Scottish Missives and Entry Dates: How Move Dates Really Work
In Scotland your moving date is the entry date, it is agreed in the missives, and it becomes legally binding at conclusion of missives. There is no exchange and completion, no two-week gap between them, and no gazumping once missives conclude.
That sounds simpler than the English system, and in most respects it is. But it has one practical consequence that catches people out badly: once your date is fixed, it is very hard to move. Here is what that means for planning a move.
The Scottish sequence
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Note of interest | Your solicitor registers interest with the selling agent |
| Offer | A formal written offer is submitted through your solicitor |
| Missives | Offer and qualified acceptance pass back and forth in writing |
| Conclusion of missives | The contract becomes binding. The entry date is now fixed |
| Entry date | You get the keys and the move happens |
Scotland compared with England
| England and Wales | Scotland | |
|---|---|---|
| Binding at | Exchange of contracts | Conclusion of missives |
| Moving date | Completion | Entry date |
| Gap between | Often 1–2 weeks | None — entry date is set in the missives |
| Survey | Buyer commissions | Seller provides a Home Report |
| Gazumping | Possible before exchange | Not possible after conclusion |
Our full comparison is in moving house in Scotland versus England.
The practical consequence for your removal
Because the entry date is agreed during missives rather than confirmed at the end, Scottish buyers usually know their exact moving date earlier than English buyers do. That is a genuine advantage — you can book a removal firm with confidence sooner.
The catch is at the other end. Once missives conclude, shifting the date requires agreement from the other side and usually costs money. So there is no equivalent of the English habit of provisionally holding a date and firming it up later.
Book the moment missives conclude. Not before, and definitely not a fortnight after.
Why Fridays and month-ends are so busy
Scottish solicitors overwhelmingly set entry dates on Fridays, and disproportionately at month-end. The result is that a very large share of Glasgow’s moves compress into roughly four dates a month, and every removal firm in the city is at capacity on them.
If you have any influence over the entry date while missives are being negotiated, asking for a mid-week date is worth real money — see the cheapest time to move house in Glasgow. Once missives conclude, that option is gone.
If your dates do not line up
Selling and buying with different entry dates is common, and it leaves you with a gap in either direction. Where the gap runs the wrong way, short-term storage bridges it and the move runs in two phases.
Tell your removal firm about a mismatch at quote stage rather than after. Phasing a move is straightforward when planned and expensive when improvised. Our booking timing guide covers the sequencing.
What actually happens on entry date
The entry date itself follows a fairly rigid sequence in Scotland, and understanding it explains why removal crews so often start before keys are available.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| Morning | Your solicitor transfers funds to the seller solicitor |
| Late morning | Funds confirmed received |
| Midday onward | Keys released, usually through the selling agent |
| Afternoon | Access to the new property |
The practical consequence: load in the morning at the old property, unload in the afternoon at the new one. Crews plan around it as standard, but it does mean a same-day move is genuinely a full day rather than a couple of hours.
Where funds are delayed, the van waits. It is worth having your solicitor confirm the expected timing the day before — see our move day checklist.
Frequently asked questions
When exactly is my date confirmed?
At conclusion of missives. Before that it is proposed, not binding.
Can the entry date be changed?
Only by agreement between both sides, and usually at a cost. Treat it as fixed.
Do I need a Scottish solicitor?
Yes for a Scottish purchase. The systems are separate from England and Wales.
How soon should I book removals?
The day missives conclude. For a month-end Friday, sooner is better — see when to book.
Missives concluded? Tell us your entry date and postcodes and we will confirm availability and a fixed price within the hour. Get a free fixed quote or call +44 7424 958288.
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