Money saving advice for moving in after completion

fimonkey

So.... after many years I willo soon be a home owner. completing on Friday I hope.

I know who supplies the gas and electric currently (it is a vacant property) so when I move in I will give them a meter reading - then I presume they will put me onto a standard charge tariff? (its southern energy btw). As I understand it standard tariffs are expensive - so how soon can I switch deals (i.e can I appoint a provider even before I complete?). Also I looked on uswitch but they couldn't find me any deals because I didn't know what to put in as a comparison (i.e what the current tariff was) and I certainly don't know what a years useage will be.

What about wifi, what do I need to sort out to get that up and running? I want the cheapest deal (obviously), I don't know if the flat has a landline already (sure its in the blurb and paperwork but I haven't checked tht specifically). Where would I go to find wifi and how long before it will be set up?

Other things to do:
- learn how to work the boiler for hot water
- Inform sewage/water/council tax of new occupier
- Get TV licence
- start critical illness cover and get contents insurance
- change address on car insurance
- change address with banks/credit card companies/employers and others (i.e travel insurance, riders insurance etc)
- Say hi to my neighbours and introduce myself

What else should be done the first week (or even the first day) you move into somewhere new?

Thanks all (I mite still post smugly about the benefits of being a renter - this 'owning a home' stuff is very time consumming! ;-)

R_P_W

With regards to broadband, it is likely that the property will already have an overhead or underground feed landline. You will need to arrange with a service provider for it to be re-activated and you set up an account with them.

You have to pay a line rental which is effectively your home phone/land line. For WiFi you will need to arrange a broadband service. This can be from the same provider of the land line or seperate.

Depending on your needs in terms of monthly download limits and speed etc and what you want to pay will determine how you go about this.

Check out the comparison websites for potential offers. Fidn what you want then see if you can order via a cashback webiste for even more savings.

I know that you can get some good package phone/broadband/tv deals with Sky, Virgin and BT so best to shop around.

Couple of other things...

Make sure you know how to turn of the water main in the property

Make sure you have all the keys for windows etc, that they all work and get copies made if needed

Inform ALL bills, iutilities, bank, work etc of your new address and to be double sure might be worth having mail re-direction for 3 months from Royal Mail - then as you get your mail it will remind you of all the people you forgot to inform

Yorkie1

fimonkey wrote: »

So.... after many years I willo soon be a home owner. completing on Friday I hope.

I know who supplies the gas and electric currently (it is a vacant property) so when I move in I will give them a meter reading - then I presume they will put me onto a standard charge tariff? (its southern energy btw). Yes

As I understand it standard tariffs are expensive - so how soon can I switch deals (i.e can I appoint a provider even before I complete?). You may have to wait about 6 weeks, you may be able to do it immediately - someone else should confirm.

Also I looked on uswitch but they couldn't find me any deals because I didn't know what to put in as a comparison (i.e what the current tariff was) and I certainly don't know what a years useage will be.

There will be an option on some of the comparison sites on the annual consumption part, to say you don't know what the consumption is - and it should then take you to further options where you put in some basic details about the property and it guesstimates average usage. It doesn't really matter what the current tariff is. Just pick one for comparison purposes.

What about wifi, what do I need to sort out to get that up and running? I want the cheapest deal (obviously), I don't know if the flat has a landline already (sure its in the blurb and paperwork but I haven't checked tht specifically). Where would I go to find wifi and how long before it will be set up?

Decide whether you want cable or landline phone / TV package (if at all) and shop around. Look at the stuff on the phones board here. I use Plusnet phone and broadband because I don't need a tie-in with TV or mobile phone, but your circumstances may well be different.

Other things to do:
- learn how to work the boiler for hot water
- Inform sewage/water/council tax of new occupier
- Get TV licence
- start critical illness cover and get contents insurance Why critical illness? Have you been advised to get it?
- change address on car insurance
- change address with banks/credit card companies/employers and others (i.e travel insurance, riders insurance etc)
- Say hi to my neighbours and introduce myself

What else should be done the first week (or even the first day) you move into somewhere new?

Thanks all (I mite still post smugly about the benefits of being a renter - this 'owning a home' stuff is very time consumming! ;-)

See above. Also google 'moving checklists' for some more ideas.

Here's a couple to get you started:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/BuyingAndSellingYourHome/SellingYourHome/DG_10018035
http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/property/moving_notifychecklist.shtml

robatwork

I always change the locks as pretty much job 1. After all, anyone could have keys.

fimonkey

Yorkie 1, I decided to get critical illness because I have no dependents (so don't care about life insurance, although it ended up being included in the C.I. for free). I live a single person's lifestyle and wouldn't be at all surprised if I suffered for it in the future (after all the stats for cancer are 1:3 of us will get it) - plus every pain or lump I feel I convince myself its something serious until it goes away on its own (not so much of a hyperchondriac to bother the doc with stuff like this, I just worry till it goes away as it always does).

Changing locks, of course! would never have thought about that but its obvious, and the window locks too, and knowing how to turn off water.

Ta for those lists. Much obliged.

fimonkey

RE: wifi and braodband. If there is an overhead/underhead line to the flat already - how do I test whether it is active or not, and who owns it? (I've never had to sort this out for myself, last time I knew anything about landlines etc BT ruled the world).

And if I've understood - I can pay one company for the line, but then another company for the services? So where SKY have the £5 wifi package but £12.50 line rental I could find a cheaper deal for line rental then just have the sky package?

I am not interested in TV, happy with freeview. Also not interested in mobile phones cos am tied into a contract for another year, so I'm only interested in wifi (to watch TV on, and catch up with programmes on iplayer etc) so need a good amount of GB and bandwidth.

Thanks all