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Does moving house class as necessary travel?

6 replies

chocolatebuttontheif · 17/12/2010 19:47

We're buying a new house and should complete on Monday. The weather won't be an issue for us as the new house is only a mile away, but the people who currently own it are moving over 100 miles away!

Given that most of the UK is under weather warnings for heavy snow and icy roads, and a lot of places are urging motorists not to travel unnecessarily do you think they will still go on Monday or try to postpone the completion date?

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MegBusset · 17/12/2010 20:53

We completed on Dec 3rd (ie bang in the middle of the last load of snow!) and our solicitors said that technically if everyone didn't complete on the agreed date then they would be in breach of contract. However they did state that in the real world it can be agreed between all parties to delay moving in exceptional circumstances such as snow.

Fingers crossed it'll be OK for you, luckily our move was fine as the motorways were clear (in fact was a very quick journey as the roads were empty!). Whereabouts in the country are you?

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chocolatebuttontheif · 17/12/2010 21:01

We're in Southwold (Suffolk coast). They're moving to Grimsby.

I'm only worried because obviously it's so close to Christmas and our solicitors normally take holidays over Christmas until the new year!

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WomanwiththeYellowHat · 17/12/2010 21:09

We completed on 30th November and were told the same thing about the breach thing. IN the event, we all managed to move, but we had to abandon our car and walk throughh the roads with a 3 and 1 year old and our removal van was delayed by a day so we had no furniture (absolutely nothing - we were only moving 20- mins down the road so I felt a bit crazy packing overnight bags but was so grateful I did).

Our chain was very short, not sure how it works otherwise, but our solicitors were clear that completion would happen regardless. There was some thing about the interest on people's mortgages being the liability of whoever causes the breach (can't really remember as was so horrified by the whole thing I have blanked most of it out) so worth checking with your solictors?

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MegBusset · 17/12/2010 21:12

Yes there are huge financial penalties for causing a breach of contract (your solicitor should have gone through these when you exchanged contracts).

I think the worst of the snow is supposed to be in the west so hopefully you'll be OK. We're in Norfolk and had a couple of inches but nothing impassable.

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chocolatebuttontheif · 17/12/2010 21:19

Thankfully we won't be the ones causing breach of contract, hopefully it won't come to that though.

FWIW the woman is a deputy head teacher starting a new job in the new term so I don't really think them waiting until after the new year is much of an option.

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chocolatebuttontheif · 20/12/2010 12:47

If anyone wanted to know they are putting their furniture in storage a few miles away, so I guess they've decided not to travel today. They won't be out until 4pm but at least it will go through today.

Thankfully we were planning to do some DIY and decorating before we move in anyway rather than moving in today.