What happens on completion day is the question most buyers ask once contracts are exchanged. It is the day the money moves, the keys change hands and the removal van finally gets loaded. This guide explains each stage in plain terms, what to do if the keys are late, and how long moving house takes for a typical Bradford home.
Exchange and completion: what is the difference?
Buying or selling a home in England has two big legal moments.
Exchange of contracts is when the buyer’s and seller’s solicitors swap signed contracts. From that point the sale is legally binding. The buyer usually pays a deposit, and a completion date is written into the contract. Pulling out after exchange has serious financial consequences, so this is the point most people book their removal firm for certain.
Completion is when the sale actually happens. The buyer’s money reaches the seller’s solicitor, ownership passes to the buyer and the keys are released. Completion day is moving day for almost everyone.
The gap between the two varies. It can be a few weeks, or exchange and completion can happen on the same day. A short gap leaves little time to book movers, so it helps to get a provisional quote early.
What happens on completion day, step by step
Morning: the money moves
On the morning of completion, the buyer’s solicitor sends the purchase money to the seller’s solicitor. If there is a mortgage, the lender will already have released the funds to the solicitor ahead of the day.
In a chain, this happens in order. The first buyer’s money has to arrive before the next seller can pay for their own purchase, and so on up the chain. Each link takes time, as solicitors have to confirm receipt before sending the next payment.
Midday: keys are released
Once the seller’s solicitor confirms the money has arrived, they tell the estate agent, who releases the keys. Key release is often around lunchtime or early afternoon, but there is no fixed time. In a long chain it can be later.
The seller moves out
The seller must leave the property empty by the time agreed in the contract. That is why sellers often load their van in the morning while the money is still moving, so they are ready to hand over as soon as completion happens.
You move in
With the keys in hand, your removal team can unload. If you are both selling and buying, your van is usually loaded at your old home in the morning, then waits for the keys to your new one.
Chains and why timing slips
Bradford has plenty of chains. A first-time buyer in a Girlington or Laisterdyke terrace may be buying from someone moving up to a semi in Allerton or Wibsey, who is buying from someone downsizing out of a larger house in Heaton or Baildon. Each step depends on the one before it.
Common causes of delay include:
- a bank transfer arriving late in the day
- a solicitor waiting for one more document
- a buyer further down the chain whose mortgage funds are slow
- a seller who has not finished moving out
None of this is in your control, so plan for a late key release and treat an early one as a bonus.
What to do if your keys are late
- Stay in touch with your solicitor. They will know whether the money has left and arrived. The estate agent will only release keys once told to.
- Keep your removal team updated. A good crew can keep loading, pause, or wait at the new address.
- Ask about overnight options before the day. If keys are very late, some moves end up kept on the van overnight or put into storage for a short time. Ask your removal firm what they offer, so you are not deciding at five o’clock.
- Pack an essentials bag. Phone chargers, medication, snacks, kettle, toilet roll and the children’s favourite things should travel with you.
Booking removals for completion day
Completion days cluster on Fridays and at the end of the month, so these dates book up first. Once you have exchanged, confirm your date with your movers straight away.
A few points worth knowing:
- Our quotations are valid for three months, so you can get a quote before exchange and confirm once your date is fixed.
- We give a three-hour arrival time slot, which makes it easier to plan around your solicitor’s timings.
- Cancelling more than 72 hours before the move carries no charge, apart from any packing materials or set-up costs.
- If your new street is narrow or permit controlled, plan the parking early. Our guide to removal van parking in Bradford explains how.
Our house removals service is built around completion day, including packing the day before if you need it.
How long does moving house take?
How long moving house takes depends on how much you have, how far you are going, and how easy access is at both ends. These are general time ranges for a local move within the Bradford district with everything packed and ready.
Packing
- One bedroom flat: half a day to a full day of professional packing
- Two to three bedroom house: usually one full day
- Four bedrooms or more: one to two days
If you pack yourself, allow several weeks of evenings and weekends. Our packing service can do all of it or just the kitchen and fragile items.
Loading
- One bedroom flat: around one to two hours
- Two to three bedroom house: around three to five hours
- Four bedrooms or more: most of a day
Unloading
Unloading is usually a little quicker than loading, as furniture goes straight into the right rooms. Allow roughly two thirds of your loading time.
What adds time in Bradford
- Steep streets and steps. Many Bradford stone terraces sit on hills with steps up to the front door.
- Narrow terraced streets. Cars parked on both sides can mean a longer carry from the van.
- Top floor flats with no lift. Each flight of stairs adds time.
- Lofts and cellars. We only clear lofts with a fitted ladder and boarding, so empty awkward lofts before the day.
- Distance. A move from Thornton to Idle is a short drive. A move down the M62 and M1 adds hours, which is where our long distance removals planning comes in.
Get your completion day booked
Once your solicitor gives you a likely completion date, get a free quote or call 08000862860. We will plan the timings with you, so the van is ready when the keys are.
Planning a move in Bradford?
Get a free, no-obligation quote, or try the cost calculator for a rough idea first.
