Looming lockdown limbo support thread

[PointyMcguire]

Thought we could do with a thread to rant, laugh, drink copious amounts of gin and whatever else it takes to get us through the madness of whatever new curveballs covid throws into the mix as we try to move house.

We’ve exchanged on our old house and are due to complete on Friday 13th (I was just asking for bad luck right?!) but we’re actually moving out next Friday and into a family owned holiday home for a month. We were hoping to exchange on the new house in mid November and complete before Christmas but god only knows how likely that is now. I’m relatively hopeful we’ll still be able to move during lockdown, but am pretty stressed about the potential impact another lockdown might have on the chain and how much time everything takes.

Anyone else in the same boat?

[Jedstre]

@PointyMcguire we’ve also exchanged with a completion of 13 Nov 😬

[minipilling]

Not moving house, but our shit tip of a bathroom is meant to be ripped out and replaced next week. Who knows? I hope everything goes through for everyone moving.

[legohouse]

Move booked for mid November, does anyone know if removal companies can still operate during lockdown?

[MollyButton]

Can I join?
We are due to exchange on the sale at any time now. I'm waiting for the survey and local searches on purchase. I was hoping to move end November.
I was also hoping to move briefly into a holiday let and put the cats in a cattery to make the move smoother. Now not sure what will happen. And they buyers Architects are due to do a specialist survey this week, just as lockdown starts.
But I did make it to the dump today!

[thelastmullercorner]

I was due the house we were hopefully buying to be surveyed this week - don't know if my husband will go on furlough now so if we'll even get a mortgage now... Don't know what to do, do I cancel the survey? Feel so down and fed up, our last house didn't go through due to lockdown

[MoirasRoses]

Well, he said trades people could still operate so I imagine you can still have work done on your house.

No word on moving yet I don’t think.. I assume there’ll be a detailed page of information shortly 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[abbey44]

Can I join as well?

I've got two house sales and a purchase all on the point of exchange, and was hoping to complete on the first of the sales and the purchase in the next couple of weeks. It's taken me so long to find a buyer for my house and a previous sale collapsed just before xchange last year, so I'm super-stressed about this at the moment. I'm looking to downsize and release some capital to replace the income I'm not getting due to covid, so I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do if this goes tits up...

[musicalmrs]

Can I hop on board too please? We were hoping to exchange last week and complete this week, then found out something had happened on the buyer's end that meant they had to reorganise their entire mortgage (the bank's fault apparently, but might be the broker). Everything else is in place - but there's a move to another UK country involved which makes it far more complicated.

Revaluation Monday (ridiculous), hoping to be ready to exchange the week after and move mid-week the week after that. Feeling full of doom tonight though...

[WorriedMutha]

I was told when I was booking removal men that they are key workers so they worked in the last lockdown. As moving wasn't expressly verboten, can we assume that it's on as we've exchanged. Mercifully I did the last tip run this morning so at least I won't be having to take our broken old bbq with us. I'm sure the tips closed last time so if you've still got to get rid of crap, best get on with it.

[hairycabbage]

Also having a mild panic here. We've signed contracts and we are meant to be exchanging this week then competing in two weeks. I've no idea if/ how this might affect us yet- we have a removals company provisionally booked (including packing service so I guess this might not now be possible?).
Hopefully we will all get some answers and confirmation very soon!

[Dotdotlineline]

Can I please join? Hoping to exchange and complete for the 20th although I'm not holding my breath now

Does anyone know when more information will become available?

to you all x

[Lollypoppyflop]

Can I please join. My buyer just has survey outstanding. Does lockdown mean everything is off until December? I’m so confused and sad that this happened. Keeping things in perpetual though. I feel really sad for those who are really struggling with work etc.

[caffeinebuzz]

We exchanged yesterday, phew!! Due to complete and move next week - do we think packing services will still be an option? I'm really hoping so as the new lockdown will make it impossible to keep two young kids out from underfoot during the move!

[boredboredboredboredbored]

Me too due to exchange this week and complete 17th. I have a rental set up for 14th, I'll be making a lot of phone calls Monday 😫

[PointyMcguire]

Can’t believe how little info there was in the conference (well actually I can!) I mean it’s all well and good to say stay at home but what if you don’t have a home by that point? Wine is definitely my friend tonight

[PointyMcguire]

@Lollypoppyflop welcome! So from what we can currently gather surveys are still ok to go ahead. Whether that’s still the case come Monday who knows?! I’m currently hoping we follow Wales in terms of moving guidelines.

[PointyMcguire]

Ah exciting @Jedstre! Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly 🤞🏻

[musicalmrs]

@hairycabbage Not being able to have help with the packing is my husband's worst fear! We both work full time and can't take too much time off, so packing without packers could be a rather ridiculous/mad affair! Once there's a bit more clarification as to the new rules on Monday I aim to get in touch with our removals company and see what they're thinking.

[Fennelandlovage]

Exchanged and moving on Monday 🤪. Up to my eye balls in bubble wrap and boxes right now. Will be pleased to land at our new house. Good luck everyone - as far as I understand movers can still work and suspect solicitors and authorities better set up to carry on this time.

[hairycabbage]

[quote musicalmrs]@hairycabbage Not being able to have help with the packing is my husband's worst fear! We both work full time and can't take too much time off, so packing without packers could be a rather ridiculous/mad affair! Once there's a bit more clarification as to the new rules on Monday I aim to get in touch with our removals company and see what they're thinking.[/quote]
That's my fear too- we both work full time (way more than full time in reality ), have three dc and a dog so had planned to book into a travelodge for a couple of nights and leave them to it but looks like that's out of the question now. I honestly can't see how we would find the time to pack it up ourselves l!

[Laska2Meryls]

We have a self drive van booked to clear house thurs and Fri this week but not exchanged yet... Supposed to Monday. Arrgh... .... we dont have purchase to worry about only sale but ......

[checkedcloth]

Same here - supposed to have a survey on Friday on our purchase!

[ChocoTrio]

If you’re in the process with a new build I’d check with your builder because they had different approaches to lockdown last time.

My builder stopped work completely during lockdown. Then when they got back up and running they were social distancing, so that slowed them down. It meant my completion date got pushed back by 3 months. However, it shouldn’t be as extreme this time because we’re all familiar with the situation (Albeit fatigued with it too) now.

Hopefully the government know what they’re doing a bit more this time. Check with your tradespeople too because mine had issues with supply delays and clashes in their diary due to a backlog.

We’re better prepared this 2nd wave.

[ChocoTrio]

Good luck!

I’m expecting some new neighbours to move in around the corner before Christmas. They visit and look at there ‘nearly ready’ gone longingly because they’ve had extra delays. Would be awful to be delayed by both the 1st and 2nd wave

Fingers crossed!

[ChocoTrio]

*their ‘nearly ready’ home