Will lockdown affect house move?

TF03

Tiglet2 said:

Probably best for everyone to stay put until this Covid-19 is no longer a threat.
Moving house is not essential.  In the scheme of things a delay of a few months is not a disaster.

It is essential, when you are so far down the line it can't be postponed without large financial loss or the risk of losing a roof over your head! 

We are due to exchange and complete on Thursday on our new purchase. Mortgage has already been drawn down by solicitor. We have just remortgaged our current place on BTL. Meaning that if it doesn't happen, we will be homeless as you can't live in your own BTL. 

bitsik

Same for us, completion is on Friday, solicitor already received the Mortgage advance monies we've paid our stamp duty and fees. Hoping we can still move and that our removal company is allowed to actually move our stuff.

Sara21

NikBeaum said:

Same boat as well! Contracts already exchanged and due to complete next Mon 30th. Also essentially homeless if this doesn’t happen and will have no choice but to sofa-surf with friends if it doesn’t go ahead (surely worse than moving to one place and staying put surely?) no idea where I stand. Won’t be sleeping tonight that’s for sure! 

Same here - exchanged already and due to complete on Monday. Notice given on rental but no idea if will be allowed back to empty the flat before the end of tenancy (we're distancing ourselves from the housemates who travelled recently so haven't been there in over a week). Don't want to be lumped with paying rent and a mortgage when we can't live in either place! 

Hope they make it more clear soon!

ger1986

I am supposed to be moving next week. Removals company just messaged saying they are closing until further notice. Need to wait and see what the solicitor says tomorrow as I won't be moving anywhere anytime soon by the looks of it.

NikBeaum

Sara21 said:

NikBeaum said:

Same boat as well! Contracts already exchanged and due to complete next Mon 30th. Also essentially homeless if this doesn’t happen and will have no choice but to sofa-surf with friends if it doesn’t go ahead (surely worse than moving to one place and staying put surely?) no idea where I stand. Won’t be sleeping tonight that’s for sure! 

Same here - exchanged already and due to complete on Monday. Notice given on rental but no idea if will be allowed back to empty the flat before the end of tenancy (we're distancing ourselves from the housemates who travelled recently so haven't been there in over a week). Don't want to be lumped with paying rent and a mortgage when we can't live in either places! 

Hope they make it more clear soon!

 Nice to know i’m not the only one - what rubbish timing! 😞 fingers crossed more comes out about this situation tomorrow! Best of luck! 🤞

VK41

We have exchanged and due to complete on a new build on Friday, so stressful! Hope we all find out more tomorrow. Who will be financially liable if we don't complete?! 

JakeHallAgain

I doubt moving home would be prohibited. It's an exceptional reason and you are bound to move. The purpose of the message was to stop unnecessary public activities. That's why the businesses which have been closed are retail and not simply any non-food business (e.g. warehouses, couriers, gas engineers etc. have not been closed as they do not generate public social gatherings).

Thaipie

Having watched Boris tonight I think we are done for as far as moving on Thursday but I have to say I totally agree with his decision. We won't be the only ones in this position and surely there can't be any penalties if completion doesn't go ahead just now.

bigmortgage

Thaipie said:

Having watched Boris tonight I think we are done for as far as moving on Thursday but I have to say I totally agree with his decision. We won't be the only ones in this position and surely there can't be any penalties if completion doesn't go ahead just now.

I doubt it. Jake's post seems to sum things up. Pulling out of the property purchase will likely result in you losing your deposit. If you aren't willing to move, then you're only other option would be to complete and move when you feel ready. Contracts don't generally have a force majeure clause, and in any case moving home is most certainly an exceptional circumstance.

Thrugelmir

TF03 said:

Tiglet2 said:

Probably best for everyone to stay put until this Covid-19 is no longer a threat.
Moving house is not essential.  In the scheme of things a delay of a few months is not a disaster.

It is essential, when you are so far down the line it can't be postponed without large financial loss or the risk of losing a roof over your head! 

We are due to exchange and complete on Thursday on our new purchase. Mortgage has already been drawn down by solicitor. We have just remortgaged our current place on BTL. Meaning that if it doesn't happen, we will be homeless as you can't live in your own BTL. 

With the focus on saving lives. A degree of common sense would say that no one is going to enforce such rules. Hopefully if people do finally take responsibilty for their own individual actions. The deadly killer can be severely curtailed quickly and many key workers won't be exposed unnecessarily. The less we do in our own lives the sooner some degree of normality will return.