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Original poster

What time did you get your keys?

40 replies

mamnotmum · 17/01/2025 11:27

I know it depends on a lot of things but we move next week. I'd love to know what time you all got your keys on completion day and how long the chain was?

Our chain is short - our buyer (in rented, mortgage needed and won't move on completion day) - us (no mortgage) - our seller (no mortgage) - their seller (empty property). I'm really hopefully that midday is realistic.

OP posts:
Original poster
mamnotmum · 17/01/2025 21:29

LostittoBostik · 17/01/2025 19:58

It's usually around midday. Later if you're at the top of a very long chain

That's more what I wanted to hear!!

OP posts:
TheBoysAndTheBallet · 17/01/2025 21:34

I got my keys at 2pm only after phoning up to see what exactly was going on! No chain as I was in rented and it was a probate sale.

MN2025 · 17/01/2025 22:55

mamnotmum · 17/01/2025 11:27

I know it depends on a lot of things but we move next week. I'd love to know what time you all got your keys on completion day and how long the chain was?

Our chain is short - our buyer (in rented, mortgage needed and won't move on completion day) - us (no mortgage) - our seller (no mortgage) - their seller (empty property). I'm really hopefully that midday is realistic.

Completed last week. Dropped keys off at 11.45am, had some lunch and collected the keys to new house at 2pm. Our situation was different though as all our belongings had been moved into a rental property a few days before as we are not moving in straight away due to renovations so on the final morning, we did the final clean etc…

I know in a realistic world - it’s waiting for the phone call and then dropping off and collecting…. But it made no difference to us as we had already ‘technically’ moved and had vacated the property we sold.

Every situation is different, I have purchased BTL properties in the past and not collected keys until 5/6pm.

Doris86 · 18/01/2025 07:24

mamnotmum · 17/01/2025 21:29

That's more what I wanted to hear!!

Show quote history

Just because it is what you want to hear doesn’t make it true.

Midday tends to be for the first house in the chain, and the rest info the chain then follows throughout the afternoon. Often delayed whilst the solicitor goes for lunch.

When we purchased we were buying the second house in the chain, and we got the keys at 2pm. Our estate agent considered that pretty good going.

Doris86 · 18/01/2025 07:28

Gekko21 · 17/01/2025 15:01

Out of interest, why is it so late for the first in the chain? In a long chain, isn't there a big risk of running out of time? And then what happens with the removals?

Show quote history

There are things the solicitors have to do first, money to move around etc. So that’s the standard time they tell you to expect.

It can be done quicker if they really want to, maybe 11ish. However you’d probably have to push them hard for that to happen.

WonderingWanda · 18/01/2025 07:29

Last time we moved Bout 5.30 pm. There had been some issues with money transfer but our purchase had gone through and then the banks had stopped. The rest of the chain had to stay in hotels, they tried to tell us couldn't get the keys because it wasn't fair but I found an open window and we started moving into the house we now legally owned.

TimeForATerf · 18/01/2025 09:00

DS moved a year ago in exactly the same situation as you. We had his house all packed up for about 10am, his money came through at 11am so the keys were handed over. We all then sat at our house with his van loaded. His money reached the next house at around 12 noon but they were moving a big house in a small van so it was around 15:00 when they could hand the keys over. It was fairly chilled as they were lovely trustworthy people, but having to unpack a van into the new house late in the day was tiring after sitting round for so many hours.

eurochick · 18/01/2025 10:22

There will be a time in the contracts you have exchanged but in my experience this is often ignored. The last three times I have moved I haven't got the keys until after 5pm, which was bloody awful.

spuddy4 · 18/01/2025 10:27

Around 3 o'clock. No chain either just slow estate agents.

AyrnotAir · 18/01/2025 10:29

We were moving in to a house that had belonged to an elderly person who had passed away. Keys weren't ready until 2pm due to the time it took the Solicitors to get everything done but that was 15 years ago.

maddiemookins16mum · 18/01/2025 10:38

We were unlocking the front door late morning.

Worsthousebeststreet · 18/01/2025 10:57

Last in a chain of 4, our buyer got their keys at 1 and we got ours at 2 as we had to wait for the money to move up the chain!

We were all moving very locally within the same town so I wonder if that helped too

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 18/01/2025 11:12

mamnotmum · 17/01/2025 12:13

Ohhhh nooo. Maybe I'm being too optimistic then.

Our estate agent already has our key and the person we are buying from lives about a minute from their agent so I don't think keys will be an issue. Just potentially paperwork/solicitors.

You shouldn't give out keys or receive them until the money has been transferred and confirmed by your solicitor. Otherwise if you let your buyer to have access before the final completion and there is a poblem, you may have difficulty getting them out... so a solicitor told us.

mondaytosunday · 18/01/2025 11:27

Usually by 1pm, though I have had the opportunity to get them first thing. It depends if the money has been sorted and they have moved out the day before. But 1pm has always been my goal to leave my house when selling.

annlee3817 · 18/01/2025 11:28

Managed to get ours at 10.30am, but down to miscommunication from the estate agent, followed by a complaint and then a lot of rushing with the solicitors

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