To expect house sale and purchase to complete before Chirstmas?

[AliceRR]

We accepted an offer on our house and had an offer accepted on the house we want to buy in the last week or so.

I delayed slightly as I haven’t changed my passport or driving licence since getting married 2.5 years ago!

I have submitted ID with correct address now and have just sent off driving licence to get it updated to correct name so hopefully that’s not an issue.

We got memorandum of sale today and understand Property came off of market today

I am 27 weeks pregnant, due in Feb and would like to move by Christmas. Sellers said they would accommodate this as they have somewhere to move to.

Our solicitor suggested that might be a bit optimistic and it might be but how unrealistic is it? What is your experience?

We know the solicitor who is doing our conveyancing, he’s a friend of DH, so this might help but obviously we cannot account for delays at the other end or with surveys etc.

Realistically I could go on mat leave early Jan. I have 20 days hol and if I use those immediately before my due date my last day at work would be 11 Jan.

Plus I won’t be able to do much physically (lifting and painting etc) whether it’s December or January I suppose.

But it will be more difficult and stressful the closer I get to my due date...

Hmmm... I think it could be optimistic but I do feel your pain. We accepted an offer on our house about 2 months ago and we are now (fingers tightly crossed) about to exchange on Monday. I too am 28 weeks pregnant and due beginning of February so I can imagine how much you'd love to be in your new place before Christmas and not thinking about moving when the baby could come any time from January. We are moving into rented while our new build gets built (not ready until May/June next year) and we have only just found somewhere... it has been TENSE. I think the best you can do is get everything in order as best you can before Christmas and be ready to move ASAP. Good luck! x

Not impossible, but depends on how busy the mortgage lender and solicitors are, how quickly you can get requested documents and info to people, and how long people are taking off over Christmas etc.

End of January is more realistic. Get as much done now so you are prepared to move at short notice if need be. Good luck 💐

Andromeida, you mean in England that’s the average time. The UK doesn’t all have the same legal system.

First time buyers usually don't have their arse in gear and can be reluctant o press for things if their solicitor says no.

The sellers to you will be saying anything at this stage to keep you as a buyer. Yiu can bet your life when it comes to agreeing a completion date if you can actually get to that stage they will suddenly not want to leave before Christmas.

When you do get a date book the packing service with the removal company. It doesn't add much to the bill but is so worth it!!!

The issue is that there are factors yiuvcant control. The efficiency of all 3 solicitors is out of your control and the biggest influencing factor.

When we were FTBs, we had a large deposit, agreed mortgage and and excellent solicitor. It took three months because the vendor and his solicitor were twats.

Likewise, our recent move took 3 months because our vendor lied and said they were chain-free, and our buyer suddenly decided he needed 2 months between exchange and completion. He told us that a few days before exchange. Plus his solicitors were utterly useless. It was hideously stressful.

I think 6 weeks is unlikely. 8 is the minimum I generally hear from estate agents and solicitors.

Thanks ladies

I have already got out of the mindset of expecting to move by Christmas as I realise it is soon. If it happens it will be a bonus! We will work it out and I will definitely seek help with packing and cleaning.

But I am hoping for mid Jan now which still might be early! I plan to go on mat leave around then so will probably plan leave around that to some degree.

At this stage it just seems a bit up in the air

DH told me today that our purchaser is insisting on being moved in to our house by 1 Jan - well I’d love it all to be sorted but clearly it is not that easy!

Fastest one I have bought was 14 days but that was at auction and fall of hammer means your starting point is at exchange with an agreed completion date , with all paperwork already in hand .

I bought my current property last summer , no chain , cash sale I was a very straight forwards sale with no complicated paperwork or difficult questions and it took from viewing and agreeing to purchase on the 4 March to completion on the 30 June , no idea why it took so long , my solicitor is fast and pushes things along as well - I always return any emails immediately and any paperwork requiring signatures I deliver to reception by hand straight away cutting out postal time.

So in theory you should be able to get in before Christmas but very unlikely as people just drag stuff out along the way , even when you chase constantly .

@Ovo, I did indeed mean England.

It's all very well sellers/buyers or both insisting on a quick completion but unless the solicitors involved are willing to do this, it's generally not going to happen.

Best of luck though, OP.

Thank you 😊