Completion and moving in
Getting the keys is the part of completion you can see, although it can only happen once the purchase money has reached the seller. The move then begins while a few practical checks, new responsibilities and some of the legal work still continue around it.
How completion day and key collection work
Your conveyancer will give you a completion statement showing the purchase money, tax, fees and adjustments. Transfer the cleared balance by the deadline they set and verify bank details through a trusted channel before sending a large payment.
The conveyancer requests mortgage funds in advance and sends the full completion money on the day. In a chain, money can move through several transactions in sequence. Although the date is fixed, the exact time at which the keys are released will usually remain uncertain.
Completion can be confirmed later than hoped, especially in a chain. Keep essentials with you, plan for children or pets, and make sure the removal arrangement can cope with waiting.
If you cannot collect the keys personally, agree an alternative with the agent and conveyancer beforehand.
When the property should be empty
Most ordinary sales require vacant possession: the seller and belongings not included in the fixtures list should be gone by completion. If the seller has not left, keys are unavailable or someone else is occupying the home, contact your conveyancer immediately.
What to check when you first enter the property
Photograph gas, electricity and water meter readings. Record the condition before moving furniture in, and compare included items with the fixtures list. If something material is missing, newly damaged or not as contractually agreed, preserve evidence and tell the conveyancer promptly.
Find the stopcock, consumer unit and any heating controls. Test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, secure the property and consider changing the external locks. Keep the seller's manuals, guarantees, keys and codes together.
Accounts and organisations to notify
Contact the existing energy and water suppliers with readings, then change tariff or supplier if appropriate. Tell the council the completion date for council tax. Update contents insurance, electoral registration, driving and vehicle records, banks, employer and other important accounts. Arrange post redirection rather than relying on the seller or buyer at an old address.
Legal work after completion
After completion, the conveyancer deals with the property transaction tax return and payment, settles any final legal undertakings and applies to HM Land Registry to register the change of ownership and lender's charge. Registration can take time even though the purchase has completed.
Keep the final statement, tax certificate where supplied, title information, lease, guarantees and mortgage offer. Ask how you will be told when registration is complete.
If the register still shows the previous owner, ask when the application was lodged, whether HM Land Registry has raised a requisition and how the application is protected while it is pending. The old entry remaining visible does not by itself mean that the purchase failed to complete.
How to prioritise repairs
Deal first with immediate safety, active water entry, security and loss of essential heating, power or sanitation. Then turn the survey into a maintenance plan. The presence of a long list does not mean every item should be done in the first month.
If you find a defect after moving in
Deal with any immediate danger or active damage first and keep a record of what you find. Once the situation is safe, look back at the survey, seller's information and any specific promise made during the purchase to understand whether the problem was disclosed or appears to be new. Buying the home does not give you a general warranty from the seller, although the particular facts can still matter.
If the home feels wrong after moving in
A large financial commitment, an unfamiliar home and a sudden list of jobs can make the first weeks feel very different from the viewing. This is often described as buyer's remorse, but the label can cover both a temporary reaction to the scale of the change and a practical problem that needs attention. The feeling should not be dismissed or treated as proof that the purchase was a mistake without working out what is causing it.
Write down what “wrong” means in practice: the monthly cost, location, noise, commute, layout, a change in your circumstances, or the amount of repair and refurbishment now facing you. If the property has become an overwhelming project, pause non-essential work and separate safety, weatherproofing and essential services from improvements that can wait. Use properly scoped quotations to turn the remaining work into a budget and sequence.
Once the concern is specific, the relevant option becomes clearer. That may mean changing the renovation plan, reviewing the household budget, getting advice about a condition problem or considering a later sale. Before deciding to sell, account for the mortgage terms, selling and moving costs and the time needed to put another housing arrangement in place.
What to check at this stage
- Check the completion statement and bank details carefully.
- Keep the completion day flexible, because the keys may not be released until later in the day.
- Photograph the meter readings and the property's condition before unpacking.
- Find the main water stopcock and electrical consumer unit, then check the alarms and decide whether to change the external locks.
- Set up council tax, water and energy from the completion date.
- Keep the legal and property documents together.
- Deal with safety hazards, leaks and active damage before starting cosmetic work.