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Original poster

To move before Christmas or not?

67 replies

RM2013 · 24/11/2022 21:05

Has anyone moved close to Christmas? Was it a complete nightmare? Any advice?

We are selling our family home of 19 years to FTB who are understandably keen to be in their first home for Christmas.

We are ready to complete on sale but not quite there with our onward purchase as a couple of enquiries still outstanding. Solicitor still saying completion before Christmas is possible if enquiries are answered.

Do I carry on waiting and hope that we can still move before Christmas and postpone planning Christmas until we know if we are moving or not? DH says he feels tempted to just say let’s all wait until the new year enjoy Christmas where we are and move afterwards.

with the stress of the whole process I haven’t been able to even think about Christmas.

I know it’s first world problems and all that but usually I am so organized so just wondered what peoples experiences were of moving house close to Christmas?

OP posts:
nannybeach · 24/11/2022 21:16

We have twice, once we were moving, wanted to do it ASAP , moved to where we are now on the 16th December,(we're SE UK 10 minutes from the sea,yet it was snowing. We sat in a little cafe in the village nervously waiting for the money to transfer
We also did it even nearer Christmas, can't remember the exact date when my youngest was a baby a few months old
We were meant to have been in before, but a contracter, plumber,(not employed by us this was rented property) left a tap open in the airing cupboard and flooded the place and ruined the lounge ceiling. We purchased this one,it had been empty 18 months, previous owners had died. We went to bed at 8.30, shattered and freezing, with electric blanket because we couldn't get the boiler to light!

Lonelyplanet · 25/11/2022 12:03

We did this many years ago and I wouldn't recommend it. Completion ended up being pushed to the last working day before Christmas. The solicitors warned us that they were closing at lunchtime for their party. We packed up the removal van and had to wait to see if the money had all gone through; it was quite stressful. It all happened right at the last minute. However we were moving into a new build and when we got in realised there were a few problems that needed to be sorted fairly urgently but all the builders/ DIY shops had stopped for Christmas and we couldn't get any help for over a week.

MinnieMountain · 25/11/2022 13:51

I’m a conveyancing solicitor. We always get manic around Christmas and I’ve never understood the appeal.

The last date my firm will complete on a chain is 22nd December. Then as PP have said, you’ve got house unpacking as well as Christmas to sort out.

See if you can exchange before Christmas so you can relax and complete in early January.

Original poster
RM2013 · 25/11/2022 19:52

Thanks for all your advice. I guess I’m worried about things falling through although our buyer has said they will wait for our purchase to be ready. I guess if we can at least exchange before Christmas I will feel a lot more relaxed about everything

@MinnieMountain thank you that’s great advice.

i think our solicitor is suggesting their last day for completions is 20th Dec. i wouldn’t want to be doing it on the last possible day.

do solicitors completely close between Christmas and new year? I’m guessing so. Can you tell I’ve worked in the NHS for too long!!! What’s a Christmas holiday? 🤣🤣🤣

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Mirabai · 25/11/2022 21:24

I had this conundrum last year. Solicitors, estate agents and removal firms have a long break over Christmas and are super busy in the run up. I also decided I couldn’t face any problems with wifi/phone/utilities connectivity over the Christmas period.

In the end we had a nice Christmas & NY and moved in Jan.

Artygirlghost · 25/11/2022 22:20

I am moving into a rental in early December as sale completes on 15th December :)

MinnieMountain · 26/11/2022 05:54

Conveyancing closes between Christmas and New Year. My employers tried opening once when I was a trainee. It was dead (crime was busy though).

Twiglets1 · 26/11/2022 06:54

I've moved in mid December and it was fine. But I would set a final date on it such as Friday 16th, and say if completion doesn't happen by then you won't be moving out until the new year.

Original poster
RM2013 · 26/11/2022 10:32

Thank you for all you advice. Yes I think what I am going to do is suggest that the latest completion we would do is Friday 16th and if that’s not feasible for for Jan. Hopefully solicitor can give us some guidance next week as to whether it’s likely or not

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PeekabooAtTheZoo · 26/11/2022 10:34

We moved Dec 23rd a couple of years ago. Not recommended. Christmas dinner that year was yellow sticker stuff from Lidl and all our decorations were packed.

Mirabai · 26/11/2022 11:44

RM2013 · 26/11/2022 10:32

Thank you for all you advice. Yes I think what I am going to do is suggest that the latest completion we would do is Friday 16th and if that’s not feasible for for Jan. Hopefully solicitor can give us some guidance next week as to whether it’s likely or not

Check you can get a removal for that date first, because they will be very booked up.

Houseyperson · 26/11/2022 11:52

I am in your buyers’ position - really hoping we can complete before Christmas as I have the school holidays booked off work and would be so useful to have that time to move our stuff. January would be a pain!

ISeeTheLight · 26/11/2022 11:56

We've got completion set for the 7th, exchange was 2 days ago. I wouldn't want to push it beyond the 15th or so, personally.

Original poster
RM2013 · 26/11/2022 12:26

Houseyperson · 26/11/2022 11:52

I am in your buyers’ position - really hoping we can complete before Christmas as I have the school holidays booked off work and would be so useful to have that time to move our stuff. January would be a pain!

It’s so hard isn’t it. Our buyers are FTB and haven’t got time booked off work all ver Christmas but understandably would like to be in their first home this Christmas so it’s pulling at my heart strings.

however it may not be possible anyway depending on the outstanding enquiries for our purchase being sorted in time

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Original poster
RM2013 · 26/11/2022 12:29

Great advice thank you definitely don’t want to leave it until the week of Christmas!!

thanks for the tip about the removals @Mirabai I have spoken to them recently and they said they had availablity but haven’t discussed actual dates with them so will do this if it looks pretty Christmas is possible from solicitors point of view

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boredbored15 · 26/11/2022 12:43

We moved into our first home out of rental 5 days before Christmas with a 3 week old baby and 17 month old. Move was local but still stressful. That said it was fab being in our first home at Christmas

Nejnej2 · 26/11/2022 12:48

We moved on the 17th December (no kids though) - that's probably about as close as I'd want to go, and was enough time to put the house in some vague order and get the decorations out.
It was 2020 though, so there was no pressure of hosting for Christmas - we just had my Dad join us as we were in a bubble.

Cornelious · 26/11/2022 13:11

We got the keys a week before Xmas. We had actually moved out of our previous house 6 weeks before (we relocated). Had to live with in laws in the interim. We couldn't wait to get into our new house. We got keys on the Friday but the removal company couldn't get our stuff from storage until the Monday. We paid for a package service and it was fab. The comps g made up all the beds/ furniture for us. I had the house sorted within 2 days (with dh and dc to help).

Persipan · 27/11/2022 11:40

We're just about to start talking dates and I'm really hoping the rest of the chain aren't going to push for a mad rush to be in before Christmas. I'd far rather have that time to get stuff in a more sorted state than it currently is. Also my toddler's nursery shuts for Christmas at lunchtime on 16th so I'd have to figure out childcare for the day.

Stripedbag101 · 27/11/2022 19:51

Just thinking through the practicalities. Are you home for Christmas or going to relatives. Will the broadband be working, sky tv etc before everything closes?

I moved in in July - only to find the integrated fridge freezer in the new house didn’t work. It was the bright of Covid so it took two weeks to get a replacement! Broadband also took a week. Sky was sorted in a day.

Decafflatteplease · 27/11/2022 19:58

We did but we were FTB no children going from rented to our first bought house so it wasn't very stressful even though it was a few days before Christmas as we didn't need removal people etc just did it in a few trips in our car over a few days.

However now with children I wouldn't even consider it!

Stripedbag101 · 27/11/2022 20:03

And present deliveries!!! Imagine not being able to do online shopping! You really can’t for two weeks before you move!! The change of address will be a nightmare

Original poster
RM2013 · 27/11/2022 21:14

We haven’t even decided if we are staying at home for Christmas or dinner with my parents! My parents are literally walking distance from where we live now but a short drive if we’ve moved to the new house.
hadnt even thought about ordering stuff online and address changes - great point!!!!!

Also Sky. DH will not cope without!!!! No dish at new house so we are planning on getting the new sky plug in but again no idea how long will take to sort. Teens will hate not having broadband.

We have 2 teens ages 15 and 18 so it’s not as much of an issue as with younger kids

im so desperate to be in new house and I know our buyers just want to be in their own home but the more I think about it the more I think we should enjoy Christmas here and move to new house in new year

wondering whether if we are all ready we could exchange in Dec but agree an early Jan moving date?

thanks all lots to think about

OP posts:
Persipan · 30/11/2022 22:28

Oh yay, someone up the top of my chain wants to exchange RIGHT NOW or will apparently remarket their property. The pre-Christmas panic move looms ever closer...

helloimnew123 · 02/12/2022 20:40

We have FTB buying our flat atm. They are keen to move in before Christmas and are really trying to push but there just isn't realistically time.

We have said we'l exchange before Christmas but won't complete until the new year.

Have you started packing? I don't know when to start? No solid dates have been discussed or anything yet 🤷🏻‍♀️