Moving before Christmas...is this possible?

Wizwoo

Hello,

We've been in a position to move for the past month. It's just us and our buyer (no chain above us or below her), and she's desperate to move. There have been a variety of things that have slowed things down on our buyer's side each one only becoming apparent one by one (really frustrating). All mainly beyond her control.

The final thing to come through is her mortgage offer. It's been approved and now just needs issuing to her solicitor.

Solicitors both close for Xmas on the 21st and our lender needs 5 working days notice to release the funds...which means that we have today / tomorrow or we wait until after Christmas.

What are the implications of exchanging and completing on the same day? Are there advantages / disadvantages? Are there implications in terms of time (on the day)? We are actually relocating and would love to be in for Christmas?

Is there anything else that could delay things that we don't know about yet? Having never sold a property we really feel like we're feeling around in the dark. Are there any good web sites that show the process as a critical path?

Many thanks,

Ww :sad:

Nicki

I wouldn't try to be honest.

Our experience of exchanging and completing on the same day went horribly wrong as our buyer's money got delayed in transit, and we were left with all our belongings on a removal van over a bank holiday weekend with no home to move into. It took another couple of days after the Bank Holiday before we were able to move in. Just think how awful this would be over Christmas, with hotels and restaurants booked up, and the Estate Agents and Solicitors probably closed for several days not just the bank holidays.

If you can, I would exchange before Christmas and move as quickly as you can afterwards. You really don't need added stress at this time of year!

Wizwoo

Thanks for that Nicki. I think that's what we'll do unless we can exchange on the Thursday (only possible if it's put through today) and complete on the Friday.

cattie

Check with both solicitor's that they would be willing to complete on Friday 21st. Only this was something that arose with my own now aborted house sale & a buyer wanting to be in before Christmas.

My solicitor said that as the Friday was their last day of work & they would be knocking off early, he felt that if completion wasn't achieved on Thursday 20th, then it should be deferred until after the Christmas & New year break.