Pre pay Gas and Electric Meters

New_Home_buyer_2

i'm hoping that someone can help me. I am a first time buyer and the house that I am purchasing has pre paid gas and electric meters in. This would be fine and I would change to credit meters when i move in, my only problem is the property has been empty for two years so i dont know if anything in the property works, my main concern is the boiler. I would like to get the boiler checked and serviced before I move in. The gas, electric and water have not been dicsonnected. However and I a bit concerned about topping up on someones else key card, should I have a new one sent out to me? and would they send one out to me if i am not the owner of the property yet? The estate agent hasnt been much use and my solicitor says it is my responsibility to check out these things before completion.

SwanJon

Not sure how you can check the boiler before completion as it's not your boiler yet.
You could ask the seller to do it, then they can deal with making sure there's credit on the meters.

If the property has been empty that long there will probably be a build up of standing charges - these are not yours to pay so the supplier should arrange to clear them for you.

Once you buy, call the existing supplier to get accounts in your names, your own card and key and see if they'll swap the meters over for you. Don't do this until you are responsible for the bill!

Wywth

New_Home_buyer wrote: »

i'm hoping that someone can help me. I am a first time buyer and the house that I am purchasing has pre paid gas and electric meters in. This would be fine and I would change to credit meters when i move in, my only problem is the property has been empty for two years so i dont know if anything in the property works, my main concern is the boiler. I would like to get the boiler checked and serviced before I move in. The gas, electric and water have not been dicsonnected. However and I a bit concerned about topping up on someones else key card, should I have a new one sent out to me? and would they send one out to me if i am not the owner of the property yet? The estate agent hasnt been much use and my solicitor says it is my responsibility to check out these things before completion.

Did you mean before exchange, rather than completion? As once contracts are exchanged, it's too late to change anything you've agreed to.

You will need to employ a qualified engineer to check out the boiler, and arrange with the current owner a suitable time that it can be checked out. Any check will not need much gas so I doubt any top up will be required, meters have an emergency reserve function, but check with the owner first.

macman

Since you'll not have any access before completion (although you own the property from exchange), you'll have to wait until that point to get anything done. If I were the vendor I certainly would not allow your contractors access to work on the boiler or anything else before completion, in case completion does not happen on time, or in case your contractors cause damage.

Wywth

macman wrote: »

Since you'll not have any access before completion (although you own the property from exchange), you'll have to wait until that point to get anything done. If I were the vendor I certainly would not allow your contractors access to work on the boiler or anything else before completion, in case completion does not happen on time, or in case your contractors cause damage.

When you are trying to sell a property, you should be prepared to allow a prospective purchasers agents access to survey the property as necessary (upon suitable notice).

If you don't allow a building surveyor in, then a prospective buyer will not evan be able to obtain a mortgage

If you don't allow any other surveyor in, then expect the prospective buyer to assume you are trying to hide something. If they are still prepared to go ahead with the purchase, any buyer would assume anything that is not permitted to be examined to be defective, would require complete replacement, and that the purchase price offered would reflect such cost.

Worrying about someone causing damage is a nonsense. Any suitably qualified agent would have insurance against any damage they may cause carrying out their job.

Again, this is all before exchange, because after that it is too late.