Help! Must complete house purchase but vendors can't get removers

[Amyellow]

Just when you think moving can't get any more stressful...

We received our written mortgage offer in the post two days ago, but it's only good until next Friday (long story: we sold our previous house almost a month ago, and the bank only gave us 30 days to complete on new one, or we'd have to reapply/ kiss goodbye to a redemption fee of 4 grand). Our vendors are buying a new build, and also on a tight timescale, so in theory Friday should be fine for them to complete too. But... they can't get a removal company with such short notice.

(Yes, we have done this in a ridiculously complicated way, but factors along the way dictated it... Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?)

Is there any way round needing to have 'vacant possession'? I.e. What's the least risky way we could complete on Friday but allow the vendors to actually move out the following week?

Thanks for your advice!

Are you in rented then? Can your movers move the people into the new build on the right day, and you move next week, assuming you have a rental for a little longer, when a mover becomes available?

Keep ringing round for a removal firm - someone elses house sale might be delayed.

Get a man with a van?

Good Luck!

yikes. no. it would be a legal nightmare to buy the house without them moving out. What if they caused a fire, or some other damage, when the house was legally yours but in their possession? You'd be crazy to agree to this. What you probably can do is offer them a £1k sweetener to get the bajeezus out of there by friday - they probably then will. I bet they do HAVE moving options but are being picky - perhaps a firm offering a cheaper quote isn't available till the following weekend. Make it clear that they are risking the whole deal falling through, if necessary ring around yourself and find them someone who will do it, and hopefully it can be made to work.

Yes we're in rented now, and planning to overlap by a month, so we haven't even started looking for movers ourselves. Otherwise that would be a plan!

I think our vendors are also a little shocked and unprepared - we all knew we were aiming for the end of May/beginning of June, but I think such a rigid deadline is a surprise.

x-post but that's a brilliant idea addicted assuming OP has a mover booked, it's more important to get the vendors out on the right day than to get the new owners in.

Why not suggest www.anyvan.com/man-and-van

I really doubt they wouldn't be able to find someone that's available at short notice

Suggest to your vendors that they try shiply - lots of short notice removal companies on their from all over the country who are willing to travel for a job.

I agree - it's probably just the vendors being picky.

Get them to try Shiply - I'm certain they'd find someone!

Get them to try Shiply - I'm certain they'd find someone!

Get them to try Shiply - I'm certain they'd find someone!

I'm sure it's just the cheaper removals that are not available - so offer to contribute something, if you have to, OP.
Kilda, I'm curious, how would that be different from vendors living in the house after exchange? From exchange the property has to be insured by the purchaser - I personally find it hard to undestand, but that'sa the case. So if vendors caused fire, as you say, between exch and completion, that would be same as if they stayed a couple of days longer after completion.
I've read here that people sign some additional document (extra fee for silicitor) to guarantee their move on later date, but not sure what's it called.

We were the same. We had the movers in the day before and had to pay storage over the weekend. Then they delivered the stuff on the Monday.

My friend rented her home from her buyers for about a week while she did work on her new house. Trust needed though!

Tell them to try something like PODS. www.ukpods.co.uk/

Thanks all - I phoned up after the bank holiday to offer financial incentive, but they'd already found movers, hurrah. And we made the mortgage deadline!

Talk to your solicitor, ours came to an arrangement where we could stay in property over weekend (buyer didn't need to move in) as we couldn't get a removal van. Think we had to sign a piece of paper confirming we'd keep it in good order and insured.