Completion day is often the day you move into your new home, but the two dates do not have to be identical. For a typical purchase in England and Wales, completion is when the purchase money is transferred and ownership changes. You can usually move in once completion has been confirmed and the keys have been released. If you are also selling, agree with your solicitor when you must leave your old property.
The practical challenge is coordinating the legal process with packing, loading, travel and access. This guide explains what to confirm before booking your move, what happens on the day and how to prepare for a delay.
Completion, key collection and moving day
These are connected steps, but a removal vehicle arriving does not mean you can immediately unload. Your solicitor or conveyancer confirms completion; the seller or estate agent releases the keys under the agreed arrangements. See GOV.UK’s explanation of completion and transferring ownership.
If you already have somewhere to stay, you may choose to move your belongings into the new home later. That does not automatically allow you to stay in a property you have sold: check the agreed handover requirements separately. If you are leaving a rental, confirm your tenancy end date and key-return arrangements with your landlord or agent.
When should you book the removals company?
Get quotations and discuss availability while your purchase is progressing. Tell the removals company whether your date is provisional or confirmed, and ask about its booking, postponement and cancellation terms before paying.
Exchange and completion are different stages. Exchange makes the agreement binding, while completion follows on the agreed date. Your solicitor can explain the position for your transaction, including any plan to exchange and complete on the same day. MoneyHelper’s exchange and completion guide provides a useful overview.
As soon as the date is confirmed, update your mover. Do not assume a provisional enquiry has reserved a team or that a date can be changed without a charge. If the move becomes urgent, our last-minute removals guide explains what information to have ready when checking availability.
What to confirm before completion day
- With your solicitor: the agreed date, the handover requirements for your sale and how you will receive confirmation that your purchase has completed.
- With the estate agent or seller: who holds the keys, where to collect them and who will authorise their release.
- With your mover: the arrival window, inventory, packing arrangements, access at both properties and how waiting time or an unsuccessful delivery would be handled.
- With building management: any lift reservation, loading-bay booking, concierge access or restrictions on moving hours.
- For parking: what permissions are needed at both addresses. Use our London parking suspensions guide to find the relevant authority.
Keep the solicitor, agent and removals team’s telephone numbers with you. Nominate one person to pass on confirmed updates so the crew is not working from conflicting messages.
A practical moving-day sequence
Before the team arrives
Finish the preparation agreed in your booking. Label boxes by room, keep corridors clear and separate anything that must travel with you. Carry keys, documents, medicines, chargers and overnight essentials yourself. If you have booked professional packing, confirm the packing schedule beforehand rather than assuming it will fit into the loading window.
Loading and leaving your old home
Walk through the inventory and access arrangements with the team. Point out items that are staying and anything needing particular handling. Once rooms are empty, check cupboards, outdoor areas and storage spaces, take meter readings and follow the agreed key-handover arrangements. Build the loading plan around the time you need to vacate, not an assumed time for receiving the new keys.
Waiting for confirmation and collecting keys
Keep in contact with your solicitor and agent. A planned completion date is not a guaranteed key-release time. In a chain, progress elsewhere can affect access to your purchase. Tell the mover when completion is confirmed and the keys are actually available.
Unloading at the new address
Check that the entrance, loading space and any booked lift are available before unloading starts. Show the team where larger furniture and labelled boxes should go. Keep your essentials accessible so you can manage the first evening even if unpacking takes longer.
What if the keys are delayed?
Let the removals team know promptly and ask your solicitor or agent for a confirmed update. Avoid repeatedly promising the crew that access is only minutes away when the timing is uncertain.
Before moving day, establish whether waiting is possible, how it would be charged and what happens if unloading cannot be completed within the agreed arrangements. A crew or vehicle may have other commitments, so an overnight hold or next-day delivery must be discussed and agreed rather than assumed.
If the delay affects your obligation to leave a property or complete a transaction, ask your solicitor what to do. Your mover can discuss transport and handling options but cannot authorise possession or resolve the legal completion process.
What if you must move out before you can move in?
Discuss temporary storage before the gap becomes urgent. Ask for a plan covering collection, storage, access to essential belongings and delivery to the new home. Confirm availability, charges and the notice needed to arrange the second move.
Pack a separate overnight bag and make your own accommodation arrangements. Keep medicines, identity documents and items needed immediately out of storage. For budgeting, our removals and storage costs guide explains the main cost components; your quotation should reflect both transport stages and your actual storage needs.
Common completion-day questions
Do I have to move into the new home on completion day?
You may be able to move your belongings in later once you have completed and obtained access. Confirm any relevant arrangements with your solicitor, and separately plan when you must leave your current home.
Can I book unloading for a fixed time?
Discuss the timetable with your mover, but do not promise access before key release is confirmed. Explain any building time limits when requesting the quote so the team can assess the plan.
Should I assume a Friday move will cost less or more?
Ask for quotations for the dates you can realistically use. Availability and the work required determine the offer; there is no automatic weekday saving to rely on. Agree a feasible completion date with your solicitor before making commitments around a preferred removal slot.
Plan your move with Aussie
When requesting a London home removals quotation, tell us whether your completion date is confirmed, what needs moving, how access works and whether you may need packing or storage. Sharing uncertainty early gives the team a better basis for planning.