Ensuring that you don’t get stuck at the last minute is difficult, because for the most part, the problem that gets you in such a bind will be an unforeseen one! However, there are ways in which you can protect yourself against many of these issues by planning well and being sure that you are your removals company are on the same page. Most problems that come at this point will be caused by the issues or incompetence of others; whether a solicitor has issues with a contract and delays on handing it over for exchange of properties, or the other property is still full of half packed boxes when you arrive, because the previous inhabitants have not been particularly diligent in packing. In these sorts of situations there is very little that you can do to prevent such things form happening, but there are ways in which you can ensure that you are not in a situation where you are paying for such things, by way of insurance or protection plans. If there are issues surrounding the date that you move house, then the situation is going to be difficult, not least because you will have had your removals company booked for a while if you are at all organized. Whilst canceling a week in advance will lose you around half of the amount that you would be paying the removals company; whilst a cancelation a day beforehand will mean that you lose all of your money! The rates between how long you have and how much you lose vary form company to company, so it is pretty essential that you check out what these terms are for the removals company that you want to use before you proceed with anything! So, how do you protect against these issues? Well, there are two types of protection that some (and only some) companies will offer. If you have exchanged contracts, and want to insure yourself against a change in date for completion, then you will sometimes be able to agree on a price for protection against a freak change in plans. This change could be an extreme personal issue, like illness or bereavement, or a serious change of heart from one of the parties, in which case the defaulting party will lose their deposit. In such a situation you are not protected if the date moves, and you have to pay your removals company a cancelation fee. You may be able to claim compensation from the defaulter, but this can take years if they do not agree, and will often cost you more than the amount that you are claiming!If you have a situation where you have not exchanged contracts, but you need to book in your removals company anyway, then it is pretty essential that you have a late exchange guarantee, which is a fixed price that covers you in the event that your exchange of contracts is delayed. Unfortunately this situation can lead to a situation where no one wins, as a removals company will agree to keep your dates reserved for a small price, and in that time will turn down any work on those days. Of course, you may end up forgoing the dates anyway, in which case you will have lost your money, and the company will have lost the potential clients on those dates! However, this situation is better than booking in the dates and you losing all of your money!