Published: 24 October 2025
Great work: you’ve made it to completion day – the moment you’ve long been waiting for. From a dream to reality, you’ve reached the final milestone in your property journey.
Whether you're a first time buyer or moving from an old home to pastures new, it’s an exciting moment. But what exactly happens on completion day? In this guide, we’ll talk through what to expect how completion day works, how long it may take and other key questions.
What happens on completion day?
It sounds simple: completion day is the moment your property ‘completes’, and the sale of your new home officially goes through.
In slightly more technical terms, this is the final step, where the money is sent to the seller’s solicitor and the property officially becomes yours. Once completed, you get something very special: the keys to your new home, and a new chapter in your life.
But what happens before you get the keys in your hand?
How does completion day work?
While not every completion day is necessarily the same, it’s safe to assume that completion day will involve:
- The transfer of funds from the buyer’s solicitors to the seller’s solicitors, usually via bank transfer.
- Upon receipt of the funds the seller’s solicitor will get in touch with the buyer’s solicitor to confirm that everything’s complete and the legal ownership has officially been passed to the buyer(s).
The keys can then be released to the buyers.
How does completion day work in a chain?
A property chain is when a group of buyers and sellers are linked together because their purchase or sale depends on other parties.
Property chains are pretty common because most people need to sell their current home to help pay for their next one. But if one sale in the chain falls through, it can cause problems - as it could mean someone no longer having the money they need to buy their new place.
For completion day in a chain, everyone needs to complete their transactions around the same time. Be prepared for a bit of waiting while everyone gets their ducks in a row.
What happens on completion day with no chain?
Completion day tends to be simpler, although you should always plan for things changing. Nevertheless, because it’s just you and the seller, you won’t be waiting for any other parties to complete their transactions. It should be much simpler – and quicker.
How long does completion take on the day?
The process of completion itself can take just a few hours, but it’s best to factor in a few considerations that could affect timing. In an ideal world, completion would happen by the early afternoon, giving you time to get the keys and start getting moved in. However, circumstances can influence that.
If you’re in a chain, the timing can be more unpredictable. As already explained, a chain is dependent on other parties all being aligned, so this could, in some cases, take several hours. If no chain is involved, the process could be much quicker as your solicitor will not be waiting on funds from another transaction.
Can you exchange and complete on the same day?
Exchange of contracts is the stage where the buyer pays a deposit and the transaction becomes legally binding. You will agree a date for completion which will be recorded in the contract, and the buyer will pay a deposit, usually 10%, but this varies.
Typically, completion happens some days after contracts are exchanged; however, it’s possible to exchange and complete on the same day.
Unless you’ve a specific need for same-day completion, erring on the side of caution and ensuring contracts are exchanged well in advance of completion day is a sound approach. Having a few days between exchange and completion means you can organise the van or moving company for a set date and finalise packing.
Where do you collect keys from on completion day?
The keys – you’ll need those, after all. Usually, the keys to your new home will be handed over by the estate agent or the seller. Typically:
- Direct from the seller: if the seller is available and nearby, they may hand you the keys personally.
- Estate agent office: the estate agent will hold the keys for you and arrange a time for you to collect them from their office.
What time do you get keys on completion day?
This will all depend on when the completion process is done and dusted. This usually happens once the money is transferred, so you usually get your hands on your keys in the afternoon – hopefully earlier rather than later.
Remember, if you're in a chain, the timing could be delayed depending on when all parties complete their transactions.
Completion day timeline
Here’s a rough timeline for completion day:
- Morning: solicitors on both sides confirm they are ready to proceed. Once the buyer’s solicitors are in receipt of funds (this could be from you or a connected sale), they will transfer these to the sellers solicitors.
- Midday to early afternoon: the sellers’ solicitors will confirm receipt of the funds and that completion, the legal transfer of the property, has taken place.
- Key collection: you’ll collect your keys from the estate agent or seller, or by other arrangement.
Relax: you’re officially a homeowner. Now, time to open some bubbly and work out where to put all your stuff…
This guide is not to be taken as advice. You should seek independent financial or legal advice if needed.
