But where will I put my Christmas tree?

Whatever the reason, moving home around Christmas, or indeed at any time in December, can lead to a more stressful move.

Here are some tips and things to bear in mind that may help:

• Make your timescales clear to all parties - estate agents, your solicitor, your buyer/seller, surveyor, financial advisor - as early as possible - do they believe they can accommodate your requirements? Bear in mind that no one will be able to give you a guarantee. 
• Be aware that many things may take longer - December is a popular time for people to use up annual leave. This may lead to longer search times, delays with mortgage offers/other financial arrangements, and indeed your own solicitor being on holiday. Check as early as possible whether your solicitor is planning any leave, and if so whether appropriate cover will be available for them. When will the necessary searches be completed - will there be enough time for your solicitor to report to you?
• Removal companies can be fully booked through December. Speak to companies as soon as possible to check their availability. Pencil in your suggested completion date, and check what their requirements are for this being confirmed - how much notice do they need? What are their cancellation terms? How much of your deposit will you lose in the event that you do cancel? Do they offer “cancellation insurance” - so long as you comply with their requirements any deposit already paid on the cancelled booking will be credited against the final bill meaning you would not lose any money?
• Where you are providing funds for your purchase check what your bank's requirements are for large sums to be paid from your account - is there a daily limit? Do you need to attend a branch in person with valid ID to instruct the transfer?
• The transaction and any agreed completion date is not legally binding on any party until contracts are exchanged. Consider setting a “cut off” date for exchange of contracts - do you really want the continued uncertainty of whether you are moving in time for Christmas? Setting such a date will focus all parties and will enable you to make family and other arrangements for Christmas having removed the uncertainty of where you may be living.
• Consider the same in terms of a completion date - every year we are often asked if completions can take place on Christmas Eve. While our answer may be yes - it is after all a working day and VWV will be open - many firms do close earlier, often days ahead, meaning completion cannot take place. In addition some firms decide that they won’t complete transactions after a certain date, whether they are open or not. Bear in mind it is not just your own solicitor you need to check will be open and willing to complete - if there is a chain all solicitors will need to be.
• Will the estate agents be open for you to collect the keys once completion has taken place? If not what other arrangements will be made? Is any alternative arrangement acceptable to you?
• If completion is set for Christmas Eve, or indeed in the days leading up to this, bear in mind that should completion not take place for any reason it would be necessary for a notice to complete to be served on the defaulting party. Following service of the notice the defaulting party then has a period of up to 10 working days to complete the contract - note that any bank holidays will not count as working days, and some solicitors will add additional clauses to their contracts to exclude any days that they may be closed from this period. Notice provisions aside - the practical impact on you could be that a move you were expecting to take place on Christmas Eve, may not take place before 5th January 2026 - at the earliest. You should also bear in mind that if you are the defaulting party you will be liable for interest for every day which you are late completing which will be calculated at the full purchase price plus any additional sum agreed for furniture.

VWV will be open throughout the Christmas and New Year period. For more information or advice, please contact Sharon Lee in our Real Estate team.