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Original poster

Lockdown and moving house - is it actually possible?

321 replies

LeaveTheBottle · 23/03/2020 14:16

Hi,

Quick bit of background - we are in a medium chain. All surveys and valuations done. Mortgages in, searches and enquires mostly done so waiting for the final loose ends to be tied up and then should have agreed exchange and completion dates in the next couple of weeks I would think.

Apparently everyone in the chain is keen to get things moving full steam ahead (as it stands) and nobody has yet expressed cold feet, but I am still very anxious.

If we do go into lockdown before we have a completion date set up, can we actually physically move? I hear in some countries who are in lockdown, moving house is permitted, with the necessary precautions I assume. I can't imagine removals companies being open for business though, but then maybe there is a way this could be done if we all kept our distance??... Confused Can't see how we could do it without them.

Is there anyone in the know about this? I can't stand to think we'll be stuck here indefinitely. It's taken us a couple of years to get to this point and it's been hell. It really has been a nightmare.

TIA

OP posts:
Elcampello7 · 28/03/2020 09:07

Bezzi ...fingers crossed but I'm sure you are ok let us know

RingaRosie · 28/03/2020 09:16

We’re moving next weekend. We only have one guy helping, with his van, so just him & DH. I can’t do any lifting, as I’m pregnant (would be throwing furniture around otherwise!). And I can’t ask Dad to help, which I normally would.

Much stricter lock-down here now, so we’ll just have to do our best...
Also had loads of things for the charity shop, which we’ll now have to bring with us, for a later date.

Bezzi · 28/03/2020 10:02

@RingaRosie same here. We cleared the garage and have loads of stuff for the tip and same with the charity shop and neither are open.

We've hired a storage unit to put all of that stuff in who knows how long we'll be paying for that for!!

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Property
Conrad79 · 28/03/2020 12:33

bezzi are you driving to your self storage unit with stuff?

I assumed we weren’t allowed but I would be much more happier if we were allowed. Nobody is there and it’s very very close to our house Blush DH would go alone.

Any clarification would be fabulous! I doubt we’ll be able to move if restrictions got tighter. The Daily Fail are saying it will happen soon though

Bezzi · 28/03/2020 12:45

@Conrad79 yes we are. Moving house was listed as a reason to leave the house the other day so we figure this is part of moving house. DH goes alone and doesn't come into contact with anyone while he's there so we figured it was ok.

Conrad79 · 28/03/2020 12:47

Amazing! Thanks. I’ll talk to DH and see if he’s up for it. You are right of course!

I’m an over thinker / worrier Blush

stressandmorestress · 30/03/2020 19:51

Has anyone else had there house purchase put on hold? My solicitor told me they would all be postponed but my sellers solicitor were willing to go ahead still and from what I've read here a lot of people have still been able to go ahead so I'm just left hanging not known how long it will be on hold for and fear the sellers will lose patience. I'm massively worrying about this falling to shit. We haven't nothing left to do apart from exchange and complete on same day, we have signed all paperwork. Lockdown in PIL's is driving my crackers and I deeply fear we will have to go back to renting for a while if this falls through when we have saved hard to get to this point 😭 Anyone else?

Hollywal · 30/03/2020 20:25

@stressandmorestress we are also only needing to exchange and complete. From what I understand from the guidelines, only people who have exchanged contracts and agreed on a completion date are allowed to move - and that’s only really if it can’t be negotiated. Also there’s something about only moving if the house you’re moving to is vacant/empty.
If you haven’t exchanged yet then refer them to the government guidelines at the moment. The sellers who we are buying from are happy to pause - as they’re moving to a different town so it would be hard for them to move at the mo too. I should mention that in our case there’s no chain either side. Maybe your seller is in a chain and they have pressure to move?
It’s so frustrating isn’t it Sad

stressandmorestress · 30/03/2020 21:19

@Hollywal sorry to hear your also in this situation! It's all the unknown that's so stressful. We had verbally agreed last Friday to exchange and complete but my solicitors said it had to be paused for at least 3 weeks until lock down was reviewed, we aren't in a chain either we are first time buyers and sellers moving in with relatives they are fine to wait a few weeks although we're really keen to complete ASAP as were we but I think if it's paused for months I fear they will end up pulling out or out mortgage offer expiring and we will struggle to get another. I wish I could just sleep until this is over!

Hollywal · 30/03/2020 21:33

@stressandmorestress aw it sounds like you’re in a reeeeally similar situation! We are first time buyers and it was all so exciting until this all happened! We also nearly managed to complete within 4 weeks as the sellers wanted a quick move - we even had to pay an extra solicitor fee so they did all the legal work quicker and we could have saved that fee now Grin oh well. I think most mortgage offers are valid for 6 months - and from what I’ve read banks are also looking at extending them especially for anyone who’s is due to expire soon. Our solicits have just said they will constantly keep reviewing the situation and it all depends on lock down, just keep checking the government guild lines too as they may change again once lockdown is reviewed too! Hopefully just moves will be one of the first things they allow to go back to normal first, as it’s effecting a lot of people and to be fair when buying a house you don’t have contact with that many people! We have signed and sent the contracts to the solicitors undated - so when exchange is ready to take place they will date the contracts and do it, so we don’t have to physically see a solicitor to do it now. Only thing we would need contact with other people for is to get the keys!

0htooooodles · 30/03/2020 21:57

@stressandmorestress ours is also on hold, but we have a few more in our chain. Everyone else apart from the people at the end are desperate to move. The couple at the end are delaying due to their age and the virus and have stated they won't do anything until it's over(!!). We're desperately trying to come up with a solution that will make everyone in the chain happy (as our buyer is threatening to pull out!) as we have no idea if this will be 3 months or a year! I just feel so stressed about it, and would be absolutely gutted if it fell through Sad

stressandmorestress · 30/03/2020 23:11

@Hollywal yeah sounds pretty much exactly the same as us! We rushed around the weekend before making sure everything was signed and and handed back into solicitor before they closed for the weekend. I hope everything goes smoothly for you aswell! We were so excited too i've bought so much stuff already and couldn't wait to get it all how I wanted it.

@0htooooodles really sorry your also in this situation, it all just makes what's already a stressful situation 100 times worse doesn't it. Fingers crossed for us all that everything works out well and nobody ends up pulling out 🤞 I know it's difficult to be positive right now and I've had many sleepless nights and tears but hopefully things will all work themselves out and in a few months we will all be in settled in our new homes!

Hollywal · 30/03/2020 23:45

Aw I really hope it all works out for you both too! Keep us updated and I’ll do the same. It’s good to have others who are also in the same boat to get advice from - even though the situation is really rubbish! Try not worry too much though - as the guidelines are pretty clear so anyone to actually pull out of transactions because of things being on pause would be silly - as soon as things go back to normal things should just pick up where the left off and be done with quicker. Anyone who pulls out will be creating a rod for their own back as they’d have to start the whole process soft buying/selling again!

Hollywal · 30/03/2020 23:47

Wow excuse the few typos in there - it’s past my bedtime and I can’t keep my eyes open haha and autocorrect is doing it’s own thing! 😂

maxiflump1 · 31/03/2020 07:44

Us too!! We are nearly in a position to exchange. We are moving to an empty property but we have first time buyers buying ours and he is self employed. At the moment they are still onboard but who knows how long for. Hopefully everyone will be happy to hold on for a few more weeks and then exchange with a delayed completion.

Our removal company have closed shop at the moment. Both DH and I have bad backs and there is no way we could load a van ourselves especially with two under 5's and a neurotic dog in the mix! In normal circumstances we would asks friends to help but obviously we can't even do that at the moment! They say moving house is the most stressful things you will ever do. I think trying to move house during a global pandemic trumps that!

Bezzi · 31/03/2020 07:59

Yeah I'm never moving house during a global pandemic again!

maxiflump1 · 01/04/2020 12:10

So we've had a call from solicitors to say we are now ready to exchange. Both our buyers and they sellers we are buying from our keen to exchange ASAP which leave us in a precarious position. Our buyers are FTB living with their parents so having nothing to lose. The house we are buying is empty and owners live abroad. We are the ones stuck in the middle with having to potentially move ourselves in one day ,with no removal company, both with bad backs and with two young children with obviously no one able to look after them.

Solicitors suggested maybe we exchange and pick a date in the future eg late may to complete in the hope we are out of lockdown and we can find some removal men. This seems risky though!! Another option is to delay exchange until we are out of lockdown but more time for our buyers to pull out.

Arghh!!! Help! What would you do????

0htooooodles · 01/04/2020 12:18

@maxiflump1 I would jump at the chance to move if it was me. We have an 8 and 2 year old and two cats, and will most likely have to do it all ourselves. Stick the kids in front of iPads, keep them in one room and tackle things as much as you can.

Original poster
LeaveTheBottle · 01/04/2020 12:34

Hi,

A question for solicitors please...

Is there any way you can get forms witnessed if your isolating for the duration? We've just been told that our buyers at the bottom of the chain have two high risk people in the house (one pregnant, so not really sure that's considered high risk - seems a grey area) and so are staying in basically until this is over, but that could be months!

The whole chain has come to a halt until they can get these forms witnessed.

Can't it be done online by video? Or even through a window?.. Confused My EA didn't seem to think so, but surely this is new territory so can't there be new measures put in?

OP posts:
Original poster
LeaveTheBottle · 01/04/2020 12:35

*you're

OP posts:
zelbazinnamon · 01/04/2020 12:38

My parents just got documents witnessed over the garden fence.

Original poster
LeaveTheBottle · 01/04/2020 12:54

@zeldazinnamon, can I ask by who? It needs to be a certain professional doesn't it? We got our bank to do it the day before lockdown, but I doubt they'd come out to do it Confused

OP posts:
zelbazinnamon · 01/04/2020 12:59

Oh, well I guess it depends on who you need it witnessed by. My parents documents (and all the ones in our recent house purchase too) just needed to be witnessed, not by a certain profession.

Bezzi · 01/04/2020 13:23

Yeah ours was just witnessed by anyone who knows you so could be a neighbour or anyone. Hope you can get it sorted.

Hollywal · 01/04/2020 13:24

@LeaveTheBottle we could get anyone to witness ours, just couldn’t be a member of our family. Can be a neighbour, work colleague etc etc