My buyer keeps delaying completion. Should I worry?

You agreed a moving date, and now it has slipped again. It is an unsettling place to be, especially if you have your own onward move riding on it. The good news is that most wobbles here are logistics, not a sale falling apart. The way to tell the difference is to find out exactly what is causing the delay, then act on what you learn.

What actually is completion when you sell?

Completion is the day ownership legally transfers: the buyer's money reaches your solicitor, and the keys are handed over. It is different from exchange of contracts, which is the earlier moment when both sides sign and the deal becomes legally binding. Before exchange, a completion date is only a target that can move; after exchange, it is a fixed legal commitment. Knowing which side of exchange you are on tells you how much power you have to hold the date.

Is it normal for a completion date to move?

Often, yes. Dates are proposed early and firmed up as the paperwork catches up, and in a chain every party has to agree the same day, so a single delay anywhere ripples through. Solicitors waiting on a final mortgage figure, a redemption statement for someone's existing loan, or a search result can all push the date back a few days without anything being wrong.

How do I get a firm completion date?

1. 1. Ask your solicitor for the exact hold-up

   Get the specific reason in writing rather than a vague 'still waiting'; a real reason usually has a real timeline attached.

2. 2. Check the buyer's money is ready

   Ask the agent to confirm the buyer's mortgage offer is issued and their funds are in place, because these are the usual causes of a genuine delay.

3. 3. Propose a specific target date

   Put a clear date to your solicitor and agent to circulate through the chain, rather than leaving it open-ended.

4. 4. Get the whole chain to agree it

   A completion date only holds if every linked party signs up to it, so push for confirmation from all sides.

5. 5. If you have exchanged, ask about a notice to complete

   Once contracts are exchanged and the buyer misses the agreed date, your solicitor can serve this formal deadline.

6. 6. Keep your own moves reversible until it is firm

   Hold off on booking removals or committing money you cannot recover until the date is confirmed by everyone.

What is a notice to complete?

A notice to complete is a formal legal demand, served after exchange, that gives the other side a fixed deadline to complete the sale. Under the standard contract terms most sales use, that deadline is usually 10 working days. If the buyer still fails to complete within it, you may be able to end the contract and keep their deposit, though you should always take this step on your solicitor's advice. It only exists after exchange, which is why the delays that feel scariest, the ones before exchange, are also the ones where nothing is yet binding on either side.

How do I protect myself while the date is up in the air?

• Remember that before exchange, neither you nor the buyer is committed, so a slipping date is a prompt to gather facts, not to panic.
• Read the buyer's commitment by what they have done: a buyer with an issued mortgage offer and searches back is usually just waiting on logistics.
• Do not pay for removals, storage, or an onward commitment you cannot unwind until the date is agreed by the whole chain.
• Keep your agent and solicitor talking to each other; most completion delays are solved by one clear phone call, not by waiting.