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Home > Services > Residential & Agricultural Property > Buying checklist
Sales and Purchase Checklist
Apart from obvious things, such as organising your loan and removal van, anyone involved in either buying or selling property (or indeed both) has a host of minor practical matters that need to be dealt with at some stage. We know from previous experience that in the heat of any transaction one or two points are often overlooked and we hope therefore that this HBJ Gateley Wareing Guide will be of some assistance in keeping your move that bit more trouble free.
Purchaser's Checklist:
Before settlement: - Arrange transfer of telephone – you should note that British Telecom will not automatically transfer any existing telephone service to an incoming purchaser unless they are contacted at least two days prior to a transfer date.
- Redirect your mail – you should contact Royal Mail to arrange for an appropriate redirection service.
- Organise your removal firm – we would always recommend that you obtain at least two or three competitive quotes from reputable firms. Please remember, however, that until the missives are concluded there is not a binding contract and you should exercise a degree of caution therefore before committing to any specific firm until we have confirmed conclusion has taken place.
- Organise your insurance (both buildings and contents) for your new house to take effect no later than the date of settlement. Make sure your buildings insurance is adequate and approved by your lender.
- Arrange to collect your keys – normally keys are obtained by us at the formal settlement of the conveyancing transaction. In certain cases it may be more convenient for you to make arrangements directly with the seller to pick them up nearer to the actual property being bought: if so, please make sure we know of these arrangements.
- Try and avoid arranging for third parties to be at your new house early on the day of settlement. In the vast majority of cases settlement normally takes place by mid-morning but that cannot be guaranteed. If at all possible choose the afternoon for visits in preference to the morning. If in doubt simply speak to your solicitor.
After settlement: - Take meter readings – although this has also been dealt with by the outgoing seller it is a useful precaution to take your own readings.
- Check that the usual utilities (gas, electricity and cable) have been informed by the seller of the change of ownership.
- Check all services, systems, and appliances within the property within any time limit stipulated in your contract – the almost universal time period in this regard is one week or five working days. If any problems are discovered on taking entry they must be intimated to your solicitor without delay as failure to do so could result in a lack of remedy against the previous owner.
- Change burglar alarm code – as a simple security precaution you should consider altering the code previously used by the outgoing owner.
- Familiarise yourself with location of water stop cocks, gas and electricity meters and, if applicable, septic tank.
- Think about changing the locks in the property (especially if the property has been leased out in the past to various tenants).
- Check the property has been fully emptied of furniture – although you might think this self evident it is not unknown for the seller to overlook items stored in attics, garages, garden sheds, and the like.
Seller's Checklist: - Arrange service of heating system – although the purchaser has a strict time limit in which to intimate any claims, in order to avoid any unnecessary dispute have the system to be serviced or checked over shortly prior to completion.
- Arrange redirection of your mail from your former address – we would recommend that the period covers at least one Christmas.
- If you vacate your property during the winter months and there is any gap between moving out and completion of the transaction you should consider draining the water pipes to prevent damage.
- Arrange final meter readings.
- Council Tax – please note that in most cases we will be intimating the change of ownership to the relevant Council.
- Provide a forwarding address to your bank, insurers, lawyers, etc.
- If also buying, try and avoid same day settlements. Although legally possible we know from experience that arrangements for moving between two properties within one day can often be fraught with practical difficulties. We can if you wish arrange a short term overdraft (bridging) facility which, although an additional expense, can often cancel out a lot of inconvenience.
- Remember to cancel any direct debits relating to your property, eg. Council Tax, mortgage, insurance.
- Leave the property clear of all contents and in a clean and tidy condition – this is not only a matter of common courtesy but is also a legal obligation.
- If applicable leave behind clear instructions for operating appliances; heating system; burglar alarm system.
- Take care if you are disconnecting washing machines and dish washers – you could be liable if pipes leak and your insurance may not cover you.
- Intimate change of ownership to any factors who deal with common repair matters in order that they can apportion costs between buyer and seller.
Change of Address Checklist:
As we have mentioned above there are various people who should be informed of your change of address, such as British Telecom; Scottish Gas; and so forth. Although not exhaustive here is a brief list of various other parties who might want to hear from you:
Employer
School
Building Society
Credit Cards
AA/RAC
TV Licence
Doctor
Dentist
Premium Bonds
Clubs and Societies
Insurers (buildings, contents, life and pensions)
Banks
DVLC Swansea
Department of Social Security
We hope the above gives you some food for thought. Just always remember, however, that if you ever have any queries your solicitor at HBJ Gateley Wareing is here to assist at all times.
Contact details:
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