What happens on completion day?

[Toddlerteaplease]

Completely clueless. We've exchanged contracts and I wanted to complete on 1st August as that's the day I want my mortgage to start and won't need to pay any more rent. Do I need to do anything. Or will it just happen?

It just happens in my experience. Are you a first time buyer? Is it a new build? As long as you have exchanged, the solicitor will take care of it and everything will go through and you will get your keys at some point.

Is 1st August the date you agreed when you exchanged?
If so, then yes. All you need to do is collect the keys on the day - you can usually do this from the estate agent, or from the vendors if they are moving out that day.
Your solicitor should call once completion has taken place, the property is then legally yours and the vendors need to have moved out and taken all their belongings (usually completion is around 1pm but can vary depending on length of chain etc).

When you exchanged you must have agreed a completion date. Your lawyer will send you a completion statement detailing the outstanding monies owed (their fees etc) which they will get from the mortgage company as presumably you have already given them whatever deposit you have. Then on completion day the agent and lawyer will call you to say you’ve completed and you go collect the keys!
If you have a date now’s the time to book movers, start informing banks, utilities (you will have to call them to give them final and start meter readings), get mail forwarded, book Sky/BT/internet, get your driving license changed, GP, change of address cards....

I've paid all the fees and I already live in the house! I've bought my rental that I've lived in for the last 10 years.

Great! You will normally be responsible for buildings insurance from exchange so if you've not been told that, check with the solicitor tomorrow. Once it has completed change the locks. There is a strong chance the LL, any agent and past tenants, etc still have keys. It's just the lock barrels that need changing normally and for most locks it's a simple DIY job.

Your first bill would probably come on 1st anyway you'd just be charged extra if you was in it say 6 weeks rather than 4. But if you're going in 1st August then bill should be normal.

You'll receive a payment schedule breakdown from your lender

I have had buildings insurance sorted for a couple of months already as my policy ran out in June. Not thought of changing the locks. I want to get the front door replaced anyway. And the landlady is going to give her keys to me. As I've lived here ten years I'm not bothered about previous tenants being a risk.

One thing that happened with a previous (supposed) completion day, was that I arranged with the EA to inspect the property an hour before the money was due to be handed over.
Reason being, I strongly suspected that the vendor was going to leave a load of rubbish and manky old sofas etc. - despite our having made it a condition that the place was completely cleared.

And sure enough, he had.
Completion was then delayed for 24 hours until he got rid of it all.

Any rubbish unfortunately belongs to me.