Ways to simplify moving day

moving day

It's that time of year again, moving time. Sales follow a fairly predictable pattern in Edmonton, and peak almost every year in May. It makes sense then that the busiest time of year for moving companies comes not long after sales peak. So what can you do to make your moving day simpler? We all know tips like packing away items as soon as possible and getting rid of excess stuff. I'd like to focus on what you can do to make moving easier when you decide to purchase a home, not after the deal is already done.

1. Don't plan to move in on possession day. Although the purchase contract will typically say you will get possession of your new home at noon on possession day, this actually occurs less often than you might think. If you book your movers for the same day you take possession of your new home, Murphy's law pretty much guarantees there will be a delay, and the movers will be sitting out front of your new home waiting while you and your lawyer and your agent try to sort out whatever issues are holding things up. Book your move for a day or two after possession and save yourself a lot of stress. Plus, it's a lot easier to clean carpets and cupboards, identify any problems, and prepare to live in the home without all of your stuff in the way.

2. Don't take possession on the first or last day of the month, or a Friday (especially a Friday before a long weekend). The 1st and last day of the month are the most popular days to take possession and that means lawyers, mortgage brokers, and movers are all very busy. If something goes wrong on a Friday, your lawyer probably won't be available to correct the situation until Monday, leaving you in limbo all weekend. 

3. Don't book hook ups on possession day. Some utilities get hooked up with a flick of a switch such electricity and gas and its ok to arrange for them to be activated on or even before possession day. If a technician needs access to the property to hook up the service such as cable, internet or phone, don't have them come on possession day. These services typically give a large window for their appointments, and if they can't get in on their schedule it could be weeks before you get another appointment. 

4. Forget about Canada Day weekend. This has to be the worst weekend of the entire year to move and everyone seems to want to move that day. It's very busy and hard to book movers, plus, if something goes wrong it'll probably take 4 or 5 days to get it sorted it out since many people turn it into an extra long weekend. 

What happens on possession day?

Here is how it typically goes down:

• If everything is in order and there are no problems, the buyer's lawyer will send the money to the seller's lawyer in the morning.
• The real estate agents will be in touch with their clients' lawyers to see how things are progressing.
• When the seller's lawyer has received the funds, and the seller's agent is aware this has occurred, they will notify the buyer's agent that the keys are released.
• Keys could be released anytime but it will hopefully occur sometime between 10am and 2pm. 
• The buyer's agent will get the keys and arrange to meet the buyer and give them the keys.
• There are of course a lot of different scenarios and situations but most of the time the buyer will get access to their new home on possession day sometime in the afternoon.