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Original poster

House sale and purchse - when to hand over keys?

83 replies

TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:03

Probably a daft question!

I know I need to leave the house once funds have cleared from our buyers. Do I take the keys then, or do I wait for confirmation that my purchase has also gone through?

Ive been warned that some solicitors put the money on the market for 24 hours and delay the next step in the chain - please tell me this is nonsense!

I absoloutley do not want to find myself homeless for the night!

OP posts:
Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:35

Ah ok.

And the removals men will be ok for 2 hours sat outside the house while I go out for lunch? Or do I need to stay with them?

OP posts:
VanessaShanessaJenkins · 18/10/2018 22:35

You will need to check whether your removal company charge if they can't get straight in at the new property.

When we moved last year our buyers were at our house ready to move in, I phoned the estate agent and said shall I just give them the keys and they said no definitely not as the money hadn't gone through yet. They were very understanding but we had to leave them outside and take the keys to the agents. We (and the removal van) then drove 75 mins away to be told our new house keys couldn't be released yet either as the money hadn't gone through at that point. I asked the removal men to start unloading into the back garden and drive. They looked at me as if I was mad so I told them their company charges £50 per hour they can't gain access to unload and the man in charge replied 'only if we tell them we couldn't get access Wink'.

90 mins later it still hasn't gone through but I managed to talk the estate agent into giving me them anyway (it was the end of the chain).

overagain · 18/10/2018 22:37

Bluntness100 I was responding to the OP saying she'll go for lunch and will the removal men just wait.

If there's a delay between packing up place one and completing on place 2 you'd have to pay a waiting fee, but don't make them wait longer than necessary by popping for lunch etc.

Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:37

They charge by the hour, with a minimum of three hours. So arrive at 10am to spend 2 hours emptying house to be out by noon. If the next house doesnt have to complete til 2pm then thats 2 hours waiting. 2 hours to unload. So a six hour job.

OP posts:
Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:38

Or could we all complete at noon? Does it take hours for the funds to transfer?

OP posts:
VanessaShanessaJenkins · 18/10/2018 22:38

You don't (or at least we didn't) get to dictate times for key release. It happens around lunch time once the money makes it's way through the chain. The estate agents and solicitors will be in contact and call each other and than you when it's cleared.

Bluntness100 · 18/10/2018 22:38

Agreed you don't make them wait just for you to have lunch..

Op, size of your house is important, it takes a long time to load a van and secure everything,,,

Bluntness100 · 18/10/2018 22:39

Your solicitor will advise on completion time and should tie them together.

Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:40

Oh gosh no I wont be going to lunch unless there has to be a big gap between transactions for money transfers. The two estate agents are next door to one another so id like to drop keys into one and go collect from the other.

It was another poster saying there would be a gap and to go for lunch which made me think id be waiting hours.

OP posts:
Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:41

Blunt 2bed ground floor flat with one reception.

OP posts:
VanessaShanessaJenkins · 18/10/2018 22:41

How big is your house? You sure 2 hours is enough. We had a 3 bed semi and they arrived at 7.45am (75 min drive in between) and they left the new place about 6.30pm.

Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:42

Grin ive no idea how long itd take to load the van tbh

OP posts:
Pinkprincess1978 · 18/10/2018 22:43

This is so funny you post this today... and this is very outing for anyone who knows me.

My in laws moved today. They were selling and buying an empty house - new house happens to belong to someone we know and is empty so they have us the keys the other day so we could clean and in laws started moving some things in this week.

This morning I remembered I still had key for the old house. Texted MIL and she said it's fine. They are going back tomorrow. I asked why are they going back? Just to check they haven't left anything. I replied that they can't leave anything. Once sale is complete today they can't go back and anything left in the house is the new owners. She replied that they weren't handing the keys over until tomorrow! I asked her if her solicitor had told her that was ok as that isn't the norm. As usual she stopped replying then so I had my husband ring her to impress on her you can't keep the keys.

Anyway, I rang her after I finished work to let her know I was on my way to help them unpack. It was a little after 4 and she tells us they were meant to hand keys over at 4 'but well we can't get them over right now so it will have to wait!'

So I got there and got the keys off them - they hadn't got them ready so I had to help get them off they key rings etc. I take them to the estate agents and as I'm driving away I realise they didn't give me the fob to get in the garage!

It usually all works fine. Longer chains are harder - we have only moved once as a seller/buyer and we bought a new build so it was fine. I never want to move again 😂

Bluntness100 · 18/10/2018 22:44

Do you have white goods? Like fridge, cooker, that kind of thing? Wardrobes, sofas, beds?. Normally it would take at least a morning. Usually longer. It depends on how ready you are to go.

Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:45

Under counter fridge, freezer, washing machine. We will dismantle master bed and wardrobe. Toddler bed. Single kids wardrobe. One sofa. One armchair. One tv. A small 4 seat dining table. A billy bookcase. Some smaller ikea Kallax stuff. And a ton of boxes.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 18/10/2018 22:48

Are you paying them by the hour? Are they professional removers?

They should look at rhe property, say how long it will take, arrange a time they need to be there, in line with when you need to be out.

You need to have them gone about half an hour before you leave, so you can give it a clean round and make sure everything is in order.

Iscreamforbenandjerrys · 18/10/2018 22:48

You can't time it. No one claims for costs if completion happens on the right day and yes sometimes CHAPS transfers take hours. What is technically legally correct does not happen in practice. Shesh, some people do talk crap on here. I've dealt with over ten completions this month already. Don't go for a three course silver service lunch, grab a coffee and a sandwich in a cafe and wait for the phone call. Removal companies can jump up and down as much as they like. The decent companies know the score. It takes as long as it takes. The length of the chain is the best indicator of the time.

Bluntness100 · 18/10/2018 22:53

What is technically legally correct does not happen in practice. Shesh, some people do talk crap on here

I think if you took a breath, and stopped being obnoxious, and actually read the thread, you'd realise the op was told that the removal costs may be less than the solicitor fees but yes legally she can claim.

And why does she have to grab a coffee and wait for a call, the agents are next door to each other, one solicitor buying and selling, if the timings are the same, she can ideally drop one set off and pick the others up at the same time. No one told her to go for a silver service lunch, someone suggested if she had a gap she could go get some.

There is always one isn't there.

Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:56

Yes professional removals. We havent booked a time slot yet just a date. I will ask them to estimate how long and good call on them clearing out 30 mins before us. The new property is a 5 min walk away Grin so they will end up sitting in the van for a while regardless.

OP posts:
Iscreamforbenandjerrys · 18/10/2018 22:56

If you are a first time buyer 'legal completion' can take place at 10am. If you are 5th up the chain you can wait until 3pm. CHAPS transfers are different to the ones you use to send money to your kids or whatever. With such large amounts of money being transferred extra bank checks happen behind the scenes. Make sure your solicitor orders your mortgage monies for the day before. Apart from that patience is a virtue. Don't stress. Don't keep chasing your solicitor. They will know what they are doing. If you must chase ask to speak to the secretary and be nice. It's rarely the actual solicitor dealing with it anyway as it's a well worn process.

Original poster
TulipsInBloom1 · 18/10/2018 22:59

Oh gosh I dont think we would make it out of the house by 10am!

OP posts:
Iscreamforbenandjerrys · 18/10/2018 23:02

@Bluntness100

With all due respect you are talking crap. In 20 years I have never had anyone claim expenses for completion after contract time. You would have to sue them, it wouldn't be cost effective. No solicitor would ever recommend it. Whilst legally possible it doesn't happen in real life, it just doesn't. What you are telling her will just wind her up and make the day more stressful than it needs to be.

anniehm · 18/10/2018 23:02

You either pack up and hand keys to estate agent (especially if you are moving a distance or you hand to the buyer then drive to your new house where the owner hands over keys (ideal if close by) or combination of the two

anniehm · 18/10/2018 23:06

The money follows through, usually the first in the chain completes about 11am, noon at the latest, as soon as money is received, its passed onto next in the chain so about 12.15/30, then so on - we were first in chain last time and completed at 12.30, there was 3 in the chain.

Iscreamforbenandjerrys · 18/10/2018 23:06

You don't actually have to be out. The buyers wait. Doing it to a strict timetable would mean no one ever moved. Chains couldn't exist. The process is different to what is actually written down. It sounds mad but it works. Just aim to be out by noon. I ring the estate agents and often say they can release the keys when they receive them. Sometimes you have to suck up the extra removal costs. It's the only way the process can practically work.

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