Moving in

Guffster

Hi,
I paid for any early key release and have been moving boxes over to the new house all week I had a moving company move all of the heavy furniture on Saturday so basically just have TVs and a couple of boxes left to move which I will probably do this afternoon.

As the house I am moving in to is empty and my completion date is tomorrow could I move in after midnight tonight?

Slithery

What's an 'early key release'?
Is this a new build?

I'd hazard a guess that you're not allowed to move in until you've completed, which will be at whatever time the funds are transferred and your solicitor gives you the go-ahead.

Guffster

The property I am moving into isn’t a new build. It was owned by an old man who passed away so the property was chain free being sold by the relatives. I paid £70 for the early key release so I able to move my stuff in provided I didn’t move myself in and start living there before the completion date. I didn’t want the ball ache of having to try and move the contents of my house in a couple of hours plus cleaning the house for the new owner. So was wondering if I would have been able to move in after midnight seeing as my stuffs all there and plumbed in.

JuicyJesus

I have no idea what an "early key release" is but as someone waiting to move into a new rental and with a front room full of boxes, I can assure you I'd give my right ball for one. Possibly even the left one too if I'd stubbed my toe on the boxes that day.

davidmcn

You won't know exactly what time completion will happen until it happens, but whenever it is, it will be during working hours, not midnight!

M_Python

Guffster wrote: »

As the house I am moving in to is empty and my completion date is tomorrow could I move in after midnight tonight?

No, you can't. As slithery says, you will have to wait until you are given the go-ahead by your solicitor or the estate agent.

I am absolutely amazed that the vendors and their solicitors (if they knew about it) have let you do this as it's very risky for them.

Guffster

Ok let me try again as I think my point isn’t coming across all to well.

I already have the keys to my new house I have had them since last Tuesday the day after I exchanged. I have been in and out of the new house all week able to come and go as I choose. The only rule I’ve had to follow is I can’t live there until the day of completion which is tomorrow. I don’t have to worry about picking keys up from the etate agent as I already have them and can move tomorrow morning if I choose I was wondering if anyone had ever moved on the stroke of a new day after midnight.

But after seeing members responses I can see it’s not a common thing so I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow morning. What’s spending one more night on a air mattress in an empty house, when I could have jumped in my bed at midnight lol

Guffster

M_Python wrote: »

No, you can't. As slithery says, you will have to wait until you are given the go-ahead by your solicitor or the estate agent.

I am absolutely amazed that the vendors and their solicitors (if they knew about it) have let you do this as it's very risky for them.

Why are you amazed? who do you think i paid the key release money to? oh right my conveyancer.. Once the exchange happens i am then contractually bound to move forward with buying the house. Same with the girl buying mine. if she breaks the contact then i still have the money to move and she'll then owe me 10% of my sale price.

Maybe it works differently where you live but here i had the option for early keys.

Slithery

Guffster wrote: »

...so I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow morning...

No, you need to wait until you've actually completed.

I have no idea how this 'early key release' arrangement was cooked up but it's something that any vendor's solicitor would recommend against.

G_M

You do not own the property till Completion. That happens when the funds are transfered.

Until then, you (and your boxes) are there under a 'licence' (ie permision to go into someone else's property).

The terms of that licence are..... whatever you agreed. Since we do not know what you and the property owner agreed, we cannot advise you!

M_Python

Guffster wrote: »

Why are you amazed? who do you think i paid the key release money to? oh right my conveyancer.. Once the exchange happens i am then contractually bound to move forward with buying the house. Same with the girl buying mine. if she breaks the contact then i still have the money to move and she'll then owe me 10% of my sale price.

Maybe it works differently where you live but here i had the option for early keys.

I am amazed because, despite having exchanged, there's nothing stopping you pulling out of the purchase today prior to completion tomorrow. All you would lose is your 10% (or whatever) deposit and, as you've already got the keys, you could in theory physically move in today and they'd have a hard job getting you out!