Long chain (5) - completion on a Friday?

[MoHunter]

Looking for any experiences of completing on a Friday with a fairly long chain! There are 5 parties in total, we are right in the middle. Top of the chain is insisting we complete on a specific date which is a Friday. Am I silly to worry about delays on the day and things potentially dragging on till Monday?
What if the bank transfer between people further up the chain is delayed, I assume it effects everyone else down the chain too?
Would you be happy with a Friday completion date with such a long chain?

We will have about 4 weeks between exchange and completion.

No, because you’ve already exchanged with a long lead time, it should go fairly smoothly and should be over by early afternoon. I would only worry about a simultaneous exchange & completion.

Don't worry it is totally normal, we do this every week at work and the money always arrives in time! Mortgage advances are received the day before completion to avoid any delays. Good luck with your move.

If you are in the middle you should be ok - I'd be more worried about being the top of the chain!

We were middle of a chain of 3 and completed on our sale about 1pm and then not on our purchase until about 4pm. We had 4 weeks between exchange and completion as well which made no difference to what actually happened on the day.

It was a Thursday as well (although my solicitor said the systems were unusually busy and it felt more like a Friday).

We had issues (I was 3rd in a chain of 5) luckily we were completing midweek as the solicitor above us didn't do something and went off for lunch, our house sale went through, everything was in the removal van told everything OK. Only it wasn't and the purchase didn't go through till the following afternoon. We were homeless with 3 young children, the removals company were great and stored all our things at an extra charge but couldn't move us in till 5pm as they had other jobs on. We couldn't do anything about the situation as it would have cost more to sue them than compensation (for hotel, extra removals time and meals) we'd have got. I'd never move on a Friday for that reason, it was very stressful.

I would never do a Friday
My solicitor advised against it and having had two friends have the money fail to show on a Friday I just wouldn't risk it

Wow, some mixed experiences! I really hope we can convince the top of the chain seller to agree to a different weekday. No idea why they're being so stubborn when they'll be the worst affected potentially?!

Absolutely this ^ I insisted on a Thursday just in case, pleased I did as it was very touch and go on our moving day.

I've completed on a Friday a few times and it's been absolutely fine. I'm fairly risk averse but it didn't occur to me it would be a problem. I always assumed it was a popular day because people then have the weekend to sort the house out before going back to work.

Similar close call here, on a Friday. Chain of 4, two steps went through by lunchtime then our buyer’s solicitor went off for lunch without checking their purchase funds had been forwarded to ours. Bank delays followed and by 3.30 we were getting edgy. Solicitor was talking about granting a licence to occupy - which would let buyer move into ours, but we’d be homeless unless our vendor did the same - and cost us in legal fees, so we said no thanks.
The banks caught up and we all completed but it was then tipping with rain and the poor removals lads were desperate to get home for the weekend. I wouldn’t do it again on a Friday, that’s for sure. No idea how a long chain would manage it as the system isn’t designed for so many swift transactions in such limited banking hours.

Thanks for your experiences, good and bad! Not sure we can convince top of the chain to move the day but will try. They seem to think they can pull all the shots sadly.
I'm thinking if we do complete on a Friday to book a premier Inn for the night just in case...

Depends if you want to actually move on the Friday. We were in rental so paid a couple extra days rent and planned to move our stuff on the weekend. Just as well because the keys we were supposed to receice from the agent at 12pm were not made available by the seller until 5pm!!

Seller was top of chain, we were bottom, but seller did not allow enough time for moving out. 🤣🤦‍♀️

If you actually want to move on completion day I’d push for Thursday if you can get it

But I wouldn’t be particularly worried anout a Friday, just accept that you may be up a bit late.