Date of entry and keys

The short answer

The date of entry is the day agreed in missives when the buyer takes possession and the price is paid, equivalent to completion day elsewhere in the UK. Solicitors handle the transfer of funds and the recording of title with Registers of Scotland, and keys are typically released once the seller's solicitor confirms funds have been received, usually via the estate agent handling the sale.

How the date is set

The date of entry is negotiated as part of the offer and agreed in missives, so both buyer and seller know the date well in advance, unlike a chain-dependent completion date that can move at short notice. This makes practical planning, such as booking removals, considerably more straightforward than in England and Wales.

What happens on the day itself

On the date of entry, the buyer's solicitor transfers the funds to the seller's solicitor. Once funds are confirmed as received, the seller's solicitor authorises release of the keys, usually held by the estate agent. This can sometimes mean a wait during the morning or early afternoon before keys are actually available.

• Funds transfer between solicitors on the morning of entry
• Keys are released once funds are confirmed as received
• Registers of Scotland later records the change of title
• Meter readings should be taken by both parties on the day

If there is a delay

Occasionally funds transfers or final checks take longer than expected, delaying key release into the afternoon. Keeping removal firms informed of a possible delay, and having a contingency plan for waiting nearby, reduces stress if this happens.

What to do, in order

1. 1Agree the date of entry as part of the missives negotiation
2. 2Confirm removal and other bookings once the date is fixed
3. 3Arrange for funds to be with your solicitor ahead of the entry date
4. 4Wait for confirmation that funds have transferred before expecting keys
5. 5Collect keys, usually from the estate agent, once released
6. 6Take meter readings and check the property condition on arrival

Local detail for the Lothians

• Keys for Edinburgh city-centre properties are typically collected from the selling agent's office rather than at the property itself
• If a removal van is booked for the morning of entry, building in flexibility for a possible afternoon key release avoids unnecessary waiting costs
• For properties in commuter towns such as Dalkeith or Linlithgow, agree in advance where keys will be collected from if the agent's office is some distance away
• Parking suspensions booked with City of Edinburgh Council should ideally cover a slightly wider time window in case key release is delayed

Common questions

Can the date of entry be changed after missives are concluded?

Only if both parties agree, since once missives are concluded, the date of entry is a binding term of the contract.

Who registers the title after entry?

Your solicitor submits the title deeds to Registers of Scotland to record the change of ownership after the date of entry.

Related pages

• Moving home checklist

  A week-by-week plan covering everything from instructing a solicitor to collecting the keys.

• Moving day timeline

  What a typical moving day looks like, hour by hour, from the removal van's arrival to the last box.

• Cost of moving home

  A breakdown of what moving actually costs in Scotland, from legal fees to removals and LBTT.