When do people usually agree a moving date?

boots_babe

Hi,

I'm just wondering at what stage in the moving process you would normally agree a moving date? We were first time buyers last time so no chain involved and dead straightforward. This time we have a buyer who is chain free, and we are buying a house from someone who is going into rented.

So still relatively simple....I am just wondering at what stage you would usually discuss potential move dates as I haven't a clue? Thanks.

wendyjj

When both surveys are back and positive, then think about a date that you'd like to move by (you could also ask your buyers). Contact either your vendor or thier EA and suggest your date and ask them for an approx. date they'd like to move by and then instruct your solicitor of the dates you'd like to 1. exchange contracts and 2. Complete sale and move in.

boots_babe

Thanks wendyjj. Obviously want to ensure we can agree a date everyone is happy with, but didn't want to go bringing up the subject far too early.

Thanks for the advice.

Richard_Webster

Everyone also has to have formal mortgage offer and all the solcitors' questions need to have been answered. You are really best to wait until all the solcitors are ready to go ahead.

It is very dangerous to phone the other people in the chain and try to agree a date without you and them checking with the solicitors that the date is feasible. The number of times I've been told by my clients that "We've all agreed [such and such a date]...". I ring the other solcitors and they say a) their clients hadn't mentioned the date and b) they are still waiting for something so it is unlikely to happen.

At too early a stage a date may look possible in the ordinary course of events and somewhere a random delay comes in and knocks things off course. What was a feasible date 3 weeks ago might not be so realistic now - so keep checking and don't start making definite commitments until contracts have actually been exchanged.

If your FTB is in rented he may do something silly like giving notice on his rented on the assumption that the date would be met and then the others in the chain feel pressed to meet his agenda when it is no longer quite so easy so you need to be careful you don't encourage him or anyone else that a particualr date is "the date". In cases where what to you is simply a proposed or target date, it is possible for the Chinese whispers effect to result in someone else thinking it is somehow set in stone and they go off and give notice on rented, arrange their holidays, etc, etc and you then get lumbered with a date that later proves not to be so easy to meet.

pamaris

I'd like to know the answer to this question too. I am in an identical position to the OP except that I am the FTB (chain of 3 FTB>our vendors> buying from someone moving into rented). Our status is that we are 2 months from 'offer accepted', we have our mortgage offer, the solicitor has everything he needs to exchange, and all the enquiries have been answered... Solicitor said to get our deposit to him so we'll be ready to exchange, & he'll try and get everyone to agree on some dates.

Unfortunately our funds are stuck in cyberspace for 7 days (it's supposed to be an easy access account!)... so it will definitely have to wait till next week. Apart from that we are ready, so I'd like to at least get some dates nailed down.

I want to exchange now, because it chaps my butt (Texan colloquialism, you get the drift) that we're 2 months into it & £700 down & it's still not legally binding.

edited to add: I can't really complain though, we've had a very smooth time of it & no unexpected surprises at all.

boots_babe

Thanks Richard for the advice, that's very helpful. Only just seen your reply as for some reason MSE didn't email me to say there had been a new post.

Our buyer is not an FTB, they have sold theirs and are in rented. We have now found that they are however planning to stay in rented after purchasing our property, so that they can stay there whilst they do some work on our property.

We are willing to fit in with whatever. So that just leaves our vendor - who will be moving into rented themselves, so need to ensure it is suitable for them.

Yes fully agree - the whole reason for posting here was that I didn't want to start asking about dates before I should do. When we do, will definitely go via solicitor though - as you say, no point in us agreeing amongst ourselves when it depends greatly on our solicitor.

Sounds like I should wait until survey/searches completed and satisfied, then start to think about what date to move.

Many thanks again.

pamaris

Here is something I just discovered- everyone was 'ready' a week ago- but they won't nail down the exchange date until the deposit is in the solicitor's account. So, if it will take a few days to get your money out of banking la la land, plan ahead.