Removal booking if unsure of exchange/completion dates

[goandshowdaddy]

Hi,

Just wondered how it works if you need to book a removal firm but aren't sure when you're actually going to exchange/complete? We're aiming for a completion date some time next week but haven't exchanged yet so don't want to confirm a removal booking yet as then may get charged if the date changes. But if we leave it too long to book it seems our removal firm may not have any availability.

What do people do in this situation, which I guess must be pretty common? Ideally I'd prefer to have at least a couple of weeks between exchange and completion but it doesn't look like that's going to happen in our case.

I think you can pencil in a provisional date, and they let you know when you need to confirm by.

We didn't get it either, so we waited until the date was confirmed, by which time all the local companies were booked by everyone else in our chain...

They're used to it. Just give them an idea of the date to start with.

Oh dear. So what did you do???

We had pencilled a provisional date (for this week) but when I phoned them last week to update (that it wasn't looking likely) they said they needed around 5-10 working days notice but were willing to move the provisional dates to next week. So we've done that but still don't think I'll be able to give them much notice and concerned that we'll be charged if the move doesn't happen next week.

Apparently they charge up to 30% if you postpone or cancel within 5-10 working days of the booked date and up to 100% if you postpone or cancel within 48 hours!

We ended up booking a removal company about 50 miles away!

Turns out the costs were no different to the costs of a local move.

We moved across the country 3 years ago. We are moving to the other side of our small town at some point in the very near future. The costs for the two jobs seems to be the same. It seems I could have a two day move including packing done by a company 200 miles away for the same price as just removals done by a similar company based less than 3 miles from our door. How does that work? We are still hoping for moving before Christmas, but no idea when. Had a couple of quotes, but haven't made a booking yet. Now I wonder if I need too, just in case. It makes sense I suppose.

We moved the middle August which we were told is a busy month for house moving. Fridays go quickly as it is a popular day.
I had a couple of dates pencilled in knowing that if I didn't give 48 hrs notice I would be charged a percentage.
We exchanged contracts on a Friday and then our vendors solicitors held things up and it was touch and go if we would be completing/moving the following week. If I lost the delivery slot the removal firm were booked up until middle of Sept. I rang our solicitor and stressed we had to move that week.
It was a horrible few days waiting for the other solicitors. I found out late afternoon on a Wednesday that we could move on the Friday.
Luckily our delivery slot was still available - I got on quite well with the lady at the removal firm which helped.

I'm finding the removal bit very stressful - more so than the actual nightmare of a chain we've had! I hate the not knowing when it's all going to happen and when to book. There are 6 of us in the chain and I wish I could get everyone in a room and just agree it now so we all know where we stand!

Do you have phone numbers for your vendors/buyers?

It transpired that everyone in our chain was working towards a provisional date, but our solicitor hadn't shared it as he was the cautious type!

Ours offered cancellation insurance for about £100 ... would that work?

(Bishops, BTW, have used them for two moves).