completing that day, but it did all seem a bit easy.

... because you turned up after the solicitor had phoned the EA to say "it's OK to release the keys for . . .".

If you'd asked for the keys to a property that hadn't completed, or completed weeks ago, eyebrows would be raised.

Again, how would anyone other than the buyer and their solicitor know that the property was completing that day? Someone at the lender might know, but they're likely to be in a call centre on the other side of the country. Who else would know?

matador04

I just needed ID.

Miss_Marple_2

googler wrote: »

... because you turned up after the solicitor had phoned the EA to say "it's OK to release the keys for . . .".

If you'd asked for the keys to a property that hadn't completed, or completed weeks ago, eyebrows would be raised.

Again, how would anyone other than the buyer and their solicitor know that the property was completing that day? Someone at the lender might know, but they're likely to be in a call centre on the other side of the country. Who else would know?

I didn't ask for keys to a specific property - they didn't let me get that far ! ( that's what I meant by ..... I was in the middle of the sentence - I didn't give the property name, the estate agent just gave me the keys before I had finished what I was saying)

I turned up a few hours after a phone call and was given keys without mentioning any property name or my name. As I said, I'm assuming that I was the only one completing that day, or else I assume that they would have asked me which property.

Don't lots of people know your completion date ? Maybe your removal guys, friends, family etc ? Not that I'm saying anyone would try & cheat you, but surely in a chain, there are lots of people that know other people's completion dates. Not relevant for me as I had no chain at all, but I thought it would be normal for quite a few people to be aware of completion dates.

Newly_retired

I was not asked for any id. I did ask the EA beforehand and they said they knew me so no id needed. Well they have only seen me one or twice briefly, as all subsequent communication was not done in person.
Still, we would have been the only people collecting keys that day, I guess.

dimbo61

Take a camera, photos of every room and note any damage or items missing.
Measure up every room and check every light and socket, lamp to check working.
Find the stop !!!! and read the meters, photo of gas and electric meter to email to estate agents.
Contact energy supplier with your readings, contact council tax people, sort broadband and phone, got buildings and contents insurance sorted ?
TV licence !
Have kettle, brew stuff sorted, find good takeaway nearby and say hello to neighbours

G_M

Estate Agents!

Probobly safer for the seller to tell you "the keys will be under the 2nd flowerpot from the right".....

davidmcn

Not only is everyone quite laidback about who is picking up the keys, but the authorisation to release them to the purchaser generally comes in the form of a phone call from the vendor's solicitor.

Or rather, a call from someone who claims to be the vendor's solicitor...

G_M

davidmcn wrote: »

Not only is everyone quite laidback about who is picking up the keys, but the authorisation to release them to the purchaser generally comes in the form of a phone call from the vendor's solicitor.

Or rather, a call from someone who claims to be the vendor's solicitor...

So Mr Squatter cruises the area and spots a 'Sold' board. He pays the Land Registry £3 and gets the Title. He now knows the seller's name and estate agents name.

He knocks on the door and spins a yarn about buying a similar property down the road, "some local search issue blah gift-of-the-gab etc, how long is your conveyancing taking?".

He finds out the Completion date. If he's good, he even finds out which solicitor they're using.

O Completion day, he rings the estate agent (early), says he's a clerk at XXX solicitors, acting for Mr Seller, and the funds have transferred so keys can be released.

Mrs Squatter pops in and collects the keys.

Home sweet home!

:rotfl: