Anyone else moving in 3/4 weeks?

[starfish4]

If anyone else is moving in 3/4 weeks, just wondering what stage you're at with the legal paperwork and what you've done re: packing.

As of today our solicitor has signed contracts and transfers for our sale and purchase, together with 10% cleared deposit, so we are ready to go. Apparently those above are ready. There was a delay at the bottom of the chain about 10 days ago, so will check with agent how this is progressing towards the end of the week. All parties are working towards completion on 28 May.

Over the last few weeks have had a good clear out of all cupboards, so what's in the house is what's going. Husband emptied the loft out for me to sort this week. We did car boot sale some of the things in the loft last year, but there's far more than I realized and it's everywhere. Have started writing letters on the computer to advise companies we will be moving, so they are ready to print as and when - done about 50% of them. Outside - had a really good tidy up in the garden last week. I plan to cut hedge between us and neighbour, cut the grass and pull the odd stray weed but that's it.

We are moving on 23 May. We exchanged last week and have just started to do some packing. We are in a fortunate position of not being in a chain. We are first time buyers and currently renting. Our landlord is moving into out house and we are buying the house they currently live in, so effectively it is a house swap. We haven't used estate agents so have been spared that nightmare. We have paid 10% deposit on the house and sorted out buildings insurance, which enabled us to exchange. We still have to pay stamp duty and solicitors fees, which I think we pay just before completion.

Packing is hard work. We have 3 dc and lots of crap to sort through. I had hoped we would ditch a fair amount, but no one seems to want to part with anything and they seem to be very vigilant in terms of monitoring everything I'm doing, so I don't have much scope to ditch stuff either! I think I will have to do more when we get to the other end! As we are swapping houses, we are doing some moving of boxes now and storing in each others houses to save time on completion day. I'm hoping it will make life easier for us as we are moving ourselves and not using removals people. We are only moving round the corner, so should be straight forward!

Haven't really contacted many people yet, just council tax and water. We were hoping to keep our telephone numbers, but apparently we can't do that with our existing phone provider, which is a pain as it would have been much easier. Just writing this has made me realise I still have loads to do. Good luck with your move. Hope it goes well

Our chain are hoping to complete on 28 May. There is a delay somewhere in the chain, not sure what it is though, so a little nervous about this.

Have remover provisionally booked. Don't want to commit to getting boxes at the moment. Having a good clear out this week, and bagging some items up so they are covered. Also, am going to start putting stuff under the stairs we might needed on the day.

Have made a list of people we need to notify.

Starfish4 - I'd be interested to hear when you have any news, what else you've done as it looks like we could be moving about the same time. We might be able to remind eachother of things we'd forgotten!

Hopefully me too! Our solicitor thinks we can tie everything up to complete over the half term week at the end of May. Chased them today to ask if the others in the chain have confirmed they are happy with the proposed dates too... haven't hear back yet!

Our mortgage offer expires in June - my worry is that with the new mortgage rules they wont extend and will require us to go through application again (which may not go our way!) So putting pressure on our solicitor to get this all finished for the end of May or the first week in June at the latest!!

Good to know others are in the same stomach churning boat!!

Me too! Should be exchanging early next wk to complete either 22nd May or first wk in June. Have done a car boot sale & the left overs went to the charity shop. Cattery booked, done a few trips to the local tip, removals men coming & packing the day before. Just dreading the actual day - I would book a cleaner too if I could afford it!

It looks like our proposed completion date is off.

For weeks we've been a chain of four properties and have all been working towards completion on 28th May. The top three people are ready with signed contracts, cleared deposits and most of the transfers signed.

It came out yesterday, the person at the bottom of the chain has decided to sell his property to a first time buyer (instead of keeping it as a rental). We understand a building society valuation is booked for 13th May. Due to their personal circumstances the people above us have to complete before 5th June. Early June will be a nightmare for me, as work told my husband weeks ago they would accommodate any moving date except the first week of June. I have to give two weeks notice for a day off, so will need to know by 19th May if all parties are working towards early June.

Tigerblue, just realized you are hoping for the same day as us. Fingers crossed for you.

Up until yesterday, I'd dug over, weeded, tidied the garden, cleaned windows (sounds sad but don't want purchaser moving in thinking the windows and garden need to be done). I'd typed about 75% of letters on the computer, got redirection of post form from Post Office. Last weekend we got everything out of the loft - far more than I thought. Have piles of things everywhere from loft - stuff we're taking, pile for charity shop, pile for tip and pile for husband to sort out as it's his stuff.

Today I would have boxed up some things in the garden shed and put inflammable things aside removers won't take.

We are hoping to move on 24th May and have removals quote ready to confirm but currently waiting to exchange (which is supposed to be today) then complete next friday.

To be honest this whole process has been a total nightmare and I am not planning another move for a long long time.

Have done no packing at all but we have only been in this place for 8 months and never fully unpacked so it shouldnt take long

I clicked on this thinking you meant 3/4 weeks from offer acceptance to moving in, which we did when we bought our house in Melbourne.

It's a trip, I tell ya.

Starfish - keeping everything crossed for - maybe your estate agent can put pressure on as they won't want the chain to be vulnerable. Hopefully they will move quickly and you won't be delayed for long!

We spoke to our solicitor this morning. She still thinks we can exchange next week but she also mentions that the investment buyer at the bottom of the chain has raised more queries and we are waiting on some boundary info from our sellers solicitor. There are 5 in our chain so the potential for delays and things going wrong is high

We are aiming to complete for half term too.

Our exchange fell through as vendors solicitor (who was the one pushing for the exchange) has gone on holiday and the replacement hadn't a clue what was going on, loads of emails back and forth on Friday but looks like we are doing it on Monday now...fed up with this whole process!

Starfish, hope things are sorted for you soon.

We got everything down from the loft today for me to sort in the next few days. The house looks like a bombsite with items and boxes everywhere. Still, I suppose it has to be done.

We're still waiting to hear. Have signed contract and solicitor has cleared funds.

So we have finally exchanged contracts now, solicitor reckons completion will be good for this Friday. Experiences so far have not given me total confidence in this but fingers crossed. Hope everyone else is doing ok?

Congratulations to TheLastNameLeft and Ihategeorgeosborne. How's the packing going? Have you got removals sorted and notified utility companies yet?

We're still waiting to hearing. We know we're ready. Am trying to be patient, but have decided to phone agent tomorrow and get them to check what's happening if we haven't heard.

Anyone else exchanged now?

Thank you Tigerblue (Im TLNL btw) still procrastinating over the packing here, hopefully getting keys etc this Friday so we are going to have a look around before we physically move next weekend, we dont have much to do to be fair and I know what needs to be done can be done in two days... I like living by the seat of my pants LOL

Thanks Tiger. We are moving next Friday! I can't quite believe it's nearly here. I have been packing on and off for a week now. Have packed up all the books, toys, games, etc. Not doing a great job of chucking stuff out though. I really struggle with sentimentality issues. Everything reminds me of a certain time, place, etc. I know I need to be more ruthless . Still got all the clothes, kitchen stuff, cupboard under the stairs and shed to do though. Think I may run out of boxes. The house is a tip and there's nowhere to put anything. We are doing the move ourselves, as we are moving round the corner! Dh has put his back out though, possibly a slipped disc apparently according to the doctor, so now I'm panicking about how we're going to move the furniture. Have enlisted some friends to help out. Have started notifying people. Have told the bank, council tax, water, electric and gas and phone. Still need to do car, driving licence, HMRC, doctors, dentists, insurance and any others I've forgotten. I am really fed up with it all now to be honest. The dc are getting restless and this house doesn't feel like home anymore. I can't find anything and I feel like I'm in limbo land at the moment. I will definitely be taking my time with the unpacking, 6 - 12 months should do it . Good luck to everyone with your moves. I'm not planning on doing it again for a very long time!

Oh God IHGO I would never ever do a move ourselves ever again.. even more so if DH was out of action - really hope he is ok!

The only major thing I have done is sorted out application for new school. Does anyone else feel like its not "properly" done until completion? Having bought and sold in the past I consistently feel cynical about if it is actually going to happen or not.

I know Russell, I really am dreading it. He put his back out at the weekend, lugging some heavy boxes. I told him to take it easy, but he over did it. He says he is in agony and has been prescribed some really strong pain killers. I can't imagine he's going to be in any state to shift anything next week. I'm sure we'll manage in the end. We know the people we're buying from so that does make it easier I think and we haven't got far to go! This is the first house we've bought, so I am quite surprised at how smoothly it all seems to have gone, especially when I listen to some other people's horror stories. Still, I know what you mean. I don't think I'll be able to relax until we are in. Good luck Russell. Hope it all goes well for you and you get the school you want.

Us too! We have everything signed and just waiting fir exchange, aiming for completion on 28yh may (our wedding anniversary!). Packed lots of boxes and going to start admin ASAP.

What a relief for those of your that have exchanged.

Realistically I think completion is off for us on 28 May. Agent emailed yesterday to say she hadn't managed to speak to someone else in chain, so hopefully will hear something today. The person at the bottom of the chain had their valuation done yesterday, so am going to put it to the agent that she ask if all parties would be prepared to put their solicitor in funds to exchange on receipt of mortgage offer, with a view to completing by 4th June (deadline needed for top of the chain as they have builders booked). So annoying the top three have done everything even signed transfers.

Just checked in with solicitor and she hasn't heard anything from those higher up the chain . Realistically exchange is off this week - maybe next week at this rate so completion for the May half term is probably off for us too.

Will start pushing for early June - our mortgage offer expires in late June so things need to happen soon

I am really feeling for you ladies that are still waiting, there really isn't anything worse is there

New problems for us at the moment, landlady being a total botheration about getting new viewings in for here. Apparently she has tried to call a few times (twice) and the last message was actually quite rude. Least we are out of here next week. Tried phoning her back a couple of times and no answer or voicemail capacity.

Our move is off for the foreseeable future. The chap at the bottom was going to keep his present house and be a cash purchaser, but things have changed and he needs to sell. His buyer has just been refused a mortgage under the new regulations, so is approaching someone else. Either way, looks like a minimum of five weeks even if things are positive, so we're having a holiday!!! We were hoping to complete on 28 May, so have boxes and bags everywhere.

I'll still follow the thread as it will be handy to know at what stage everyone is doing things on the approach to completion.

Oh Starfish.. how bloody frustrating!! Good on you for going away... goodness knows if I ever get to the end of this stressful process I will be booking something immediately!

Thanks Gemma77. The only good thing is that as us and the ones either side have done all their paperwork, signed everything, have cleared deposits, we've agreed to sit tight and wait for the bottom of the chain to sort itself out. The lady buying ours is getting divorced so has to move, so fingers crossed we've got a buyer whatever.

So sorry Starfish.. hope it all moves quickly for you..such a painful process isnt it

We are supposed to be completing tomorrow so I am feeling very anxious at the moment but we have everything booked now and most utilities informed. Currently sat at home car-less as my alarm has developed an annoying fault where it goes off randomly (even when driving wtf?) NEED car to be sorted by tomorrow