Completing just before Christmas

paulj2021

I’m in the late stages of a sale/purchase, unfortunately due to work I only have a limited number of days when I’m free to move, either next week (unlikely) or the week immediately before Christmas. Can anyone suggest any negatives to completing and moving immediately before Christmas/new year? I’m imagining it will be difficult to get things such as broadband connected in the new place before the holiday for example? 

p00hsticks

Will you be exchanging and completing on the same day ?

And when you say 'the week immediately before Christmas' are you thinking Monday 20th (perhaps) or Friday 24th (no way!).

With effectively two 'extra' bank holidays this year due to Christmas Day and Boxing Day being on a Saturday and Sunday, as you suggest, I suspect it's going to be even more of a nightmare trying to get anything sorted over the period if anything goes wrong or is not to plan than it would normally at the time of year.  

london21

During the holidays things might move a little slower, you have gone past that stage but a lot of solicitor firms are closed for Christmas/new year and usually return beginning of the new year.
Hopefully would have settled in by Christmas.
Should be alright, moving can generally be stressful times any time of the year. 

esubbs

We're aiming to move on 21st as long as exchange happens within the next two weeks. To be honest I'd prefer to exchange before Christmas and complete in Jan but our buyers are getting married in Jan so we're trying to accommodate them if we can. We're moving in with parents so no issue with getting services connected or anything though. 

canaldumidi

Check with your solicitors that they will be working! 21st should be though.

If you are not planning to move straight in then I don't see a problem. Obv check removals companies are working/available, and obv go in on Completion day to check things, read meters, change locks, but beyond that sort things out gradually thereafetr.

eddddy

Are you in a chain?

Obviously, if you are in a chain, everyone in the chain will need to agree to the completion date. (Some people might not want their Christmas plans disrupted.)

And everyone's solicitor will need to agree as well.

TBH, most solicitors firms I've used close for 2 weeks over Christmas.

esubbs

Should have said, my solicitor is working until 23rd and has given a last completions date of 21st. The other solicitors in the chain are only closing on the bank Holidays and the last completions are 22nd for them. But I'm not sure if this is unusual. 

MaiTai

We will be closing from 22nd December until 3rd January however the final date we have imposed for year end completions is Friday 17th December.Most of the local solicitors we deal with seem to be following a similar pattern.

Tiglet2

My firm are doing the same dates as MaiTai, though they may agree a couple of completions on 20th and 21st December.

Skiddaw1

We completed on our previous house just before Christmas (22nd December if I recall correctly) and it was no bother at all. We even had time to put up a Christmas tree before the big day! Good luck...

BrainDrained

I'd be very,  very cautious. You haven't much leeway if something goes wrong, especially if you're in a chain. 

Having said that,  we did exchange and complete on Dec 21, which was a Monday,  but that was many years ago and our second house so we were very naive about the whole business.  Fortunately things went well (apart from being late to get the keys)  but I certainly wouldn't do it again.