So.....are we allowed to move now or not? PMs latest announcement

[ESpressoNotEXpresso]

Hi,

Like so many, since lockdown our house move has been indefinitely delayed. We were at the final stages and the chain were about to agree on exchange and completion dates. Of course, this has all been up in the air for the past 7 or so weeks.

Given BoJos latest announcement of people being encouraged to go back to work if they can't WFH, then does that mean that removals companies will be operating from tomorrow? I know some already were, but most weren't.

Thoughts?...

Was moving ever banned?

Surely, the main question is whether everyone you need is working.

I.e. are surveyors, removal men, tradesmen, etc willing to come into your existing/new home to do what they need to do?

I think you need to contact everyone, inc solicitors, mortgage brokers, etc to ask whether they're able to do their work under current conditions.

@user1497207191 www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

Been in touch with the removal firm I'm going to use this morning and they are back to work this week. Their words were "With a limited team and practicing social distancing" so looks like things are beginning to start up again. Eek better get packing.

Our movers are working, but most of the estate agent staff have been furloughed so haven’t been able to get hold of them (we have a contact but she has taken on the work go lots of branches)
No word from solicitor, we’re going to give it a few days for them all to get an ideas of what’s happening

The issue has been that surveyors have not been able y go inside peoples homes. Movers have not been able to socially distance.
But of your surveyor has done his bit then you can move of you can find movers to move you. My lawyers are working from home, and my estate agent is working in the office several days a week (I had a tenant move in last week but the house was furnished). I'm surprised that your agents arent at least contactable via email - I've seen new properties posted on rightmove so someone is working. You cant furlough a whole office when contracts are still ongoing.

I've been in touch with our surveyor and she's hoping to get an update from RICS and hopefully with some PPE and additional measures we can get progressing. We have a removal firm coming tonight to quote (from the garden)!!

Sort of the same boat here but barely left the shore! We had our offer accepted and put in our mortgage application just before lockdown. Since Halifax aren't doing valuations, we cannot do anything else and are completely stuck. Doesn't help that we have a baby due in August and no idea whether we'll have our house or not.

@Pipandmum the agents are working, just seem to take ages to respond. Annoying

@reginaphalange101 our mortgage valuation was due to happen the day we went into lockdown! DH is a surveyor but isn't allowed to value our own house. The Gov document yesterday specifically named surveyors on the allowed to work in others homes list and they will have their own document out this week. We have been onto our Mortgage broker today to get him to chase the mortgage company ASAP. We have contracts ready to exchange and other funds sitting waiting for this change.

They being RICS!

@GherkinsOnToast it's been so stressful! We can't even proceed with any solicitor searches because we haven't had our offer yet, we had our offer accepted early February and nothing has happened. Do you have a link for the document at all please? Hope it all works out for you x

@reginaphalange101 - chase your estate agent endlessly! the document is here

Well that's that. Just spoke to our EA and apparently chains like ours won't be able to physically move under the latest guidelines. He suggested that after June 1st, things may have changed, but I can't see it.

Still don't understand how you can now allow a cleaner to come into your home, how ever many times you wish apparently, but we can't move into our new home because it hasn't been vacant for long enough. Madness.

Honestly feel like crying.....again!

We’re in a chain of 4 houses and were due to move a week after Lockdown began and it was vetoed by the others in the chain. Today we’ve had word that they want to start talking dates as long as removals will be operating. Our estate agent seems happy with this. Such conflicting advice all over the place.
Sorry to hear your news @ESpressoNotEXpresso
I don’t understand any of this. Feels so nerve wracking again.

@pixienewbie, that just doesn't make any sense. Fingers crossed for you btw, but surely EAs are all following the same advice.

It's getting to the stage where we are actually tempted to start looking at chain free, empty houses. We're so worried about losing our buyer, as prices will drop and their head could very easily be turned by another property.

There is a an empty house that's just come on, which doesn't tick all the boxes, but it could in the near future, as it's under budget.

Bah! I'm so stressed out.

Op sorry to hear that. Incredibly frustrating and stressful for you

I don't understand where your EA got that info from @ESpressoNotEXpresso they only part they have in this now is releasing keys to you.

We have been told as soon as we complete - if we have a removal company willing to move us - we can move, there will be no overlap of people in the house and the removal men will just be given a tour of the house prior to putting furniture in and then being left to it whilst we stay our of their way.

@ESpressoNotEXpresso I think it’s just as the advice is so open to interpretation. Personally I don’t think anything has changed so it frustrates me to think we could have moved at the end of March!

Unless of course you are in Scotland or Wales.

@cushioncovers, thank you. I would be able to get my head around a delay. A long delay even, certainly given the circumstances, but it has taken us 2 years to get to this point and the thought of it all collapsing is a nightmare. I know we should just be grateful we have a roof over our heads, but there are many reasons we're desperate to move.

@GherkinsOnToast and @pixienewbie, I suppose that if a removals van was pulled over and we told them our EA advised us to continue, they would get into trouble. We wouldn't care about a fine, but I suspect our EA wouldn't be seriously concerned about getting a bad reputation by not following the guidelines.

Sorry if I’ve missed this...is there clear guidance on how long a property must be empty for it to be counted as empty? Hope that makes sense! Is a few weeks enough? Or is it down to EA interpretation?

@imausernamenotanumber, I would think a few days is enough, given that the virus can live on surfaces for up to 72 hours.

I’ve seen new guidance today that seems to suggest they have amended legislation and moving and house viewing appears to be Ok?

P2
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/500/pdfs/uksi_20200500_en.pdf

@Tulipvase, really? Can you highlight the relevant bit? Sorry, I can't see it.

(iv) in sub-paragraph (f), omit the words “travel for the purposes of”;
(v) for sub-paragraph (l), substitute—
“(l) to undertake any of the following activities in connection with the purchase, sale, letting or rental of a residential property—
(i) visiting estate or letting agents, developer sales offices or show homes;
(ii) viewing residential properties to look for a property to buy or rent;
(iii) preparing a residential property to move in;
(iv) moving home;
(v) visiting a residential property to undertake any activities required for the rental or sale of that property;”;