What to Do if Your Completion Day Slips at the Last Minute

Stay Calm — It Is Genuinely Common

Completion slipping by a day or two is one of the most common late-stage issues in UK house buying. Chains stall, banks delay funds, paperwork gets stuck. It is stressful, but it is not a disaster if you know what to do in the first hour. Here is a clear plan.

First: Confirm It Is Actually Delayed

Sometimes the news is patchy. Before you call anyone, get the facts from your solicitor:

• Is completion delayed by hours, a day, or longer?
• Is it likely to complete today, tomorrow, or end of week?
• Is the delay at your end, the buyer's, or further up the chain?

Knowing the scale changes what you do next.

Call Your Removals Company Immediately

Do not wait. The earlier they know, the more options they can offer.

Most UK movers have one of three policies for delays:

1. Short delay (a few hours) — crew waits or unloads to van overnight, sometimes a small charge
2. One-day delay — crew returns next day, usually a re-booking fee or pro-rated cost
3. Longer delay — goods go into storage, completion rebooked when keys are ready

Ask specifically:

• What is the cost of waiting?
• What is the cost of rescheduling?
• Is overnight storage on the van or in a warehouse available?
• What is the cost per night of storage?

Overnight on the Van vs Warehouse Storage

For a 1-day delay, leaving goods on the van overnight is usually cheapest and simplest. The van is parked secure at the depot.

For longer delays (2 plus nights), warehouse storage is safer and often the insurance requirement.

Check who is responsible for insurance during the delay — your home contents insurance may not cover items in a moving van or storage facility. Your mover's insurance usually does, but get it in writing. For longer storage needs, see our guide on removals and storage.

Where Will You Sleep Tonight?

If you have already moved out of your old place, you have a few options:

• Stay with family or friends — easiest if local
• Premier Inn or Travelodge — usually available same day, family-friendly, reasonable
• Airbnb — handy if you need a few nights or want kitchen access
• Negotiate with your buyer to stay in the old property for the night — sometimes possible, often not

For families with young children or pets, ring round hotels early. Last-minute availability on a Friday in summer disappears fast.

Practical Things to Do Straight Away

In rough order of priority:

1. Call your solicitor for confirmation
2. Call your removals company to discuss options
3. Sort tonight's accommodation
4. Tell anyone you have notified about timed services — internet installation, gas safety check, school
5. Update your Royal Mail redirect start date if needed
6. Reschedule any moving-day childcare or pet care if it cannot transfer
7. Eat something — easy to forget when you are stressed

Keep Critical Items With You

If goods are going to be on the van or in storage, you need:

• Medication
• Important documents (passports, deeds, ID)
• Phone chargers
• 1 to 2 changes of clothes per person
• Children's comfort items
• Pet food and essentials

If you packed a first-night box, you already have most of this. If you did not, ask your mover to retrieve a couple of specific boxes from the van — usually possible.

Communicating With the Chain

Stay polite even if you are furious. Most delays are out of any single party's control, and the rest of the chain is having the same conversation.

Use email or text to keep a clear record, not just phone calls. If the delay drags on, your solicitor can chase the chain solicitor for written updates.

When the Delay Turns Into Days

If the delay is genuinely several days, talk to your mover about:

• Storage costs — usually a daily or weekly rate
• Re-delivery date and time
• Cost of the second moving day
• Insurance during storage

It is frustrating, but a few days of storage is often the cleanest answer.

Avoiding Delays in the First Place

You cannot eliminate the risk, but you can reduce it:

• Complete on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday rather than Friday (banks process faster mid-week)
• Avoid the last day of the month if possible
• Push for early exchange — at least a week before completion
• Stay close to your solicitor in the final week

Quick Checklist if Completion Slips

• Confirm scale of delay with solicitor
• Call removals immediately
• Sort accommodation
• Retrieve essentials from the van if needed
• Update notifications (internet, school, etc.)
• Keep a written record of everything

Book a Mover Who Handles Delays Well

When you are getting removals quotes, ask each company specifically how they handle completion slips — the answer tells you a lot. Use our calculator for a benchmark price, and our vetting guide to check how each company handles complaints when things go wrong.