First Home

Daryl13

Hi, we are due to exchange in the next few weeks with a completion date mid July. In terms of getting utility providers etc ready.
What steps would you advise/take?
Does anyone have a checklist?

hounsehunterftb

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/moving-house-checklist

http://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-buying/completion-what-to-expect/

http://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-buying/essential-house-purchase-documents/

G_M

google or bing 'moving home checklist'

Davesnave

Daryl13 wrote: »

Hi, we are due to exchange in the next few weeks
What steps would you advise/take?
Does anyone have a checklist?

Yes.

1. Get in the car and park nearby. Watch and listen for an hour.
2. Now do no1 above after school hours and/or at a weekend.
3. Return at 22:00 and observe for a while, as before.
4. Rinse and repeat, especially if you see/hear something worrying.
5. While you are waiting around, use your phone to look at Police UK crime figures for the postcode, the local authority's planning applications in the area, the Environment Agency's Flood Map etc.

Also Google the local street names to see who's been been naughty etc.

If you see the postperson, start a chat about the locality with them......and so on.

All the rest is secondary.

moneyistooshorttomention

My favourite - any female middle-age shop assistants at local corner shop = good place to have long chat about neighbourhood.

At local corner shop I had by my last house they could have told you re proportion of student housing in vicinity/proportion of rented housing in vicinity/bit of drug-taking nearby and probably told you the rubbish and graffiti levels in the vicinity might well go up once one of the local residents moved out (ie me) - NB they have (the area looks a lot worse since I moved out:cool:).

2nd point - GET THE LOCKS CHANGED THE DAY YOU MOVE IN. I've just found out that one of my own friends has spent a whole year living in the house they moved to without changing the locks yet:eek:. I didnt think anyone would actually be so lax....:cool:...

LandyAndy

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

2nd point - GET THE LOCKS CHANGED THE DAY YOU MOVE IN. I've just found out that one of my own friends has spent a whole year living in the house they moved to without changing the locks yet:eek:. I didnt think anyone would actually be so lax....:cool:...

I have never changed a lock on any of the houses I've owned (except when I've replaced doors at some point). I've never had any problems.


I'm not saying don't change them but I am saying that it isn't something to get incredibly worked up about.

Red-Squirrel_2

LandyAndy wrote: »

I have never changed a lock on any of the houses I've owned (except when I've replaced doors at some point). I've never had any problems.


I'm not saying don't change them but I am saying that it isn't something to get incredibly worked up about.

I've never done it either, never realised until I started using this forum that anybody did!

Davesnave

I think it depends a lot on who the previous owner was and what their lifestyle was like.

We changed them all here, whereas at the house we left, the new owner knew they had every key that existed, all labelled and put on separate key rings.

It's not that we bought from crooks, but they had a disorganised, rather unconventional lifestyle, with grown-up children who had friends to stay etc, so the risks were clearly greater.

G_M

LandyAndy wrote: »

I have never changed a lock on any of the houses I've owned (except when I've replaced doors at some point). I've never had any problems.

I always change the locks, and I too have never had ay problems!

Actually I recycle the locks. Keep the one I take off and use it next time I move.

For the sake of £10 - £30 you get peace of mind and guaranteed insurance pay-out if there's a problem. (thief had a key? No break-in? no insurance!)

LandyAndy

G_M wrote: »

I always change the locks, and I too have never had ay problems!

Actually I recycle the locks. Keep the one I take off and use it next time I move.

For the sake of £10 - £30 you get peace of mind and guaranteed insurance pay-out if there's a problem. (thief had a key? No break-in? no insurance!)

And perfectly reasonable as I said. My reply was as much aimed at money's scaremongering as anything.


I haven't moved since I joined MSE and the idea of changing locks had never occurred to me, like Red-Squirrel, until I started reading about how we'd all be murdered in our beds if we didn't start changing locks as we waved the removal men off.

G_M

LandyAndy wrote: »

And perfectly reasonable as I said. My reply was as much aimed at money's scaremongering as anything.


I haven't moved since I joined MSE and the idea of changing locks had never occurred to me, like Red-Squirrel, until I started reading about how we'd all be murdered in our beds if we didn't start changing locks as we waved the removal men off.

You'll be lucky to make it as far as your bed.

More likely someone will burst in and get you as you're on your way upstairs........:rotfl: