What time do you get keys on completion day in Scotland?

In Scotland, the day you get the keys is called the date of entry, and the handover is often called settlement. Most buyers collect their keys at some point between late morning and mid-afternoon, once the purchase price has reached the seller's solicitor. There is no fixed legal time, so the exact moment depends on how quickly the money moves and whether you are part of a chain.

This guide explains what has to happen before the keys are released, the usual timings, where you collect them and what can cause a delay.

How the date of entry is set

The date of entry is agreed in the missives, the exchange of letters between the buyer's and seller's solicitors that forms the contract. Once missives are concluded, both sides are bound to that date. In Scotland there is no separate "exchange of contracts" stage as there is in England. The binding contract and the entry date are fixed by the missives, and settlement then happens on the agreed day.

What happens before entry day

Most of the work is done in the days before entry, so that settlement on the day is a formality:

• Mortgage funds are requested. Your solicitor asks your lender to send the mortgage advance in time for the date of entry. Lenders need notice, usually several working days, so the request goes in well before the day. Our guide on how long mortgage funds take to be released covers this in more detail.
• You send the balance of the price. Your solicitor sends you a statement showing the amount you need to provide on top of the mortgage, including fees, outlays and any Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT). Send it in good time, as banks can hold large transfers for security checks.
• The seller's side prepares the paperwork. The seller's solicitor gets the signed disposition (the deed that transfers ownership) and a redemption figure for the seller's mortgage, so the loan can be repaid from the sale price.
• An advance notice is registered. Your solicitor registers an advance notice in the Land Register, which protects your purchase for 35 days while the disposition is registered.

What happens on entry day

1. Your solicitor confirms the mortgage funds and your own funds have arrived.
2. Your solicitor sends the full purchase price to the seller's solicitor by same-day bank transfer, in exchange for the signed disposition and other settlement documents.
3. The seller's solicitor confirms the money has arrived and repays the seller's mortgage.
4. The seller's solicitor tells the estate agent, or whoever is holding the keys, that settlement has taken place and the keys can be released.
5. You collect the keys and the property is yours to move into.

What time do you get the keys?

If you are a cash buyer, or your mortgage funds arrived the day before, settlement can happen in the morning and keys may be released before midday. Where funds arrive on the day itself, or several purchases are linked in a chain, release is more often in the early to mid-afternoon. Your solicitor will usually tell you when the funds have gone and when the seller's solicitor has confirmed receipt, and that is your signal that the keys are on their way.

Book your removal van with some flexibility. A firm that needs to start loading at 9am for a noon arrival can leave you paying for waiting time if settlement runs into the afternoon.

Where do you collect the keys?

Keys are normally held by the selling estate agent, or by the seller's solicitor if there is no agent. Sometimes the seller hands them over at the property once settlement is confirmed. Check the arrangement with your solicitor a few days before entry so you know exactly where to go. If someone else is collecting the keys for you, let your solicitor and the agent know their name in advance, as the agent may ask for identification.

Buying and selling on the same day

If you are selling one home and buying another on the same date of entry, the money usually has to flow along the chain in order. Your sale has to settle first so that the proceeds can be used for your purchase. You will need to leave your old home, with all your belongings removed, by the agreed time, and you may only get the keys to your new home once your own buyer's funds have arrived. This is the most common reason keys are released later in the day.

What can delay the keys?

• Late mortgage funds, often because the lender did not have the request in time or a condition of the mortgage offer has not been met.
• Your own funds not arriving, for example when a bank holds a large transfer for checks.
• Delays further up or down the chain, where another buyer's money is late.
• Bank transfer cut-off times, which mean money sent late in the afternoon may not arrive until the next working day.
• The seller not being ready, if they have not moved out or have left belongings behind. The missives normally require the property to be handed over with vacant possession.

If the price is paid late, the missives normally set out what happens, including interest on the unpaid price. If the seller is not ready to give entry, your solicitor will advise you on your rights under the missives. Many of these points are covered by the Scottish Standard Clauses, which most residential missives use.

Tips for a smooth entry day

• Send your own funds to your solicitor several days early, not on the day.
• Reply quickly to any lender or solicitor questions in the final two weeks.
• Confirm with your solicitor where the keys will be and who will collect them.
• Take meter readings when you arrive and contact the energy suppliers and the council for council tax.
• Check the property against the missives, for example that included items have been left and the property is empty.

After you get the keys

Your solicitor still has work to do after entry. They submit the LBTT return and pay any tax, register your title in the Land Register of Scotland and register your lender's standard security. Our guide to what a solicitor does after completion explains these steps. If you are buying a home, our fixed-fee purchase conveyancing covers the whole process from offer to registration, and you can get an instant quote online.