So, we are back to this old chestnut.

Once again, and probably because the market is rampant right now we are back to the situation where many are being herded like sheep towards moving on Fridays.

I won’t labour the point but once again I am meeting people ‘given’ the date by their solicitor. In front of me and with a bemused expression they say ‘do we have to move on a Friday’ because we have heard it is best not too?’

Firstly, in answer to the question, no, you do not.

Secondly, quite right, there are a whole heap of reasons not too!

1) What if completion does not go through.

So, your solicitor is more concerned with eating lunch than transferring funds, or maybe somebody else’s solicitor, further down the chain. It is 16:00, and still you have no funds for your home. And without money for your old home, you cannot buy the new one.

Or maybe, as we have seen a few times over the last 12 months your money ‘gets lost’ somewhere along the way. Indeed Mrs ‘A’ had this happen and it was nearly a week before those funds were located. Albeit that is an extreme example.

If either of the scenarios above happen to you. You are homeless for a weekend. Move home on any other day (Mon>Thur) and the following day everyone is still available to help. On a Friday, forget it. Your solicitor isn’t in on a Saturday, and even if they were………the bank cannot help.

2) What if there is a problem at the new home?

As we all know, (and this blog post will explore shortly) it takes longer to get key release on a Friday. However, what if you get into the new home and there is a problem with heating, or water, or electrics? Do you really think you’ll be getting a tradesman at 16:00 on a Friday afternoon?

We both know that won’t happen.

Any problems discovered on Friday are going to have to wait, unless you want to pay an evening or weekend call-out fee?

3) Key release takes longer

So, let us paint two scenarios.

The first would see you, @6pm, already making good progress settling in, and just thinking about getting a takeaway. Afterall, the beds are made up, everything is in the correct place, and the kitchen is mostly unpacked.

Scenario 2 – It is 7pm, after being sat in your car for 4 hours you were fairly brassed off and weary when you did get the keys (4pm) and now, well, its starting to get dark. You haven’t eaten, and the only thought is to make the beds, and crash. Lets deal with everything tomorrow.

See the process of completion isn’t automated. It is human. And these humans work in offices that are busy, or quiet, or comfy. The more there is to do, the less efficient they run.

You move on a Friday and your estate agent is swamped. The phonelines are chockablock with everybody else in the same position as you, and while they are answering those phones the one thing they can’t do, is ring you.

Your solicitor – same story. Loads of incoming calls. Lots to do, completions going through.

Are you top of these persons lists? Are you even top of their thoughts? It is pot luck.

When my mother moved it took me 40minutes to get the Hunters office in Solihull to pick up the phone, it was either engaged or just rang out. This being because they were busy. So that is/was a 40 minute delay getting into the new home right there.

Not to mention Steve Mottram from Standley&Co was ‘busy in meetings’ and took 3 hours to actually action the key release.

The busier all the people are, the longer everything takes.

You move on a busy Friday, and you may be the ones stuck sat in your car for 4 hours, bored, weary, restless and annoyed. And then, well then there is still everything to do.

It is no coincidence, none at all, that our customers wait less time on the more quiet days of the week (generally Tue and Wed, followed by Mon and Thur).

4) Availability of Removal Firms

Well, here I will copy and paste the email  sent to somebody this morning at @08:00.

Good Morning.

Sorry but Friday 23rd is solidly fully booked.

If you have not yet exchanged contracts then we would suggest that you change the date. We still have plenty of availability on 28th and 29th.

Failing that, then a worst case scenario would be to move out prior to 23rd, place everything into storage, and then move back to your new home on either 25th or 26th.

Good Luck.

M&G

Oh, by the way, the gentlemans email makes it clear he has been calling and emailing round trying to find a remover. Crazy situation. All because the Friday is the one before the bank holiday weekend. I mean seriously people. Just take 3 days off and move a day or two earlier. It amazes me the way we in this country are so fixated in our attitude that the actual process of moving is an inconvenience as opposed to something we could enjoy.

5) Being ready for moving

Most common reason given for wanting a Friday (on internet etc etc) is ‘time at weekend to unpack’. Well, here is a thought – when are you going to pack?

I think that by now I am fairly well placed to comment on what makes a successful move. And preparation is top of the list. Be well prepared, well packed and well organised and your move will be a breeze. Have your ‘ready box’ – ready and the fact that everything else is packed up will, be of little consequence.

Be disorganised, and messy……………….you’ll still be disorganised and messy when you move in.

It may be reverse logic to the ‘common wisdom’ but trust me, it’s true.

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This blog post could be longer, but then we’d both be bored.

Hopefully what is written above may at least make you think about choosing a day for moving. It IS your choice.....

Any questions, any queries, feel free to email

matt@mgtr.co.uk