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Move out before sale complete? Advice needed!

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Jenwahh
Jenwahh Posts: 11 Forumite
in House buying, renting & selling
My husband and are are selling a property in the south of England in order to relocate to Scotland. This is because my husband started a job up there in August. We knew the job was coming so we put the property on the market back in April and we accepted an offer in July. Until now my husband has been staying in a shared house, renting a room, and I have stayed in England with the children. As we had agreed a sale and it was getting close to completion, we started to rent a house in Scotland this month. It's still empty! I've also had enough of living apart. If I go ahead and move into the rented house while the sale is still ongoing, who do I need to notify about the empty property? A friend tells me it can affect my home insurance, so I will call them and ask. But the same friend also said to check the terms of my mortgage.So I did and I found a clause saying "you will occupy the property yourself unless we agree otherwise in writing". Does this mean I need my lender's consent to move out???

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  • Cardinal-Red
    Cardinal-Red Posts: 664 Forumite
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    I am pretty sure the occupy term means you can't let somebody else occupy it, i.e. let it out to somebody.

    For the insurance, you probably ticked a box that said the house will not be left unoccupied for more than 30 days at a time. You will just need to inform them that it is now going to be empty. There may well be an extra premium for this especially if you continue to insure contents there.

    Neither a bank nor an insurance company can force you to live somewhere, don't worry!
    The above facts belong to everybody; the opinions belong to me; the distinction is yours to draw...
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    The lender's condition refers to you renting it out, to sub-letting, not to you moving to a new house.

    The insurance while empty is the only issue you have to worry about - typically insurance companies will be referring to it being empty more than 30 days.
  • Tom99
    Tom99 Posts: 5,371 Forumite
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    Do you have someone who can look in whilst you are away? Your insurance will probably be on the basis that the house is inspected once a week and with the cold whether coming you may need to have the heating on for a while.
  • davidmcn
    davidmcn Posts: 23,596 Forumite
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    PasturesNew wrote: »
    The lender's condition refers to you renting it out, to sub-letting, not to you moving to a new house.

    The insurance while empty is the only issue you have to worry about - typically insurance companies will be referring to it being empty more than 30 days.
    Though mortgage conditions often also have a similar condition, so you may need lender's consent even if you've put suitable insurance in place.
  • Jenwahh
    Jenwahh Posts: 11 Forumite
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    Thanks all - that's so helpful. I'm going to call the insurance now. I can leave keys with my very well trusted neighbours and can have them look in on it for me every few days. Then I will probably also keep popping back every few weeks myself just until the sale is all done.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
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    edited 24 October 2017 at 5:16PM
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    Rad the insurance policy. Some allow up to 30 days unoccupied, some 45 or 60 days.

    If longer than allowed, call them. You may have to ay extra, or your cover may be reduced (eg no cover for burglary). And yu may have to take cerain actions eg
    * drain down the water
    * turn off the gas
    * get the property visited/checked once a week
    etc

    If you move your furniture out, you may get a discount off Council Tax - read your council's website.

    TV licence? Not sure if you can 'transfer' that to your new rental, or get a refund.
  • Comms69
    Comms69 Posts: 14,229 Forumite
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    Jenwahh wrote: »
    My husband and are are selling a property in the south of England in order to relocate to Scotland. This is because my husband started a job up there in August. We knew the job was coming so we put the property on the market back in April and we accepted an offer in July. Until now my husband has been staying in a shared house, renting a room, and I have stayed in England with the children. As we had agreed a sale and it was getting close to completion, we started to rent a house in Scotland this month. It's still empty! I've also had enough of living apart. If I go ahead and move into the rented house while the sale is still ongoing, who do I need to notify about the empty property? A friend tells me it can affect my home insurance, so I will call them and ask. But the same friend also said to check the terms of my mortgage.So I did and I found a clause saying "you will occupy the property yourself unless we agree otherwise in writing". Does this mean I need my lender's consent to move out???

    Obviously not.....


    It's to ensure you don't let it out to other people.
  • Comms69
    Comms69 Posts: 14,229 Forumite
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    G_M wrote: »
    Rad the insurance policy. So allow up to 30 days unoccupied, some 45 or 60 days.

    If longer than allowed, call them. You may have to ay extra, or your cover may be reduced (eg no cover for burglary). And yu may have to take cerain actions eg
    * drain down the water
    * turn off the gas
    * get the property visited/checked once a week
    etc

    If you move your furniture out, you may get a discount off Council Tax - read your council's website.

    TV licence? Not sure if you can 'transfer' that to your new rental, or get a refund.
    Yep you can, it's easier than getting a new one.
  • Jenwahh
    Jenwahh Posts: 11 Forumite
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    Thanks everyone. I called my insurance and they said that if the sale completes within the next 60 days then it's all fine and I don't need to do or change anything. If it takes longer than that, then I just have to give them a call and they can amend my policy by adding an unoccupancy endorsement. Happy days!
  • chappers
    chappers Posts: 2,988 Forumite
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    Jenwahh wrote: »
    they can amend my policy by adding an unoccupancy endorsement.

    But as GM said that may include reducing your policy to FLEA cover, there are a few insurers out there that will give you full cover on a month by month basis. OCASO is one I have used in the past.
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