Friday afternoon phone call from estate agent

billy2shots

I could be wrong but the way I read your OP it sounds like you are top of the chain and everything is below you?
If so you have the very least to juggle and 'thinking ' you haven't got enough time to organise removals is small chips to trying to get all the ducks in a row for those further down the chain.

You also clearly state that you were told Friday afternoon. It's not their fault you didn't even attempt to organise things at that point and seem to think you can't start the process until Monday????

moneyistooshorttomention

Of course you aren't. Don't let them guilt trip you.

Things like removals/arranging the services to be cut off at one place and connected at the next take time and some of us do actually try to Have A Life whilst all this is going on.

My buyer got told it would be the traditional 4 weeks between Exchange and Completion when I sold my last house. She wasn't happy - but then I didn't see why she should have me running round like a mad thing to suit her and probably not being able to get my chosen removal firm/service providers sorted out at a date to suit her.

As I recall - re my removal firm alone (already chosen by me and quote received) weren't available until about a fortnight after Exchange anyway.

dunstonh

Asking for the 7th was not unreasonable and quite achievable in most cases but the 14th is the logical date as that is two weeks and gives a bit more time.

By the point you are at, you would have known the conveyancing tasks were getting completed and contracts should have been signed weeks ago. Once the contracts are accepted, usually someone in the chain starts the ball rolling on completion dates. You should have had a removals survey weeks or even months ago and been in the process of either getting a skip in or going to the dumps to clear things not wanted.

It sounds like you have not prepared. So, you need to take some responsibility that.

Remember that you do not need to complete on a Friday. It is also the most popular day to complete and removal firms are likely to be busier that day. Maybe go for a less busy week day.

And get your skates on.

G_M

It used to be standard practice to have a 4 week gap between Exchange/Completion (yes, showing my age!).


Everything cold be planned, arranged, and organised in a relaxed and eficient manner.


In today's 'just get on with it' society, people expect a week's gap, or less, but just because that's now the norm does not make it ideal or compulsory.

dunstonh

G_M wrote: »

It used to be standard practice to have a 4 week gap between Exchange/Completion (yes, showing my age!).


Everything cold be planned, arranged, and organised in a relaxed and eficient manner.


In today's 'just get on with it' society, people expect a week's gap, or less, but just because that's now the norm does not make it ideal or compulsory.

True. But you probably recall that back in those days, you got the offer letter, made an appointment with a local solicitor and went to their office and they would explain the risks and show you the documents for all searches etc. Sometimes you would go twice if bits came in at different times.

Nowadays, its all email and pdfs. Although with online tracking telling you what stage you are at, it is easier to prepare and be ready. So, you don't need four weeks like you used to. Two weeks seems more reasonable with modern methods.

rubble2

Thanks for all the replies, in our defence it is nearly 20 years since we last moved and I do seem to remember it being a slightly more leisurely process.

We have actually a lot of our stuff packed and ready to move - I have found a removal company today who is able to move us on Friday 7th so everything is now on track.

We never had a problem with moving on the 7th (apart from the rush) but the conversation we had with our solicitor suggested that the 7th was ambitious and did we have an alternative more suitable date - that's why we suggested the 14th. Prior to that conversation nobody had suggested any completion date to us and as we had not (still have not) exchanged we thought that just under two weeks from exchange to completion was not unreasonable.

Any way all sorted now and fingers crossed everything will go smoothly next week

AdrianC

"Ambitious" means "possible, if you want to".

Red-Squirrel_2

G_M wrote: »

It used to be standard practice to have a 4 week gap between Exchange/Completion (yes, showing my age!).


Everything cold be planned, arranged, and organised in a relaxed and eficient manner.


In today's 'just get on with it' society, people expect a week's gap, or less, but just because that's now the norm does not make it ideal or compulsory.

I think a week is about right to be honest.

I've done same day completion, but only when buying empty properties and not selling, so it was simple. I wouldn't want much less than a week if I was moving a full house and changing address.


4 weeks seems like a long time to be in that limbo period where you're committed but not actually in possession of the thing you are financially tied to. I think it allows too much time for stuff to go wrong and then you've got a load of hassle sorting it out between old/current and new owner!

billy2shots

rubble2 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies, in our defence it is nearly 20 years since we last moved and I do seem to remember it being a slightly more leisurely process.

We have actually a lot of our stuff packed and ready to move - I have found a removal company today who is able to move us on Friday 7th so everything is now on track.

We never had a problem with moving on the 7th (apart from the rush) but the conversation we had with our solicitor suggested that the 7th was ambitious and did we have an alternative more suitable date - that's why we suggested the 14th. Prior to that conversation nobody had suggested any completion date to us and as we had not (still have not) exchanged we thought that just under two weeks from exchange to completion was not unreasonable.

Any way all sorted now and fingers crossed everything will go smoothly next week

Great news. Good luck with the move and all the best in your new home.

Modern tech and 24/7 working sure helps speed up the process. Waiting for letters to be posted and completed understandably slowed the process in the past.

phildixon1

Good luck with the move. When we moved completion was 3 days after exchange, after we thought our buyer had pulled out, so had cancelled everything. But after much scrambling around we managed to get everything reorganised in a day. Removal companies tend to be ready for last minute moves!