By the time set in your contract, which is often around 1pm. Check the exact time with your conveyancer, then plan backwards from it: the house needs to be empty, and the keys ready to hand over, by then. Starting early makes the day far calmer, and storage you can get into from 6am helps.
Where the time comes from
Zoopla’s guide to completion day explains that “You must leave your home by the time set in your contract. This is often around 1pm.” Your completion date is agreed before you exchange, so it’s written into your contract too. If you’re also buying, the keys to your new home are released once the money has reached the seller’s solicitor, so you may be out of your old home before you can get into the new one. If that gap grows, see what happens when completion is delayed.
Planning the day
- Pack the night before. Leave out only a box of essentials: kettle, mugs, phone chargers, medicines, toiletries and the paperwork you’ll need.
- Book the removals van early. An early start gives you slack if the loading takes longer than planned.
- Split the load if you need to. Things going straight to the new home go on one load; anything for storage can go first, or on a separate trip.
- Leave time for a last check. Look in every cupboard, the loft and the garden shed, and read the meters before you hand over the keys.
How storage helps on the day
If you’re putting things into storage, you can get into your unit from 6am, seven days a week, so a van can unload at the storage site first thing and be back in time for the rest. You can also move boxes in during the days before, which leaves less to do on the day itself. Someone from your side needs to be there when a removals crew unloads, either you or a friend or relative you’ve shared access with.
If completion is delayed, your storage simply carries on: there’s no end date to change, and you can stay for as long as you need.
To book a unit for your move, call us on 0800 2545585, or get a price online.
Related questions
- Do I have to be there on moving-in day?
- How long does it take to move into a storage unit?
- When can I get to my storage unit, and can I come early or late?
- How long does it take to move house in the UK?
- What should I do on the night before moving day?
Further reading
- Zoopla: What happens on completion day?