Moving Advice Needed for FTB

Calamityjen

Hi All,
I would very much appreciate your advice please.  I am a nervous first time buyer moving from a rented flat to a house.  The completion date is 10th August 2020.  I need to arrange to give my landlord notice and to move my utilities and council tax ect.  There will be an overlap of a few days while I move; can you please advise me when would be the best date to change the utilities please?
Many thanks in advance 

pinkteapot

You shouldn't give notice to your landlord until you've exchanged contracts on your purchase. At present, unfortunately, it's common for exchange not to happen until the day of completion, so you may end up with a large overlap of paying both rent and mortgage. 

The reason you shouldn't give notice until you've exchanged is that up to exchange the seller can pull out for no reason, leaving you with nowhere to go.

Check your lease - you normally have to give a month's notice to coincide with the date the tenancy started. E.g. if your tenancy started on 16th September and you want to leave on 15th August, you'd have to give notice on 16th July to leave on 15th August. You wouldn't have an option to leave on the 10th. That being said, it's always worth a chat with your landlord or letting agent. Ours let us give a month's notice which didn't coincide with the tenancy, and charged us a part month's rent.  

Council tax - you can ring them before or after you move, but again, definitely don't do it before exchange. If staying within the same area you phone the council, give them old and new address and date of moving. They don't normally worry about the overlap if it's short but explain the dates and they'll figure it out. You can call after completion. If moving to an area with a different council, you just phone each council and give them the leaving/moving-in dates and relevant address.

Utilities - sort after you move:

On the day of completion, read the meters at the new property and make a note of the readings. Then, when you've got a spare minute, ring the existing providers and say you took over the property on that date and give them those readings - they'll be the opening readings on your account. If you want to switch the providers at the new property you can, but you'll have to start with what's there as the switching process takes a bit of time. 

On the last day you have the rental property, read the meters there and similarly phone the providers to say you've left, giving them the date and the readings. They'll produce final bills. 

Calamityjen

Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it.  I will ring my landlord today and find out where I stand, I am currently a housing association tenant and have been for 9 years; I am also in credit with my rent which helps.  The meters in the house we are moving to are top up meters with Utilita which I am not so keen on; I am tied in to a contract with British Gas and I hope I can move this with me. 

Carrot007

Calamityjen said:

 The meters in the house we are moving to are top up meters with Utilita which I am not so keen on; I am tied in to a contract with British Gas and I hope I can move this with me. 

You can't. However once you register with the current supplier(s) you are free to move to whoever you like and start a new contract, you can even choose BG if you want, but it will be a new contract. Seperate suppliers tends to be cheaper these days if if you care about the savings that much. As for removing the pre pay. They could be put in credit when you are leaving. Otherwise it's whatever the cupplier you choose's policy (which can be give up a deposit, pay for the change or wait 6 months).

Calamityjen

Carrot007 said:

Calamityjen said:

 The meters in the house we are moving to are top up meters with Utilita which I am not so keen on; I am tied in to a contract with British Gas and I hope I can move this with me. 

You can't. However once you register with the current supplier(s) you are free to move to whoever you like and start a new contract, you can even choose BG if you want, but it will be a new contract. Seperate suppliers tends to be cheaper these days if if you care about the savings that much. As for removing the pre pay. They could be put in credit when you are leaving. Otherwise it's whatever the cupplier you choose's policy (which can be give up a deposit, pay for the change or wait 6 months).

Thank you for the advice, I will need to pay an exit fee to British Gas of £30 each for gas and electricity as I took out a 12 month contract.  When I took out this contract I had no idea I was going to move, sadly circumstances beyond my control have forced this move.  

MovingForwards

Buildings insurance will be required for when you exchange contracts.

Council tax, gas, electric, water, internet, banking, car insurance, pensions, eBay, paypal etc do when you complete your purchase / get the keys.

The notice period will be in your tenancy, allow for an overlap that way it's not a rush to move out in one day.

I find it easier to write a list of every business I have dealings with them tick them off as you go along. It's easy to forget something in the excitement / stress of moving and when settling in.