How much time to move out when selling your home

[Hocuspoc]

...and buying a new one in chain?
Apologies for sounding like a total tool, but this will be the first time for us buying a new property while selling our current one.
Last time we were renting while searching for a flat, so after completing we took a few weeks to do the place up, move in etc...
My understanding is that when in chain, you ideally both want to complete on the same day - obviously so you are sure you have the funds for the new place.
So how does moving in work then? If I have to leave my home on the same day when I get the keys to the new one?
What am I missing, it can't be that people manage to move houses in one day and consider this a standard? Or am I crazy...

We had lived in our 3 bed house for 17 years when we moved. We moved with 3 primary aged kids and we did not declutter prior to moving and had a boarded out loft full of stuff and thousands of books. The removers came the day before we moved and packed up most things, we spent that evening cleaning, then on moving day they packed the rest and we moved about 1pm. It was exhausting.

Yes, that is the norm and why it can be incredibly stressful. Arranging removals but not actually moving until everything has gone through, as the minutes tick by with no phone calls giving the "go" signal....☹️😖😭

I am lucky in as much that the three times I have bought, I was not put into that position and could actually move on pre-arranged dates with lots of time to do it gradually (as a FTB I was living with parents so no stress and I was able to move in gradually, second time I moved in with my then partner for a few weeks, third time we moved into my late parents house between sale & purchase).

But then how are you supposed to do anything with the house/flat you are buying?
I mean, at least a thorough clean and fresh coat of paint on the walls - the bare minimum?!

You do the painting once you’ve moved in! It won’t necessarily even need it. And not every room.

Cleaning - hope that the sellers have left it clean. If not then do it before opening boxes. The main thing is to unpack all the bedding!

Well you either pack the day before completion, complete and have stuff delivered to unpack that day. Alternatively, pack earlier (post exchange), have it lifted into storage and take a few days before its delivered to the new house.

When a sale has completed then you will have needed to have vacated the property that you are moving out of as you do not legally own that property once the transfer of funds has completed.

Get quotes for removals beforehand and pencil them in and once you have the confirmation from solicitors of your completion date then instruct these. Removal companies can do the packing for you (will usually start a few days before) or you can do the packing yourself; but do not underestimate the time that this takes… and declutter beforehand!

Belongings are loaded onto the removal lorries and once the property is emptied then you make your way to the EA that you’ve sold the property with to drop the keys off, and then proceed to the EA that the property you’re buying is listed with once you’ve had confirmation from the solicitor that the sale has gone through.

You then legally own your new property and then the move in process can begin!

Make sure that you do meter reading prior to departure of your old house and then arrival at the new house for utility companies.

Change your address and set up mail redirection if required.

Another tip is to label all the boxes for each room and ensure that a box of essential supplies - kettle, tea/coffee/ toilet roll/medication/food is the last on, first off the lorry…. It’ll be blood thirsty work…

Good Luck!

You get it all unloaded into the new house and then decorate around all your stuff.

Once you exchange contracts and the money’s have been paid to you for the property you are selling, you no longer own it and you have to move out, normally to the property you are buying. You cannot remain living in your old home. Any redecorating will have to be done once you have moved in to your new home. Alternatively you can put your furniture into storage and live elsewhere while you decorate.

Don't move yourself, get a reputable removals company to do it. Get a quote for them to wrap and pack. They will do it the day before and then deliver to your new place the day you move. Make sure each box is clearly labelled with what is in it and which room it is going to. That way you know what needs to be unpacked and what can be left until later.

Keep all your cleaning kit with you so that as soon as you get the keys, you can give everything a good going over. IME bathrooms, loo and kitchens are always worth spending time on.

You can see if the removal companies can delay their arrival whilst you get a cleaning company in to clean? They may have storage units - they wouldn’t be covered to keep belongings in lorry overnight. Otherwise, clean around your belongings, and paint also. Dust sheets work wonders!!!!! 😉

UNLESS, you’re like us (we exchange tomorrow and complete Friday) and we’re moving into one of our rental properties (we have a BTL portfolio) whilst the work is being done as we are completely renovating the property…

If the house needs work (as in, really needs it, not just that you’d like a different carpet) you move into rented until he house is liveable. Otherwise, yes you have to move in and do it room by room.

As somebody who moved in the last year - start emptying your loft now! It took us ages, literally about 3 solid weekends, and 90% of what was in there went to the tip.

Don't let anybody bully you into a same-day exchange and completion, or a short gap.

Sometimes they change their mind at the last minute, or try to make you give way on price. You need time to pack and make other arrangements, and, until contracts are exchanged, you haven't got a sale and actually don't know if you're going to get one.

Tell them, if they're in a hurry, to exchange quickly.

I have done it 5 times and yep, you get your removal company to empty your place by late morning, and clean like mad for the new people, then when you get the call from your solicitor to say you have completed, usually about noon, could be 2pm, or whatever, you pick up the keys from the Estate Agent and the removal Co empty the van into your new house.

The sale and purchase have to happen simultaneously, when all the respective solicitors send the money down the wires, because otherwise you don’t have the money for your new house.

There is no stage at which you own and therefore have access to both houses. So you cannot do the move in relays with small van loads, it all has to come out of your old house by the agreed time.

There is lots of detailed advice available on this board as to how to manage. A good removal co will dismantle your beds and put them together again at the other end. Provide temporary hanging wardrobe boxes , provide boxes, and come and collect them all again once empty.

Both sellers are supposed to leave the properties clean. So you clean up as your removals guys are emptying rooms. And when you move into the new house ( yes on the same day) you hope to find it reasonably clean too. There is no time for painting.

Most people have to do everything on the same day because they need the money from the sale to afford the purchase. The best thing is to buy a packing service from your removals company and then they do all the packing for you and take apart beds etc. That leaves you with not much to do apart from provide teas/coffees and clean!

You start packing stuff not in every day use and selling dumping and organising in preparation (it's a great thing to get that done anyway). When offer is accepted and surveys completed, waiting for the links in the chain to arrive at the exchange date (deep cleaning all the time) you're halfway there. As for your ongoing property you move in to seek assurance through EA or lawyer the place will be in a clean cleared and tidy condition.
Phew. It is hard work.
Good luck 🍀 🤞

You could ask the removal company to put your stuff in storage for a few days, whilst you stay in a hotel or with friends. Then get them to move the stuff in to the new house when you ready.

If the new house needs work then you have a few options:

You can arrange bridging finance so you own both the new and old. So you buy the new house, own both houses for a couple of months, do the work, then move out of the old.

It's expensive but we've done it a couple of times.

Or go into rented (difficult to find these days).

You have to move out of the property you’re selling and wait for the keys to the one you’re buying.

My advice is to pay for packing as well as removals. It makes it so much easier because you can use everything until right before you move, and they can pack far more quickly than you.

We were cleaning the carpets as we had pets and we wanted everything to be as chilled as possible so we paid for the movers to pack the day before apart from essentials and store things overnight. They came back on moving day to dismantle the bed etc. It made it all very chilled and unhurried.

If you want to do it up you either do that with your stuff there, or pay for storage or something.

This why most people pay removal companies because it's pretty much impossible for one or two people to pack up an entire house in the morning and then unpack it again in the afternoon/evening.

How else do you think it's done op?

I’ve moved more times in my life than you would believe!

I assume you’re on the market if so then start clearing the junk, start packing starting with loft / garage then as interest in the house kicks off start packing the house. It does depend on how much stuff you have. If you’re in a small starter home then you can provide wait, but last time I moved I worked full time and had a 5 bed house to pack so I started early.

as soon as you have excepted an offer and had your offer excepted then start in earnest. If you contact movers as soon as you’ve exchanged they will give you packing boxes (you need to have had them out for quotes before that)

there is normally a 6 week window between exchange and completion, but I’ve had 8 weeks to 2 days so it all different.

moving day is long and hard work you need to be packed just leaving out your bed / toothbrush / kettle the men with you by 7 at least. About late morning (you will probably be first in the chain ) you will get a call to say your house has completed- what ever you do, do not move at that point. Wait for the next call to say your completed on your purchase this can be a space of 30 minutes to an hour. You will at this point be packed probably sat in your car or on the floor of your house. You lock the door drop the keys through the letter box (I assume the estate agent will have a set ). You go to the estate agent who sold your new home. Unless they arrange different, pick up your keys and that’s it. Then movers will be with you until they’ve unpacked I’ve had them there 8 or 9 at night,

it’s a long day but doable, when you get to exchange there will be plenty of advice how to manage the day itself

Storage is the answer. I'm in the run up to the move into a property where I need to do work and I'm going to get the removals company to store most of my stuff for a few weeks in between houses. I've already got a storage room near the new house where I'm gradually moving all the things I'll need for the "camping" phase, including the DIY tools, ladders etc I'll need. Mostly I'm interested in getting some built in stuff removed and completely refloored before the furniture arrives properly, for the rest of the decorating I'll work round my furniture.

Thank you all for really helpful comments! It makes it sound very possible :)

How does the bridging finance work?

Or pay movers to pack for you. They'll come a day or two before completion day and get you all packed up. In the scheme of things it doesn't cost much. Far less stressful than packing yourselves and you can spend time decluttering in the run up to moving.