If estate agents close due to covid restrictions, will we still be able to move?

[Bug55]

Just read an article saying that more measures are likely in the next few days, one of which would include closing estate agents. We are due to exchange on Monday next week and complete on Tuesday and now I’m worried. Would we still be able to move?

We are due to complete tomorrow so I really hope they don’t close them with no notice

I don't have an answer. But I feel for you and the pp. I hope you are both able to move without problems.

We are in same boat and reading the article that's like March - if you haven't got to exchange you could be stuffed. We have been ready to exchange since end December but now being held up by buyers buyer after buyer held up a week. Ideally you would complete as well asap but last time if exchanged essential completitions allowed. So I want to get to at least exchange. Argh. It was closed for 2 months last time.

propertyindustryeye.com/government-says-it-may-become-necessary-to-pause-all-home-moves/

It does say it maybe by Tier but house we are selling is Tier 4 and about the 2nd highest rate in the country.

Im worried about this to
We are just waiting for final bits to go through so we can exchange and then complete. We aren't moving straight away, but want to get the legal ownership sorted.

We completed 4 days after the first lockdown in March when everything was closed, we did all the handovers in person and didn’t use the estate agent. We liaised through the agent - legally we were obliged to complete as we’d exchanged.
That may have changed by this point.

I've been warning about this since 4 January and others have just been faffing around. Argh, worried sick here as well, we really need money from this. We can wait a couple of months for it but could mean buyers-buyer and buyers lose stamp duty and whole deal collapses. Need some transquillisers.

Removals people often seemed to get round by van hire so that is solvable. We can probably find a solution for keys. It's exchange that's the critical thing for us.

I am worried about this too- we have sold and are renting but our tenancy runs out at the end of April. We are aiming to complete on our purchase before the end of March stamp duty deadline. We have not exchanged yet though.

We could probably manage moving ourselves by hiring/ borrowing van but only if our sellers are able to move out.

I assume if they do stop moves then the stamp duty holiday might be extended? Otherwise I am sure loads of chains would collapse?

I saw a headline saying moving house might be stopped temporarily but didn't read the article. IF it happens then perhaps if the removals are all booked then they can complete but no new ones allowed for however long??

I would hope they would extend stamp duty or reopen market in say a months time.

I hope not. We've given notice and are moving early Feb (though it is military quarters though so pretty different).

I am worried about this as well we are just waiting to exchange - it seems to be taking forever. If we get delayed and they don’t extend the stamp duty exemption I think the chain will break. I know we are healthy and that is all the matters at the moment but this is stressing me out so much. We have done everything we can and just have to wait. It doesn’t help that solicitors are so busy because so many people are moving m.

We were due to exchange yesterday but there was a glitch in Nationwide’s systems so we couldn’t so this is stressful now!

Most estate agents are only doing the completion and handovers. Viewings are mostly being done on line at the moment. You should be fine, keep calling and emailing someone should get back to you remotely.

Our EA is chasing again for exchange - tried yesterday and we are ready, our buyer is ready but being held up by buyers-buyer but we don't know why. We were told before they were ready a week ago.

But surely if you've had an offer accepted and accepted an offer on yours, there's no reason why the conveyancers can't carry on with their work and you can exchange in due course? The difficulty comes if the physical moving isn't allowed. But hopefully that would only be for a short period.

Hopefully but the danger is if the stamp duty deadline is missed and whether it will cause chain to collapse.

We completed in December, we haven't seen anyone face to face since we stopped taking viewings, the estate agent and the solicitor did everything remotely. We left our keys in the house and the estate agent gave the copy they had to our buyer in an envelope. She collected from their office, but they offered to drop it round or post it tracked if she couldn't collect. Those could be options to push through a completion if you don't have to physically move on the day of completion.

You don't need to see an Estate Agent physically for either of those things, so why would it stop you?

EAs can still work from home, even if they're shut.

Partly place marking. 1 son moved last week, thankfully[the most important of the two children, as he moved because of job]. Daughter is ready, place to move to, nearly. DDs buyer not so ready, but eager to complete in time for stamp duty, as they all are. I presume this is what is meant by not exchanged yet.

We've already moved so selling an empty house but there's a related transaction both of whom live in their homes. There might just be a way around it if lawyers are allowed to keep working but EA says best option is to get to exchange asap or risky.

@HelloThereMeHearties, but my DDs buyer physically "measured up" recently.

I thought in March lawyers were not allowed to exchange and removals stopped. The removals could be done with van hire but if we can't exchange and miss stamp duty deal may collapse.