Keys for new home

dexterwolf

I know normally you have to go to the estate agent to get the keys the day of completion. The estate Agent is 15 miles away and the house is 2 miles away so just wondered if anyone has just got them off the seller ?

Hoploz

Normally a set is left with the EA but it's ok to hand them over in person if it's easier and collect the other set later. That's if your seller is going to be at the property when you arrive of course. They might clear off early if they've got a long way to travel to their new place.

Last time I bought, the EA rang to say the cleaners were still at the house so it was all open anyway. In fact the removal guys already had half the furniture in by the time we got there, with cleaners attempting to mop the kitchen floor around all our boxes! We told them to just go

dc197

My solicitor gave me strict written instructions NOT to hand keys over to the buyer on the day. He did not explain why but I'm sure there was a good reason. So don't be offended if your seller declines.

Our seller left the garage unlocked for us (for a specific reason not related to moving day - to allow us access to the pond to put our fish into it), so the delivery men could at least unload the garage junk first while we waited for the keys.

My tip is that once you are at the stage where you're just waiting for the keys, one of you drive to the agent and wait while the other stays with the removals men; that'll save you waiting for half the round trip journey time at least.

davidmcn

dc197 wrote: »

My solicitor gave me strict written instructions NOT to hand keys over to the buyer on the day. He did not explain why but I'm sure there was a good reason.

There is no good reason why the keys can't be handed over directly (once the solicitors have confirmed completion has taken place) - I expect your instruction was just to avoid confusion if the agent was handing over the keys (or naïve clients handing over the keys without first checking the lawyers had done their bit).

dexterwolf

I think the seller will have to trek over to estate agent so I will ask them direct if I can get them off them on the day if possible

jackomdj

No right or wrong way of doing it.

When we moved into our current house we got the spare keys from the vendor the night before, when we dropped our TV off at the house!

Reasoning, it was an online estate agent and the solicitors were the other side of the city, so keys easier for the seller who was selling and emigrating. All her furniture apart from a few bits had been shipped so TV was useful for her for the night. We had sky coming on moving in afternoon and my partner was working, so better for us to move it the night before.

I guess it is just what works for each individual sale..

pinkteapot

Up to you and the seller really. When we last moved, we were in the middle of a chain.

We got told we'd completed. I phoned the EA about half an hour before we finished packing up and were ready to leave (11ish) and asked if the buyer wanted me to take the keys at the EA, or whether they could come round now. EA phoned the buyer, who headed to the house, so I handed the keys over to them.

We got to our new house about midday and the seller hadn't finished packing/leaving, so we had to wait an hour or so. They gave us the keys. So, none of us went to the EA to pick up.

With previous purchases I have though because I've not been moving in on completion day so I've just gone to the EA late in the day to get the keys.

jolester

Our vendors "kindly" offered to hand the keys to us as they were only moving 10 doors down the road and the EA were about 12 miles away.....

We were very pleased with the prospect of not having to drive so far to collect the keys......

We were not so pleased when at 7pm they still hadn't moved their stuff out of "our" house - including not even packed any clothes, taken pictures/mirrors off the wall/hoovered then taken up the living room carpet which they said they wanted

Cupcake85

The estate agent met me at the house as it was a half hour out of the way drive for me, no harm in asking if they would come to you?

PasturesNew

The keys should not be handed over until the money's been confirmed as having arrived. There are sometimes issues with the money arriving on the day.

Closest you can get to it would be for the current owners to leave the keys with, say, a neighbour, or hidden ... with them not telling you where until they've had the money confirmed.

natrapx

FTB. Got the keys directly from them as they were finishing packing. Gave us a quick tour showing things like thermostat, meters etc. were. Had a nice chat. Told her to go away (nicely) when she offered to keep cleaning!