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Original poster

Is this right?!? re buying selling house......completion day.

28 replies

pucca · 08/06/2007 09:38

We are abour 2 weeks off completion and popped into solicitors yesterday with some paperwork and asked about the actual day of completion....

Is it true that you literally have the Friday you complete to get out? As in have all your stuff taken to new house by 3pm? OMG! i am going to be in such a panic!

Also is there no way of getting round the fact that, i would prefer to have carpets fitted before we start taking furniture in? What on earth am i supposed to do about this?

OMG feel the stress already lol.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 08/06/2007 09:42

UNless you come to any alternative arrangements with your byers, but yes - I'm afraid so.

You have to have fingers crossed that the completion bit happenes nice and early on. We were actually packed up in the van before out completition came through (was a new build o at least we did know that it would happen, but still apin).

You need to pack up and get out as soon as ouu can, so the new people can move in that day too!

NoodleStroodle · 08/06/2007 09:44

This is the usual way it is done and why it is stressful because most people cannot afford to own two houses at once - you get the keys when the money has gone through.

If the house you are moving into is vacant then you might be able to get the carpets in with agreement from owners or if it is a short chain you might be able to negotiate on the date of completion.

wannaBe · 08/06/2007 09:44

yes, on the day of completion you vacate your old house and the buyers take possession of it, and you take possession of your new house. This is when all the money changes hands so the property is no longer legally yours from the point that the money has cleared into the accounts.

Twiglett · 08/06/2007 09:45

yes ..if you can afford it (and its not that much more .. about £100 usually) get the removal men to do the packing .. then there is nothing to worry about .. they just turn up and do it ..

re carpets .. unless you're moving into a vacant property and can come to a deal about re-carpeting beforehand then you're just going to have to work round the furniture I'm afraid .. because vendors will have the same deal going

nomdeplume · 08/06/2007 09:45

The day you complete is when the sale officially goes through, the money changes hands and the house becomes the property of the buyers.

If you hire a removals company to do all the packing as well as the actual moving (it will be £££ but it is worth it for stress reduction) then they will come the day before and pack everything but the matresses and the kettle (pretty much) so that all there is left to do is a bit of cleaning etc on the actual day.

nomdeplume · 08/06/2007 09:47

twigg ime it has been a LOT more than £100 extra to get them to pack for you too. More like an extra 25% on the bill.

Blu · 08/06/2007 09:48

Yes -if you are selling and buying, completion happens simultaneously, and at 12pm - or whatever time is set for completion, yur old house must be vacant and absolutely ready for the new people. preferably reasonably clean, too - you can't leave stuff you don't want to take.

Are you selling your current house, or is it rented? If rented, you could keep it on while you do your carpets etc, and then move in to your new place gradually.

Removal companies work v fast - they will typically arrive at 7.30 on moving day and have everything in the van by 12.

Label all boxes with the room you want them put in in the new house - get everything stacked in a convenient place if you want to get new carpets down. You should be able to arrange to get in to measure before you have moved in, if you want, and arrange for carpets as soon as possible.

LIZS · 08/06/2007 09:50

Yes you usually do move out and in same day ! Basically unless you delay your move in - ie. put stuff in storage for a few days - you can't feasibly do work beforehand. Occasionally with a newbuild you can have carpets and decoration done after exchange and before actual completion but it is discretionary and a risk legally. Usually you actually complete around lunchtime, dependign on how quickly money is passed up the chain and where you are in it, you load up in the morning or day before (which with professionals is fine) and deliver in the afternoon, so you could have fitters lined up for the afternoon but it is still a risk, in case there is a delay which means they won't finish and you unload. Otherwise I'd put mots into the garage etc and leave the rooms to be carperted with minimal stuff to be moved around. Carpet fitters should be used to that anyway. hth

Twiglett · 08/06/2007 09:51

really NDP .. when we moved in 2000 it was £100 and I got to watch 3 young australian guys in singlet vests and shorts run .. all morning

it was more than worth it

SNURK

janinlondon · 08/06/2007 10:15

Of course if Natwest's entire UK computer system goes down between your money being tranferred out of your account and it going into your vendor's account, you will find yourself on the street with a removal van full of furniture and nowhere to put it or sleep for the night.....(grrr). The system is rubbish but I don't know any way around it.

NoodleStroodle · 08/06/2007 10:19

That sounds like an adventure janin

Original poster
pucca · 08/06/2007 10:23

Thanks everyone

The house we are moving into is empty (it a shared ownership) and we are in touch with our buyers so i don't think they will want to kick us out on the street lol, they know we have 2 LO's and have said for them there is no panic to actually get in.

I guess the carpet could be done before competion but...we need the £ we make from our house to pay for the carpet so in a bit of a limbo regarding that.

We cant afford removals and will be doing it all ourselves (oh joy!) will just be hiring a van for the day, but we do have 2 garages..1 that comes with the house and we already have one in that area, but that is full of stuff at mo, so we have 1 fully empty garage.

As regards the carpet i don't suppose there is any mad rush, but the stairs (well everywhere) is concrete floor the stairs have grippers rods on which i guess don't mix very well with a 3yo and a very mobile 10 mth old lol, and was hoping to get it done before we moved stuff in.

My mum does live around the corner from our new house, so she could always put us up for the night, that wouldnt be a prob.

OP posts:
Blu · 08/06/2007 10:24

I thnk it cost us about £300 to get packing done (4 bed house) maybe more, but it was worth it for us - they provide the packing materials, flat-pack beds and shelves etc.

Pucca - are you using a professional moving company? If not, the thing to remember is that you must be able to get all your stuff in one van load.

Original poster
pucca · 08/06/2007 10:25

Blu....oh no! lol

Think i will run away and let dh get on with it pmsl

OP posts:
Blu · 08/06/2007 10:25

x posted.

Original poster
pucca · 08/06/2007 10:26

Actually no that wont be a prob, we can take quite a lot up to garage the day before, and my mum can store some of it, she no choice! lol

OP posts:
Lilymaid · 08/06/2007 10:26

Most of our moves have been relocations from one end of the country to the other. Removal firm comes in to pack for the day/two days before and you have already sorted all your stuff out, done the skip bit/jumble sales etc. On the day everything is put in the van and then you ...wait because your purchasers' money hasn't come through and everyone is out at lunch. Eventually, after lunch, it comes through, you deposit keys with agent (if you haven't already done so). Purchasers' many vans that have been waiting outside for hours can then be opened out and you head for motorway network and a night in a b & b before getting into your own house the next day. When you get there you find it is filthy, whereas your old house has been left sparkly clean.

NoodleStroodle · 08/06/2007 10:27

And it will take you much longer than you think to pack.

When we moved and turned up with our removal van at 3pm to move into our house the sellers were very much still here and were no way ready to move out. Bloody awful. Solicitor offered to call the police as officially they were trespassing!

Original poster
pucca · 08/06/2007 10:28

So removals...how much do you think it would be? we in a 2 bed house atm.

OP posts:
NoodleStroodle · 08/06/2007 10:30

Not as much as you think - plus professional movers literally run out of your house carry a chest of drawers, fridges etc - the stuff that would take you and DH ages and lot of agro.

Assume DC are at your mums for the day

Original poster
pucca · 08/06/2007 10:36

Yes dc will be at my mums,she doesnt know it yet, no only kidding!

OP posts:
LIZS · 08/06/2007 10:36

I would guess between £400 and £800 removals cost depending on whether they pack or not and how far. Surely you can have stairs done without too much hassle once you're in . The HA may agree to doing it beforehand but if you then don't complete you'd lose the hosue and the cost.

Original poster
pucca · 08/06/2007 10:37

Would be sooooooooo much easier for us all to have removals come in and do everything.. ah would be bliss! did it all ourselves last year and i was 26 week pg at the time...= complete nightmare!

OP posts:
ChippyMinton · 08/06/2007 10:48

Rather than hire a van, you could hire 'a man with a van' who will help your DH to all the loading.
Get some large packing boxes (ask on your local freecycle, or you can buy a pack in argos for £60 Having plenty of equal shaped boxes make it easier to stack in the van/garage. Start sorting/chucking/packing NOW and you will have a much easier time on the big day.
Have you exchanged? Your vendors might be willing to let you get the carpets fitted the day before as the property is empty. It is a risk though, and you might want to decorate first.

Tinker · 08/06/2007 11:53

Yes, start packing now. Took me weeks to do it - we moved ourselves, couldn't get it all into one van. Our sellers didn't vacate until about 2pm and my buyer was on teh phone all the time asking for updates! Had to take our van, offload as much as poss and come back for teh rest - plus 4 different cars full of stuff. Oh, what a fun day. Only cost £80 though.