How long would you want between exchange and completion?

keithdc

Interested in people's thoughts really as to sensible duration between exchange and completion.



Background/ long(er) story- there is a longer story, but hopefully this provides adequate context:

We are in a chain of four people (FTB, us, our seller, top of chain).
Things have taken longer than usual because our seller has been very slow responding to queries- now all sorted.

Since queries were finally sorted, our seller has been quite forceful in trying to get everyone moved as quickly as possible. He is a teacher- obviously it is now holiday time! FTB and us are not teachers, so obviously have to fit everything in around jobs. Us and FTB are not in a particular hurry.

Originally, he was trying to force completion for three working days after he finally got final query sorted (we said no, FTB's solicitor said no!!)

We then agreed a planned completion for next Tuesday, with exchange scheduled for yesterday. FTB and us were ready to exchange yesterday and today, but there were issues at top of chain.

We have now said exchange must happen tomorrow if we are to proceed on Tuesday, otherwise completion will need to be delayed.

Are we unreasonable in requiring a reasonable period between exchange and completion?

We also don't like the idea of wasting annual leave for moving day if it might not happen!

Comms69

1-2 weeks to allow for packing and movers availability

lena_halo

We wanted a week. We got two working days in the end! Luckily we knew it was almost certain to happen so we arranged the movers a week before but it was cutting it really fine in the end!

hazyjo

Got about two and a half weeks as it was a long chain and it's the only date we could all agree on. Was expecting a week.

Used to be more like four weeks and some older generations might still expect or request it.

SG27

We requested 4 weeks between exchange and completion. Our buyers agreed. I dont know how people manage it in 1 week. Much too stressful!

phoebe1989seb

Most recent purchase (February) we had one day between exchange and completion, but we were buying a repossession and our sale had already completed/our worldly possessions were in storage

Previously we've had anything from six days to two weeks, never longer. Even with two weeks we struggled to organise packing/removals from a six bed house crammed full of stuff!

Ideally at least two weeks if we ever move again.....

kinger101

If they're a teacher, they got the rest of the summer off. Completion date depends on when you can pencil removal firms in for. Confirm if they're available and ask them to hold the date pending exchange.

PasturesNew

Ideally a week, completing on a Wed/Thu in case of issues.

Last time I asked for a week and ended up with just 3 clear days between exchange (late Monday) and completion (Friday). In that case it wasn't my house, so I was happy to go with a Friday completion as it was no skin off my nose if something went awry. In the event, it DID go awry - the money wasn't received because it was one of Nat West's system failures. Completion ended up being very late afternoon.

walwyn1978

One to two weeks.

hb2

We moved last year and had 8 days between exchange and completion. I would have liked longer but our buyers were up to the wire with their mortgage offer. We were paying movers to pack for us, I couldn't have managed to do it myself in that time-frame, and were lucky that they could fit us in.

kerri_gt

We had two weeks, though in reality we actually had about 4-5 days as we were on holiday (booked before the move timing occurred) before that. I'd already had quotes from local moving firms, had taken the details away with us and booked that (including full packing service - worth every penny) while away. If I recall I don't think I bothered unpacking our holiday suitcases until we'd moved :rotfl: