Q:My daughter has just bought her first flat and takes possession next week but will not move in till end August.
Please can you advise -
1) Does she have to apply immediately for Council Tax forms.
2) When should she have the electric meter read.
3) Who should she get to supply the electric.
4) When is it best to start the contents insurance.
What else should we be aware of or need to do?
Thanks in advance.
A:Definitely change the locks.
Definitely inform the council re tax as one poster has already said, she may be up for a small discount for the vacant month.
If she knows the current gas and leccy suppliers, then inform them as soon as she gets the keys and give them a current reading. Then change to a cheaper supplier once the account is up and running.
Start
contents insurance as soon as she gets the keys…on completion. She should already have buildings insurance in place from exchange of contracts.
Don't forget to inform the water rates people, and BT if there is a working phone line.
Definitely change the locks…I know..repetitive…but you really don't know how many people have keys.
Change the burglar alarm number if there is one.
A:With regards to the elctricity supplier, she will automatically have to accept the current supplier whoever that is. Ask her to ask the EA to ask the seller – it could save a lot of trouble trying to find out who it is (but there are ways to find out if all else fails)
She will need the account to be in her name, which she won't be able to doi until she completes on the property. Once the account has been set up, she can approach any supplier to switch it to if she want's but it will take 4-6weeks to actually switch. With all the other things to sort out, probably easiest to stay with the current supplier for a while, until she has a good idea of expected annual usage, and then she might decide to switch to a cheaper supplier (she won't really know which is cheaper without this info)
A:It is not unknown for vendor to keep back set of keys or even estate agent forget to hand them back. If something goes missing and no sign of break in or credit card doesn't arrive………very difficult to explain former to insurance company.
A:Thanks for the advice.
The reason she will not be moving in is that she will be off on holiday a week after getting the keys (not good planning)
Why do you feel it so important to change the locks?
A:True, but if she wants to get a discount for the flat being unoccupied, which may be as much as 50% or 100% (depending on the council) she needs to let them know as soon as she becomes the owner. This cannot be done retrospectively.
A:Just to add to Sooz, I didnt even bother registering for council tax, I just let them catch up with me with a bill, think they get the details out the land registry or something (dont quote me), as i was a new build, i also let the leccy and gas write to me in their own time… No rush, its only bills after all
A:My daughter has just bought her first flat and takes possession next week but will not move in till end Augunst.
Please can you advise -
1) Does she have to apply immediately for Council Tax forms.
yes – though if it's both unfurnished & unoccupied she can apply for a discount
2) When should she have the
electric meter read.
as soon as she gets the keys
3) Who should she get to supply the electric.
an electricity supplier Her choice….
4) When is it best to start the
contents insurance.
as soon as she gets the keys. it covers carpets/laminate floors too. Infact anything that would come out if you turned the flat upside down
What else should we be aware of or need to do?
Thanks in advance.
It's also a good idea to change the locks. And put in a lamp with timer & some curtains, so the place doesn't look unoccupied. She doesn't want squatters. Why is she not moving in for a month?
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