Five Avoidable Mistakes That Create Stress Between Exchange and Completion - with Abels Moving Services
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Partner Insight · Abels Moving Services
Most agents have experienced it. A transaction progresses smoothly, exchange takes place, and everyone assumes the difficult part is behind them. Then, in the final days before completion, problems emerge that create unnecessary pressure for buyers, sellers and agents alike.
While moving arrangements sit outside the legal transaction, they usually have a significant influence on how clients remember the overall experience. Many of the issues we encounter are entirely avoidable if identified early enough.
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1
Leaving moving arrangements until after exchange
One of the most common misconceptions among buyers and sellers is that removal planning can wait until contracts have been exchanged. In reality, prime property relocations frequently involve more than simply booking a van. Access restrictions, specialist packing requirements, storage arrangements and building management approvals may all need to be coordinated in advance. When planning starts late, options become limited and timelines compressed. This can create unnecessary stress at precisely the point when clients expect everything to be falling into place. It is best practice to consider booking in your removal survey once a sale has been agreed, or 2 months before the expected completion date.
For the agent
A simple check-in from the agent several weeks before exchange can commonly prompt valuable early planning.
2
Underestimating access and building restrictions
Clients rarely view their new property through the eyes of a removals team.
Prime London properties frequently present logistical challenges that are not immediately obvious, including loading restrictions, concierge requirements, lift bookings, narrow staircases and controlled parking zones. These considerations rarely prevent a move from taking place, but they habitually influence how it should be managed. Where access requirements are identified early, solutions are usually straightforward. Where they are discovered on moving day, delays and frustration become much more likely.
3
Assuming refurbishment and occupation will happen simultaneously
A growing proportion of buyers are purchasing properties with the intention of undertaking extensive refurbishment works before moving in.
Many initially expect furniture and possessions to be delivered immediately following completion, only to discover that contractors, decorators and designers require several months' unrestricted access to the property.
This often results in a last-minute search for storage or requests to rearrange moving dates.
Agents who discuss refurbishment plans at an early stage are commonly able to help clients make more realistic decisions about timescales and budgets.
4
Failing to identify high-value or specialist items
Fine art, antiques, wine collections, sculptures, pianos and bespoke furniture often require additional planning. The challenge is not simply transportation. Appropriate packing materials, specialist handling equipment, access routes and storage conditions may all need to be considered.
As part of our standard process, Abels carries out a pre-move survey, ideally as early as possible once a move is being planned. This allows our surveyor to identify any items requiring specialist handling and ensure the appropriate arrangements are in place well in advance.
In many cases, these requirements only become apparent during the survey, despite involving some of the client's most valuable possessions. Raising the subject early helps clients plan effectively and avoids unexpected complications later in the moving process.
5
Treating the move as someone else's responsibility
The move itself may sit outside the transaction, but clients rarely separate one experience from the other. For many buyers and sellers, the final days before move day are the most memorable part of the entire journey. Problems encountered at this stage can easily overshadow months of successful work by agents, solicitors and other advisers.
The best outcomes typically occur when practical moving arrangements are considered alongside the transaction, rather than as an afterthought once contracts have been exchanged. While estate agents, solicitors and other advisers play an important role in ensuring clients are prepared, responsibility for planning and delivering the physical move rests with the removal company.
Once instructed, Abels takes responsibility for assessing the move requirements through a pre-move survey, identifying any potential challenges, recommending appropriate solutions, and planning every aspect of the relocation to ensure moving day is executed efficiently and with minimal disruption. Clients may not remember every detail of the conveyancing process, but they invariably remember how well their move into a new home was managed.
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Abels Moving Services
Nicholas Illingworth
Head of Partnerships