What time do you need to be out by?

Rachelredwood16

Hello,

We're due to exchange next Friday and complete on 7th December (hopefully). What time do you typically have to be packed up and out of the house by? Is it 10am? Lunchtime? Just trying to gauge so I can inform the troops  

Thanks
Rachel

[Deleted User]

Speak to the agents and agree a mutually convenient time with both parties.
In the past i've had various times of day !

housebuyer143

Could be any time depending on the chain. Where are you in the chain? 

We were chain free and got the call at 9am to give over keys. The other place also chain free took until 4pm as the money took wierdly long to arrive at the other side. 

Flugelhorn

It is all very variable  - I have been in cases where  I have had a call at say 1200 but the people leaving simply are not packed up yet and there isn't much you can do to hurry them up to get out - even the EA might say "they haven't brought the keys round yet" - tend to have to take each situation as it comes, they may not be experienced in moving so not prepped before, booked a raher slow team etc and are probably getting really stressed. 

Rachelredwood16

Thank you, that helps set the scene that it really depends on the day / chain and there is no expectation of a set time.

We're 2nd in the chain of 3 so smack bang in the middle. 

housebuyer143

Rachelredwood16 said:

Thank you, that helps set the scene that it really depends on the day / chain and there is no expectation of a set time.

We're 2nd in the chain of 3 so smack bang in the middle. 

All being well I would expect it before midday 👍 hopefully not at 9am though 🤣 
If you are not out don't worry, just go as fast as you can. The buyer isn't likely to have a van outside if they have no chain so could wait I imagine if you need more time.

UnderOffer

The contracts that I’ve signed always stated a time, typically 1pm. I think they quote the “Standards condition of sale, 5th edition” or something similar. So check your contract, I’m sure it should say. 

propertyrental

Nothing to do with the agent, it's a legal matter.

The contract you signed will specify a time for Completion, usually 12.00 or 1.00 PM.

In practice, 'Completion' will not happen till the vendor's solicitor confirms the money is received from the buyer. This could be 10.00 AM, or in a long chain or busy solicitors (avoid Fridays!) could be as late as 5.00 PM (yes, buyer sits in the removals lorry outside).

Agent's only role is if the vendor has agreed for the agent to hand over the keys. Then the agent waits for the solictor to say "Yup,money arrived, Completion. Release keys.").

But in practice seller should be packed and ready by 10.00 onwards

pinkteapot

On paper, around 12pm or 1pm as above. 

In reality, legal completion is often earlier, e.g. 10am, but people are still moving stuff out at that point. Try to be nice to your buyer and clear out by lunchtime. We had one move where our seller didn't finish moving their stuff out until 5pm. Luckily we weren't moving in the same day - if we'd been sat outside waiting with our removal truck I'd have been fuming! 

pinkteapot

propertyrental said:

But in practice seller should be packed and ready by 10.00 onwards

10am is pushing it if you're moving out of a family sized home. We always use professional removers and they pack and part-load the day before, but even then it takes them most of the morning to finish loading. If you don't have your removers pack then expect it to take the whole morning to load the truck.

In my experience (many, many moves), most people are ready to leave about midday/lunchtime.

Slinky

Depends whether your vendors are attempting to do it themselves with a hired van on completion day, which will be a nightmare if they've got to do several journeys.

I've watched the move from hell at a house opposite where we used to live. The first vanload was ready to go, they obviously got the call to let them into their new home and off they went not too far away. Then they were back to load up a second lot, by this time their purchasers who legally own the house are there outside with their professional removers. The DIY people needed several trips, held up their purchasers who ended up having stuff unloaded into the garage just so it could come off their van, the removers ended up helping the vendors load stuff up into the hire van just to get it all shifted. It took hours longer than it should have done.