Completion delays catch most buyers and sellers off guard. If the chain has slipped on your Bicester, Banbury, or Oxfordshire move, or you’re watching the clock on moving day with no confirmed keys, the first thing to know is that your removal company can usually adapt, as long as you contact them early. Move In Matters is based at Wedgwood Road in Bicester and covers moves across the area every week: nothing is too much trouble, including a last-minute date change. Here is what to do, and what your options are.
Call Your Removal Company Before Anything Else
The moment you hear that completion may not happen on the planned date, ring your removal company. Crews are scheduled in advance, and vans, packing teams, and storage space all need to be reallocated if dates shift. The earlier you call, the more options stay open.
Move In Matters operates from our depot at 2 and 4 Wedgwood Road, Bicester, OX26 4UL, and we cover house moves across Bicester, Banbury, Brackley, Buckingham, Oxford, and further afield. If your completion is delayed, our team will talk through what is realistic given the new timeline and what it means for your booking. Nothing is too much trouble, that is how we approach every move, and a date change is no exception.
Do not wait to see whether the delay resolves itself. By the time you know for certain it is not going ahead, your removal company may have reallocated your slot.
What Happens When Moving House Completion Is Delayed
Delays range from a few hours to several days or weeks. The practical outcome for your move depends on how far in advance you find out and how much flexibility your removal company has built into its schedule.
A Same-Day Delay (Completion Pushed to Later That Afternoon)
If you are already packed and the crew is standing by, the most common approach is to wait. Your removal company may be able to hold the van and crew on-site or nearby for a short period. Ask what the waiting-time terms are, most contracts set out an hourly or half-day rate for delays beyond a certain point. Knowing this in advance means no surprises on the invoice.
A Day or Two
If completion slips by a day or two and the crew cannot be held, the question becomes where your belongings go in the meantime. Two options come up most often:
- Stay at the property and reschedule, if you can remain in the property overnight and the removal company can return the following day or the day after, this is the simplest route.
- Move into temporary storage, if you have already vacated or are contractually required to be out, your belongings can go into storage while you wait for a new completion date.
A Longer Delay (Weeks or Months)
When completion slips significantly, chain collapses, mortgage offers lapsing, surveyor issues, storage becomes the practical answer for most people. Move In Matters offers containerised storage at our Bicester depot in units from 50 sq ft up to 150–200 sq ft. We can load directly from your home into storage and re-deliver to your new address once completion goes through.
Temporary Storage: How It Works and What to Expect
Containerised storage is not the same as self-storage. With Move In Matters, your belongings go into a dedicated unit at our Wedgwood Road facility in Bicester. Access is by appointment rather than walk-in, which means your items are in a secured, managed environment rather than a public-access unit.
For most customers whose completion is delayed, the process runs like this:
- We agree a storage start date based on when you need to vacate.
- The move proceeds as planned to our depot rather than to your new address.
- Your items are stored in a labelled unit until completion goes through.
- We arrange re-delivery to the new property once keys are confirmed.
Storage costs depend on the volume of your move and how long you need. Get a storage quote from Move In Matters and we will confirm availability and pricing based on your actual situation.
Part-Loading and Staged Moves
Not everything needs to go into storage if completion slips. A part-load or staged move can keep costs down and reduce disruption.
For example, if you are moving from a four-bedroom house and completion on the new property is delayed by a week, you might move non-essential items, furniture, boxed belongings, appliances, into storage immediately, and keep a small amount of day-to-day kit at the current address until you can move straight into the new one.
This works particularly well when:
- The delay is short and you can stay at the current property temporarily
- You have access to temporary accommodation (family, short-term let) and want to keep essentials with you
- You want to reduce the number of boxes going into storage to keep storage costs lower
Tell us when you call what your situation looks like and we will suggest the approach that makes the most practical sense.
Keep Essential Items Separate
Whichever route you take, pack an essentials bag or box before moving day that travels with you rather than onto the van. This should cover:
- Medication and medical equipment
- Passports, ID, and key documents
- Laptop, chargers, and work essentials
- A few days of clothing
- Children’s or pets’ daily items
- Kettle, mugs, and basic kitchen items if you are going into temporary accommodation
If your belongings end up in storage for longer than expected, you will be glad these items stayed with you.
Check Your Cancellation and Waiting-Time Terms
Before moving day, read the terms in your removal contract. Most removal companies set out:
- How much notice is required to change or cancel a date without penalty
- Whether a holding deposit is refundable or transferable to a new date
- What happens if the crew arrives and completion has not gone through
- Waiting-time rates if the crew is on-site but cannot complete the move
| Situation | Typical arrangement | What to confirm with your removal company |
|---|---|---|
| Date changes with 5+ days notice | Rescheduling usually possible, deposit held | Confirm new availability and any admin fee |
| Date changes with 1–4 days notice | May incur a partial charge depending on contract | Ask about the short-notice change policy |
| Crew on-site, keys not arrived | Waiting-time rate applies after a grace period | Confirm the grace period and hourly rate in advance |
| Move cancelled entirely | Deposit terms vary | Check whether deposit transfers or is forfeited |
Move In Matters offers free, itemised quotes with no hidden fees. If your dates change, let us know as soon as possible and we will work through the options with you.
Update Your Access and Key Collection Plans
A delayed completion often means the access and key collection arrangements for the new property need to change. If the estate agent or vendor was holding keys for a specific handover time, notify them as soon as you know the date has slipped. The same applies to:
- Parking permits or parking suspensions arranged for moving day
- Lift bookings in blocks of flats
- Arrangements with neighbours to keep access clear
- Meter reading bookings or utilities transfer dates
None of these are removal company responsibilities, but getting ahead of them reduces the knock-on disruption once a new completion date is confirmed.
A Note on the Legal Side
This article covers the practical and logistical side of a delayed completion. For questions about your position in the chain, breach of contract, compensation, or what your obligations are as a buyer or seller when completion slips, speak to your solicitor or conveyancer. They are the right people to advise on the legal implications, not your removal company.
FAQs
Contact your removal company immediately. If the crew is already at your property or en route, waiting-time terms will usually apply after a short grace period. Your removal company may be able to hold the crew on-site for a few hours; beyond that, your belongings may need to go into temporary storage or the job may need to be rescheduled. The sooner you call, the more options remain open.
Yes. Move In Matters offers containerised storage at our Bicester depot, in units from 50 sq ft up to 150–200 sq ft. If your completion slips, we can move your belongings directly into storage and re-deliver to your new address once the chain completes. Get a storage quote to confirm availability and pricing for your move.
This depends on your removal company’s terms and how much notice you give. Most contracts allow date changes with reasonable notice, typically five or more working days, without forfeiting a deposit. Short-notice changes or cancellations on the day may incur a partial charge. Read your contract and call your removal company as soon as you know the date is at risk.
Move In Matters offers both short and long-term containerised storage from our Wedgwood Road depot in Bicester. There is no fixed maximum period, storage continues until you are ready to re-deliver. Costs are based on unit size and duration. Contact the team to discuss your situation and we will confirm what is available.
Moving Date Slipped? Talk to the Team
If your completion has been delayed and you are not sure what happens next to your removal booking or where your belongings can go, get in touch with Move In Matters and we will talk through your options. We Move What Matters Most, and that includes getting your move back on track when the chain throws a spanner in. Our depot is in Bicester and we cover moves across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and further afield. As a friendly, local and reliable business, we have handled plenty of delayed completions across the Oxfordshire market, where longer chains and mixed property types mean slippage is more common than most buyers expect.
Call the team or fill in the quote form and we will come back with clear options based on your actual situation. No hidden fees, no pressure.