Removal Day Waiver – Protect Your Move from Completion Delays
Moving day doesn’t always go to plan - especially when delays in the legal completion process prevent access to your new property.
The home moving process still relies on multiple parties - solicitors, banks, and buyers and sellers - all working together on the same day.
While this system works most of the time, it can occasionally create pressure points where delays occur outside your control.
If keys are not released on time, you can be left with a fully loaded removal vehicle and nowhere to go.
While uncommon, when this does happen, it can quickly become stressful - and costly.
Quick Summary – Removal Day Waiver
- Covers delays caused by non-release of keys on completion day
- Protects against additional removal and storage costs
- Applies when delays are outside your control
- Available once
contracts have been exchanged
What the Removal Day Waiver Covers
The Removal Day Waiver is designed to protect you if your move cannot go ahead on the scheduled day due to a delay in legal completion and the non-release of keys.
For a small additional cost, it covers the extra removal and short-term storage costs if access to your new property is not possible on moving day.
When Can This Happen?
Even when everything appears to be in place, delays in completion can still occur due to factors outside your control, including:
- Funds not arriving in time due to banking delays
- Incorrect account details or transfer errors
- Solicitor or administrative issues within the chain
- Problems elsewhere in the property chain
- Banking system failures, outages, or security issues
- Transactions missing cut-off times (often around 6:00pm)
In longer property chains, even a small delay at one point can have a knock-on effect, which in some cases may impact the release of keys on the day.
Why This Matters
If keys are not released, your move cannot be completed — even if everything else is ready.
Without protection, this can result in:
- Additional removal costs
- Return transport and re-delivery charges
- Short-term storage requirements
The Removal Day Waiver is specifically designed to cover these situations.
How This Differs from Standard Waivers
Many removal companies offer waiting time or cancellation waivers, which are designed to cover specific situations such as delays on the day or changes to your moving date.
We also offer these types of waivers where appropriate, depending on the circumstances of your move.
However, our Removal Day Waiver is designed to go further.
It is specifically intended to protect you in the more serious situation where your move cannot go ahead at all due to delays in completion and the non-release of keys.
This means you’re not just covered for delays - but for the
additional removal and storage costs that can arise if your move has to be rearranged.
How It Works
If completion is delayed and access to your new property is not possible on the day:
- We will safely retain your belongings
- Arrange re-delivery as soon as reasonably possible after completion has taken place
- Cover the associated additional removal and storage costs (up to 2 weeks storage if required)
Important Information
- The waiver is only available once
contracts have been exchanged
- It must be taken out at least 2 days prior to your move
- It is not available on the day before or on moving day
To ensure the waiver is applied correctly, we may require confirmation from your solicitor or estate agent that completion was delayed and keys could not be released.
A Sensible Safeguard
While delays are not common, they do happen - and when they do, the impact can be significant.
For a relatively small cost, the Removal Day Waiver provides reassurance and financial protection on what is often the most important day of your move.
Considering the Waiver
If your move depends on completion taking place on the same day, it’s well worth considering.
👉 Please speak to our team if you would like to include the Removal Day Waiver in your quotation.
Moving Home in Billericay and Essex
At A J Stephenson Removals Ltd, we’ve helped customers across Billericay, Essex, and surrounding areas manage their house moves for over 40 years.
Our experience means we understand the risks involved in moving day - and how to protect our customers when things don’t go to plan.
