How Long Does The Seller Have To Move Out After Closing
In the UK, sellers are normally expected to have moved out by the day of completion. Once completion takes place, the buyer is entitled to vacant possession unless something else was agreed in advance.
The last stages of selling a property can be a tense time for anyone. On top of all the last-minute nerves, you’ve got the worry of getting the timings exactly right. With that in mind, having a firm grasp of your obligations in terms of vacating the property after ‘closing’ can give you real peace of mind.
Knowing what’s what can be particularly important in England and Wales, because the time between exchange and completion typically takes anywhere between 7-28 days. That said, it can all happen much faster for some people.
So, if you’ve got a completion date looming or you just want a better idea of how these things work, this article gives you what you need to know.
How long after completion do I have to move out?
In most UK residential sales, the short answer is you don’t have any. Completion is the point at which ownership of the property changes hands, and the expectation is that the seller has already moved out by then. There’s no ‘grace period’ after, and the buyers are very much entitled to and expecting the keys.
At the point of completion, the money is sent, and the buyer becomes responsible for the home. From then on, the seller shouldn’t still be there unless something specific was agreed beforehand.
In everyday terms, completion goes like this:
- The seller vacates before completion funds are released, not after
- The keys are passed over on the day once completion is confirmed
- The buyer is legally free to take possession straight away
- The seller’s legal right to remain in the property ends on completion
What often catches sellers out:
- Completion doesn’t include time to finish moving out afterwards
- There’s no automatic allowance to stay on “just for a bit”
Staying without agreement can breach the contract and cause immediate issues, and if extra time is genuinely needed, it has to be agreed in advance and written into the contract. The bottom line is that it’s never something that can be decided on completion day itself.
What happens 7 days before closing?
About a week before completion, most of the heavy lifting should already be done, with moving day just a step away. 7 days before closing, the focus shifts from the paperwork side of things to actually being ready to physically vacate. This is usually the point where even small delays or loose ends can create issues, basically because of limited time.
As we mentioned earlier, some people don’t complete on exchange day, so there’s a chance you could exchange seven days out. Either way, exchanging gives everyone certainty, meaning it should be just a matter of dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s.
What typically happens around 7 days before completion:
- Final searches and checks are confirmed or reported on
- Completion statements are issued, showing the final figures
- Mortgage funds are requested by the buyer’s solicitor
- Buildings insurance is confirmed by the buyer
- Moving arrangements are finalised
- Utilities and council tax plans are lined up
- Any agreed pre-completion conditions are checked off
At this stage, you’ve avoided any major drama, and the final 7 days should be straightforward and without surprise. If you’ve prepared properly, you’re likely to be calm and in control.
Can a seller pull out after completion?
Once completion has happened, that’s the end of the sale. The buyer owns the property, and the seller’s connection to it is finished. There isn’t a cooling-off period, and there isn’t a way to reverse it just because someone changes their mind. Completion - as the name suggests - is treated as the final handover, not another step in the process.
After that point, the seller can’t “pull out” in any meaningful sense. If there’s a problem, such as the seller not leaving when they should, it’s dealt with separately and not as part of the sale. It doesn’t undo anything.
If the seller is not ready to complete on completion day, they’ll be served with a notice to complete. They’ll have ten days to complete, or they’ll have to repay the deposit plus interest.
How long after contracts are signed do you complete?
The gap between exchange and completion varies a lot because each property sale is unique, with a unique set of circumstances. For some, there’s pretty much no gap at all, whereas for others, it can be a few weeks. Why? Mainly because both sides are jostling to ensure they’re happy with the schedule.
What matters is that the date is agreed in advance and written into the contract. From that point on, everyone works towards that day, knowing it can’t be shifted around casually.
What that usually looks like in practice:
- A completion date is agreed before contracts are exchanged
- Many sales complete within one to four weeks after exchange
- Same-day exchange and completion can happen where chains are short or simple
- Longer gaps are sometimes agreed to allow time for removals, mortgage funds, or chain coordination
- Once contracts are signed, the completion date is fixed and can’t be changed without agreement
The key thing to understand is that the gap isn’t a holding pattern. It’s a countdown. Once contracts are signed, the completion date is no longer flexible, and both sides are expected to be ready when that day arrives.
Need help with property conveyancing?
Selling a property often doesn't go quite as it’s meant to, especially when completion day is on the horizon. That’s why planning is crucial, so that you’re not having to make rushed decisions at the last minute. Knowing how long you’ve got after completion is just one factor.
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Caragh is an excellent writer and copy editor of books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey, property law and mortgage-related articles.
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
