Is Friday really the best day to complete?

11 replies

SparkyUK · 12/05/2010 20:52

We're in a chain of 3 parties and will be settling our completion date this week. The obvious choice seems to be the first Friday of June but I have a little bit of fear about exchanging on a Friday. I think this is because I once saw a Location Location Location where the money didn't make it to the vendors accounts in time and the bank closed for the weekend. Is that a total fluke? Should I suggest we exchange on Thursday instead? It just seems like Friday would be more convenient for everyone working-wise.

OP posts:

kittycat68 · 12/05/2010 22:27

if there are any last minute hitches youve had it if you exchange on a friday! ive moved many times and mostly they go without a hitch but one move went simarly pear shaped , i would not reccomend moving on a friday if at at possible, i know its easier cause of work with most people but if someting goes wrong your in the shit for several days trying to deal with the problem thats if you can get hold of anyone!

MmeTrueBlueberry · 12/05/2010 22:34

We completed on a Friday and had a dodgy couple of hours around lunchtime. We had to be out of our old house by noon, but couldn't get into our new house until 2pm because the lawyers were 'having a boozy lunch' because it was Friday. Our move was less than a 1 minute drive, so our movers sat outside the new house in their van for ages.

We witnessed the same thing when helping a friend with a Friday move a few years later.

PatriciaHolm · 12/05/2010 23:59

The benefit of a thursday, too, is that it won't be manic at the solicitors/bank -everyone completes on a friday hence the delays! If you can, pull it forward a day.

overthemill · 13/05/2010 08:22

we always exchange on a thursday so any last minute hitches can be sorted. also gives you an extra day to get settled

OurLadyOfPerpetualSupper · 13/05/2010 08:46

We once had a similar experience to MmeBlueberry - gaily went to a cafe for lunch with two DCs and PILs, and ended up sat outside for a good three hours, entertaining bored toddlers and fending off FIL saying 'well, if it was me I'd be on the phone to them' every fifteen mins and doing nothing to help with said toddlers.

Apparently it's common for solicitors to have a boozy long lunch on a Friday - might be an urban myth but I wouldn't chance it again.

Fizzylemonade · 13/05/2010 09:59

I think you mean complete unless you are exchanging and completing on the same day.

It is always our one stipulation, no Fridays. We completed on a Tuesday this time. Thursday is good because it gives you all of Friday, Saturday and Sunday to unpack.

I only know of one person who completed on a Friday where it went wrong. The money went through to sell her house but as it was a chain of 4 her money didn't go through in time to buy the house she was getting. So she was stuck for a weekend with no home, all her stuff in a removal van and had to stay in a hotel. Not pretty.

Original poster

SparkyUK · 13/05/2010 10:12

I did mean complete - sorry, I always swap that about. I've emailed our buyer and she seems happy to move thursday so fingers crossed her buyer will be as well. And then I can lean back and have a stress free completion, right? ha ha. as if.

OP posts:

Restrainedrabbit · 13/05/2010 10:16

I've never completed on a Friday (bought 7 houses in 10 years!), too expensive in terms of removals - can get good deals if you do it earlier in the week ;)

petalpower · 13/05/2010 10:24

We have always avoided Fridays for the same reasons as everyone else on the thread! Our removal company were more expensive on a Friday too. I think last time we moved was a Monday - all weekend to pack, kids to school on Monday, move house, then DH buggers off to work on the next day leaving me to unpack (but without the children around to help)!

secretskillrelationships · 13/05/2010 22:55

My mother was a conveyancing solicitor (no long or boozy lunches I'm afraid) back in the old days when she had to physically exchange contracts. I do remember Christmas always being a bit stressful as there was always someone trying to complete on Christmas Eve She did once advise a family to find an open window when the banks failed to transfer the money in time

We never moved and my mum is still living in the house I grew up in 45 years later! Speaks volumes about the horrors of moving! She would always advise against a Friday for reasons everyone has stated.

MmeTrueBlueberry · 13/05/2010 23:04

When we moved into our current house, it had to be on a specific date, which happened to be a Friday - all unbeknowst to us at the time.

From a forensic search of the rubbish left in our new house, it turned out that said Friday was the 18th birthday of the youngest child of our vendor and stretching out the move to this date enabled the mother to screw over her ex-husband for a few extra pennies (and an important c20-30k off our house purchase price). The boozy lunch came with our blessing

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