Moving house: what time did you get the keys?

[Wigeon]

We are moving on Monday - fairly short chain - our buyers are first time buyers, and we are moving into a vacant house with no upper chain. Our buyer and us are getting the money to our solicitors tomorrow, Friday. So on Monday, their solicitor needs to give our solicitor the money, and he needs to give our vendors the money.

So when on the day of your move did you get the keys to your new place? And when might we?

And if you have your biggest Top Tip for moving day then throw that in too! (have done a few vital things, like stock up on mince pies for the removal men...).

Thank you!

Our sale went through at about 12.30 by the time we collected the keys to our new house about 3/4 an hour later .

We're completing on friday and are the only transaction in the chain - vendor going into rented, we're coming out of rented -and we've been told by 2pm at the latest. Hoping earlier!!

ps top tips for removal day - make sure you have loo roll , and some plates/knives/forks handy -when we moved in here I couldn't find the cutlery so at dinner time had to beg the curry delivery man for some plastic forks!

when we moved we got the keys at 6pm. It was a nightmare. Make sure you get all your beds made up as well. Nothing worse than a hard day moving stuff then having to make up your bed. Happy moving and hope it all runs smoothly for you.

We got our keys at about 12.30 but we didn't get into the house until gone 6pm as the owners had held on to a set of keys to finish their packing. Good job we weren't planning on moving that day! I would hope I was in the minority of house movers there though.

Top tips, take loo roll, and make sure your kettle, tea bags and milk are to hand. Oh and light bulbs, when we moved house before the owners had actually taken out every single light bulb so that was a fun first night

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6.30pm? That's ridiclous?

Teh solicitors should have sorted it out by mid day....as long as they get they get there areses in gear and actually tell the estate agents the money has been transfered it shouldn't be any later that 2pm.

If the removal men are getting cold, you could always ask the estate agents to give the solicitors a call, just to check, incase the people at the solicitors are having christmas drinks and mincepies and have forgotton very busy.

Thanks everyone!

Loo roll - check. Takeaway menus - a very very kind colleague of DH's lives in the same street and has offered to cook for us!! We have kept one box for "things we need on the day" so will ensure kettle and tea bags etc are right at the top of it!

A welcome pack - that's very sweet! I have been doing a mini welcome pack for our buyers but so far all it contains is half-full paint pots in case they need to touch up various rooms, guarantees for the patio doors etc. V boring! Will have to add tea bags and a little box of biscuits!

Hi Wigeon

We completed nearly 3 weeks ago & on the day of completion we didn't get the keys to the new house until nearly 3pm as our crap solicitor hadn't done the chaps transfer to our vendor's solicitor. Was mega p*ssed off as we'd ensured our funds were in place the Friday before so that he could do the transfer first thing Monday morning!! My advice to you would be to ring your Solicitor early tomorrow to ensure he is making the payment (we didn't chase until lunchtime). Good luck hun

We drove to the house as technically it was ours from 1pm, but the vendors were still moving themselves out (3 bed house with 2 children -CRAZY) Therefore they still had the keys.

We had a 3 hour drive as we relocated, arrived at 4pm to see them still moving their stuff out, woman running around like mad thing, asked us where our van was. We were stashing our stuff overnight and the removal men were coming back the next day at 9am.

We didn't help as we were tired and angry at this stage. My parents had taken my 16month old for the night but we wandered round the house with all the lights blazing making sure they weren't going to take the lightbulbs.

These were the people who intended to take the shed that they tried to sell to us

So as the house you are moving to is empty and there is no real chain below you I would think 2pm latest.

Moved twice and each time got the keys after 3.30. Was told it was something to do with the bank not transferring the money until the last possible minute.

Normally, you have to wait until the money has gone through and both solicitors have signed off on the deal. That said, some solicitors are a lot more efficient than others. Last time we sold, we moved out the day before completion (moving into a rented house in Scotland) and they still didn't complete until 4.30, because the buyers solicitor was not at all well organised.

Thanks everyone! Moved on Monday, completed on our sale about 1pm, then completed on the purchase about 2pm (spot on Fizzylemonade). All worked out pretty well. And my sparkly new dongle is working so I can mumsnet google important house-related things.