Who is Dom, the openmoove assistant for home movers?
Dom is the assistant inside the openmoove app who helps home movers understand what’s happening with their sale or purchase. He answers questions in plain English at any time of day, explains each stage of the move as you reach it, and keeps an eye on the milestones your moving team is working through. His full title is Director of Mooves, and he’s drawn as a Highland cow with his eyes closed, because staying calm is the whole point of him.
Buying or selling a home involves a lot of people and a lot of unfamiliar words. Your estate agent, your conveyancer, perhaps a mortgage broker, and the same set of people on every other sale in your chain are all working on your move, and most of that work happens out of sight. Dom is there so you aren’t left guessing in the gaps between updates.
What does Dom actually do?
Dom has three jobs, and each of them is about making sure you know where you stand.
The first is answering your questions whenever they come up. If you’re wondering at 10pm what “exchange” means, or why your conveyancer has asked for another document, you can ask Dom and get a plain English answer straight away, based on your own move rather than a generic guide.
The second is explaining each milestone as you reach it. When something happens on your move, such as your searches coming back or a mortgage offer arriving, Dom tells you what it means, what usually comes next and roughly how long that stage tends to take.
The third is keeping an eye on progress. Dom watches the milestones your moving team is working through and flags when something is running behind, so a hold up gets noticed rather than sitting quietly on someone’s desk.
Why does a house move need an assistant?
Much of the stress in a move comes from not knowing what’s going on. After an offer is accepted, a sale passes through searches, enquiries, the mortgage offer, exchange of contracts and completion, and the quiet spells between updates can stretch for weeks. The GOV.UK guide to buying a home sets out those legal steps well, but it can’t tell you where your own move has got to.
Your moving team is busy, and when you ring to ask for an update you often end up waiting for a callback. Dom picks up those everyday “where are we?” questions, which leaves your agent and conveyancer more time for the parts of the move that need a person.
Is Dom a real person?
No, Dom is the openmoove app’s digital assistant rather than a member of staff. He doesn’t replace your estate agent, conveyancer or mortgage broker, and he doesn’t give legal or financial advice. For anything that needs a professional’s judgement, your moving team is still there, and you can message them in the same app.
What kind of property jargon will Dom explain?
Property has its own language, and nobody expects you to know it already. These are some of the terms Dom can explain in the context of your move.
Sold subject to contract (SSTC) means an offer has been accepted, but nothing is legally binding yet.
Searches are checks your conveyancer orders on things like local authority records, drainage and environmental risk.
Enquiries are questions your conveyancer sends to the seller’s conveyancer about anything unclear in the searches or paperwork.
Material information is the set of details buyers need to make an informed decision about a property, which National Trading Standards guidance says should be included in property listings.
Exchange of contracts is the point at which contracts are swapped and the sale becomes legally binding.
Completion is the day the money moves, the keys are handed over and the property changes hands.
How do I get Dom on my move?
Dom comes with the openmoove app, which your estate agent sets up for you. If your agent uses openmoove, they’ll invite you into the app, and you can download it on iPhone or Android. The app is free for home movers, so you never pay openmoove anything for it, Dom included.
If your agent doesn’t use openmoove yet, you can find out how it works for buyers and sellers on our page for movers and share it with them.
Where does Dom fit for estate agents?
If you’re an estate agent, Dom is part of The openmoove App, the third of our three options for professionals. It costs £50 per completion with no subscription, and it gives your sellers and buyers Dom, milestone tracking and visibility of the whole chain. The questions Dom answers for your movers are the same ones that would otherwise land on your phone, and you can see how this option compares with the other two in our pricing section.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dom on openmoove?
Dom, short for Director of Mooves, is the assistant in the openmoove app. He answers home movers’ questions in plain English at any time of day, explains each milestone of a sale or purchase, and keeps an eye on progress.
Does Dom cost anything?
No, the openmoove app is free for home movers, and that includes Dom. Estate agents who use The openmoove App pay £50 per completion, with no subscription.
Can Dom give me legal advice?
No, Dom explains what’s happening and what common property terms mean, but he isn’t a conveyancer and doesn’t give legal or financial advice. Questions about your contract or your mortgage should go to your conveyancer or broker.
Can Dom make my house move go quicker?
Dom doesn’t change how long each stage of a move takes, because much of that depends on searches, lenders and the rest of your chain. What he does is make sure you know where things stand and what’s coming next, so you’re not left waiting for news.
When can I ask Dom a question?
You can ask Dom a question at any time of day or night. You don’t need to wait for office hours or a callback to find out what a term means or where your move has got to.
Why is Dom a Highland cow?
Dom is designed to be calm and unhurried, and a Highland cow with his eyes closed says that better than any feature list could. The pose changes with the job he’s doing, but the calm expression never does.