Month between exchange and completion?

[RosiePosies]

Has anyone ever had this length of time between exchange and completion?

Long story short we've been messed about date wise by our seller and their agent. We are due a baby on the 13th April and were told last week we'd exchange by the 20th March. She has now changed her mind as she has booked a holiday and pushed it back to 11th April.

We are awaiting one bit of straightforward paperwork and are pushing for exchange as soon as that happens, which our solicitor thinks could be by tomorrow or early next week. We just need to know where we stand and not give anyone an opportunity to mess us about with dates again.

It's a little longer than usual, but not tremendously so.

In my experience the period between exchange and completion is typically about 14 days.

Are you also selling?

We're house hunting and when we move we'll need to have about that time in between. We're in rented and live in the SE so for us it's minimising costs and not paying full rent plus the first mortgage payment (which is usually higher too)

Ask for a compromise and say 2 or 3 weeks or with baby being due you may have to withdraw?

I thought the norm has always been 28days

If I were you I’d exchange ASAP even if that means a gap between exchange and completion. We had a month, and I think it’s a good thing - gives you plenty of time to sort out removals van etc. Don’t delay exchange.

We had 6 weeks as our buyers were in rented and wants to the in with their notice period.
We completed sale and purchase on same day, but only had 2 weeks between exchange and completion on the purchase.

I only have a day or two but its an uncomplicated chain and I have been pushing to move ASAP.

This happened to me last year, we were supposed to complete in July but then further down the chain started to drag their heels. They came up with pathetic excuses about how they can't find a moving company at all for that date.. It was pushed back twice until we reached a date a month later at the end of August and it went ahead! It was an annoying wait but we at least knew that it was legally binding.

We went to about 6 weeks due to our sellers not wanting to move until after Christmas and us then being on holiday. It worked well in terms of the removal company as we could give them a definite date, however I think that insuring the new property between exchange and completion was slightly more complicated as it went over a month.

Thanks everyone.

We're first time buyers and there's no chain - however our sellers suddenly out of no where booked a two week holiday over the period we were aiming for exchange and complete.

Our first baby is due the 13th April - they've said the earliest that they can complete now is the 11th April. We agreed as long as we can get exchange done ASAP so we have an actual date and I can sort out hospital stuff etc.

We exchanged this afternoon, so 3 weeks and 6 days until completion!!

Yes, we sold a house and had a month between exchange and completion because our buyer's buyer was renting and wanted to give notice. We knew they were renting and were expecting it tbh, although that is obviously very close to your due date! Good luck with the move and the baby, OP!

Between exchange and completion nothing usually happens as you have already committed to buy.

Yes, we had two months for various reasons. I actually liked it as there was lots of time to plan with certainty.

IIRC you need to ensure the building from when you exchange.

I would be more concerned about a very short period as they could still pull out before exchange- sounds fine and will allow time to plan