Surprising as it may seem in the lead up to the festive season with thoughts consumed by shopping and Turkey the month of December is one of the busiest calendar months in your property solicitor’s year with a staggering amount of people moving home.

Clients echoing “I want to be in by Christmas” from as early as September to as late as December itself. If you want to be in your new home for Christmas communication is key and early planning essential. You will need to work closely with your solicitor and estate agent to ensure that all parties in your chain have agreed at the outset of the deal that you all want to be in your new homes by Christmas and that everyone is working towards the same goal.

Make sure that your estate agent and solicitor are aware of how many people are in your chain to avoid the disappointment of finding out late in the day and close to an exchange of contracts that there is an additional party buying on and they were expecting a move in the New Year.

Move Home Before Christmas

Don’t forget about all the practical non-legal things that you have to have in mind to make sure that what is already a stressful experience for most that you still have time to enjoy your Christmas and family celebrations.  My top tips for ensuring that your tree is up in time for the big day and that Santa has your change of address details:

  1. Communicate to everyone, your solicitor, your agent, your buyer and your seller that your intention is that you want to be in for Christmas and get this agreed by all as early as possible. Whilst this agreement is not legally binding until the exchange of contracts is achieved it will mean that you are all working towards the same goal.
  2. Speak to a removal company and check availability for your preferred dates. If you can provisionally book without having to pay a non-refundable deposit then get your date secured and pencilled in with them.
  3. Ask your agent to get confirmation from all parties that surveys have been booked and paid for as early as possible to ensure that any party who is relying on mortgage finance is not holding matters up whilst waiting for paperwork to arrive from the bank.
  4. Ask your agent to confirm that all parties have instructed their solicitors, paid any monies needed on account for searches and they have all communicated to their solicitors their intention to move in time for Christmas.
  5. Ask your agent and solicitor to be as proactive as possible and to provide you with a weekly update as to the progress that is being made with your transactions and any other parties in the chain. Your chain will only progress at the speed of the slowest in the chain so you need to know that all parties are working as quickly as possible.
  6. Ensure that you respond to any correspondence from your solicitor the day you receive it. You wouldn’t want your signed contracts or replies to additional enquiries from your buyers to cause the delay which means you won’t be moving in time.
  7. Make sure you have started telling family and friends that you are hoping to move during the month of December, you wouldn’t want Auntie Maud’s Christmas card being sent to your old home.
  8. Organise your packing in order of importance as to what you will need first when you arrive in your new home. Your essential Christmas items need to be boxed and clearly labelled you don’t want to find yourself unable to find the fairy for the tree.
  9. Start your Christmas shopping early, wrap and label as you go and have some spare packing boxes labelled “Christmas Presents” so that these are easily accessible during the course of the move.
  10. Don’t forget to order the Turkey.