Picking up keys on moving day

BiBi

Hi guys,

To add closure for anyone interested and future readers....

I have now booked a removals firm, hurrah!

As advised by all the lovely people on here, there is no way to be sure you'll get your keys at a specific time on completion day. So I booked the firm from 10am (to come and start loading the van at 10am, to be clear) and we are aware there is a good possibility of waiting around once I am packed up and loaded on to the van. Any ensuing hours of waiting around are just part of the process and any frustration at the hourly fee that I pay the removals firm for that is a waste of energy - it's not their fault or mine, just the way it is. There isn't any way I can see to limit this, and the day is so unpredictable that it would be folly to try.

I know this is a money saving site, but on this subject I've had to admit defeat and swallow the high risk that I'll pay £100-£200 to sit in n my car outside my new house twiddling my thumbs (I may start a 'waiting to get into my new house - anyone want to join me' thread!! )

The removals chap said his best suggestion is to keep on top of the solicitors on the day (I may actually go sit in their offices - they provide free tea&coffee and it's air conditioned!!

Good luck to all and thanks to everyone who took the time to reply

HB58

Thanks for the update.

It sounds as if you have the right attitude - all sorts of things can hold up the process on the day of completion. Being prepared to wait it out without getting aggitated is the best way to go if you can.

We moved into a new flat at the end of April. We expected to complete at 1.30 but got the call at 12.30 - only to discover that our vendors had not left keys and were not answering their phones! We finally got in to our new home at 4.30pm, after their mother had brought the keys to us (we were buying from 2 brothers)! We were very glad that we had paid an extra sum as insurance for the waiting time

I hope that everything goes smoothly for you and you are very happy in your new home.

G_M

You've done the right thing.

Yes, it's a moneysaving site, and the cheaper options for consideration involve hiring a van and getting mates to do the work. But if the furniture is too much (or the mates to little!) then gambling on specific timing and paying by the hour just isn't worth it.

Note: siting in the solicitors office is an option (if it's convenient and you can still easily supervise the removal firm, but don't hassle too much, and don't ring them up every 30 minutes! All you'll do is
a) annoy them and
b) slow them down answering your calls to tell you 'Nothing's happened yet'.

To you, this is a big event, but they do this every day - just let them get on with their job.

The_Logans

Our removals guys arrived at 10am,they got on with loading the van. We got keys at 1pm. By 2pm we were at new house unloading.

NicNicP

We got our keys just after midday. My brother however didn't get his until about 4.30pm