If you’ve been going through the process of buying or renting somewhere new for sometime, you’re probably getting quite stressed about when you will actually get the keys to your new home… We’ve been in the moving industry for over 10 years, so we have a good idea of the moving process and the time these things can take. Therefore, if you’re looking for an overall timeline for the move, then click here. However, if you’re just wondering “when will I get the keys to my new house?” then read on.
Renting
If you are renting your new home, you should have a good idea of when you will be able to collect the keys when you sign your new tenancy agreement. Of course, you need to fill out paperwork before the keys are handed over. This might be done in advance, or it might be done on the day of the move. However, you will have arranged this well in advance with the estate agent or landlord. If you are booking a removal company, many tenants aim to have the keys to their new house a couple of days before they need to move out of their current property. This means that we can come in, load, and unload without any waiting for paperwork to be signed. It also means you can do a thorough clean of your current property before it is handed back to the landlord.
Buying
If you’re purchasing your new property, things aren’t always as easy in terms of arranging a date. For instance, if you are in a long chain, a completion date will need to be agreed with all parties. It can take some time to get this agreed if communication between solicitors is slow. As of the time of writing this article, we are finding the average move is taking around 16 weeks. However, once contracts have exchanged then it usually only takes a week before you will get the keys.
It’s also worth pointing out that, more often than not, solicitors do not work of a weekend. This means that your moving day will need to be on a weekday if you are completing on your current and new property on the same day. Unless you are a cash buyer or not in a chain, your moving day will be the day of completion.
If you are in a chain, as your removal company, we would arrive at the property for around 08:30am. This is because you will need to be vacant by midday. 0(This will be stated in the contracts you exchange for the sale/purchase). Only at midday will the funds be transferred between solicitors. Do be aware that this can take some time… Your keys can then only be collected from the estate agent once all monies have been received. Your estate agents may advise that keys will be available from lunchtime. However, in our experience they may not be ready until late afternoon. This is when you may want to look into key wait waivers before you book a removal company or at least look into the firm’s waiting policy.
