What is a Key Wait?

A “key wait” is a term used in the moving industry to describe the time movers spend waiting to receive the keys to your new home on moving day. This delay typically occurs when there is a hold-up in the legal or financial processes involved in transferring property ownership, which can prevent the new keys from being released on time.

Note: Another common cause of key waits is that customers choose unreputable removals companies that do not provide the correct number of movers or vans for the move and therefore do not get our of the property on time on move day.  This causes a hold up in the sale chain, whilst new owners wait for the old owners to move out of the property and the exchange of keys can take place.

Here’s how it works:

Before you move, you will have been given a time when you must be out of your current property by, typically, 12pm or 1pm.  On move day, you’ve packed up all your belongings and the removals company has loaded everything onto their vans, ready to move you to your new home.  However, if the keys to the new property aren’t available when your movers arrive, they will have to wait. This waiting period is what’s known as a “key wait.”

Key waits can lead to additional charges because the moving crew is on standby, unable to unload your belongings until they can access the property. These charges compensate the movers for their time and ensure that the van and team are available when the keys are finally handed over.

How to minimise the impact and cost of key waits:

• When buying a property, find out how big your chain is and where you sit within the chain. The later in the chain you are, the more likely there will be some form of key wait. This is one of the reasons that cash buyers and people who are selling but not yet purchasing a new home are very attractive, as they create an end to the chain.
• Communicate closely with your real estate agent or solicitor to ensure all paperwork and payments are completed in advance.
• If you have a good relationship with the people in your chain, ask them if they have a reputable company moving them as this is one way customers can reduce the chance of a key wait, by ensuring everyone is out of their homes on time.
• Plan for delays by discussing the possibility of key waits with your removals company and understanding their policies and potential costs, so that there are no surprises on move day.
• Coordinate timing as best as possible with everyone involved in the move to ensure a smoother transition.

Understanding and preparing for a key wait can help reduce stress and unexpected expenses on moving day.

How companies deal with/charge for key waits:

1. Some companies will include an option ‘Key waiver’ this means that you pay an amount and this premium ensures that no matter what time you get your keys, the company will get you into your new home with no additional charges.
2. Other companies will include additional hours at an hourly or half hourly rate, should there be any additional waits.
3. At Move On, we have decided to absorb key waits into our costs as they only happen in 1 our of every 10 moves and often do not lead to any additional hours for the team. For this reason, we are able to guarantee that the price on your quote after survey is the final amount you will pay and there will be no additional hours.

Note: This term is important if you are buying or selling a property and not for rental properties.

Our team is always happy to answer any questions you may have, even if you are not planning to move just yet. Be sure to give us a ring at 0117 259 1010.