Completion Day: What Actually Happens When You Move House

Knowing what happens on completion day takes a lot of the stress out of moving house. It is the day the money changes hands, ownership legally transfers and you finally get the keys, but it rarely runs to a neat timetable. This guide walks through exactly what happens on a typical Sussex completion day, in what order, and how to avoid the last-minute hold-ups that catch people out. For the wider run-up, see our moving house checklist.

Exchange first, then completion

Completion is the second of two legal milestones. At exchange of contracts, the sale becomes binding and you pay your deposit, usually 10 per cent of the price; from that moment neither party can walk away without serious penalty, and your buildings insurance must be in place. Completion is the day, typically one to two weeks later, when the remaining money is paid and the property becomes yours. Some people exchange and complete on the same day, which is quicker but leaves no safety margin if anything slips.

How the money moves

The heart of completion day is a chain of bank transfers between solicitors. Your solicitor sends the balance of the purchase price, drawn from your mortgage funds and your own money, to the seller's solicitor. If you are in a chain, everyone is doing the same thing in sequence: the money released by the buyer at the bottom works its way up as each sale completes. Completion only happens for you once your seller's solicitor confirms the funds have arrived, which is why an early transfer matters and a late-afternoon one can push everything back.

A typical completion-day timeline

• Early morning: your removals firm arrives at the old property and starts loading, even though completion is not yet legally done.
• Late morning: solicitors send and chase the transfers up the chain; this is the part you cannot rush.
• Around midday to early afternoon: the seller's solicitor confirms receipt, the sale completes, and the agent is told to release the keys.
• Afternoon: you collect the keys, the removers unload at the new home, and you take your meter readings.

Because the money is the gating step, the handover time is genuinely uncertain. Booking an early removals slot and staying flexible for the gap between loading and getting the keys is the single best way to keep the day calm.

What your solicitor does, and what you do

Your solicitor handles the legal side: transferring the funds, confirming completion, and afterwards paying your stamp duty and registering you as the new owner with the Land Registry. Your job on the day is practical. Take final meter readings at both homes and pass them to the suppliers, do a last sweep for anything left behind, keep your phone charged and answered, and do not commit to anything, such as a fixed contractor booking, that assumes an exact key time. Once you are in, check the property matches what you agreed and begin telling people your new address.

What can go wrong, and how to plan for it

The commonest problem is a delayed transfer, often because a bank processes the payment slowly or a sale higher in the chain completes late, holding up everyone below it. Nothing you do speeds up a chain, so the sensible move is to prepare for slack: pack an essentials box you can reach easily, arrange childcare or pet care so you are not clock-watching, and agree with your removers what happens if the keys come late. If you are choosing your team now, our guide to how far ahead to book removals helps you line up a firm that can be flexible.

After completion day

Once you have the keys, the move itself is only part of the job. Update your address with the essential organisations, get your utilities set up in your name, and keep your completion statement safe for your records. Our guide to who to notify when you move house runs through the full list, and the cost of moving house in Sussex explains the fees your solicitor settles after completion. Then, at last, you can start unpacking.

Frequently asked questions

What happens on completion day when you move house?

On completion day the buyer's solicitor sends the balance of the purchase money to the seller's solicitor. Once that money is received and confirmed, the sale legally completes and the keys are released, usually through the estate agent, often around midday. Removals typically load in the morning and unload once completion is confirmed.

What time do you get the keys on completion day?

There is no fixed time. Keys are released only after the money reaches the seller's solicitor, which commonly happens late morning to early afternoon. In a long chain it can be later, because each sale has to complete in turn. Plan for a flexible afternoon rather than a guaranteed 9am handover.

What is the difference between exchange and completion?

Exchange of contracts is when the sale becomes legally binding and you pay your deposit; from that point neither side can pull out without penalty. Completion is the later date, often one to two weeks after exchange, when the rest of the money is paid and ownership actually transfers so you can move in.

Can completion day be delayed?

Yes. Delays usually come from money moving slowly through a chain, a bank transfer arriving late in the day, or a problem further up or down the chain. Same-day completion and exchange is riskier for this reason. Keep your solicitor's number to hand and have a backup plan for your removals if the keys are late.

What do you need to do on completion day?

Take final meter readings at both properties, do a last check that nothing is left behind, keep your phone charged and stay reachable for your solicitor and removers, and do not book anything you cannot move. Once you get the keys, check the property is as expected and start your address changes.