Things to ask your seller before you move

June 16, 2016

We all know that moving house can be a stressful experience and there are many things which can make the process a little easier. The following little things can really help you with your move to your new home.

Forwarding address

Changing to a new address can take time and I wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up receiving the sellers post for a little while. There also might be other reasons you want to contact the seller, so it is always handy to have their contact details to hand.

Energy, broadband and home phone

It is a good idea to ask what energy, broadband and home phone supplier the sellers use. This will stop any confusion later down the line. You should also take a meter reading on the day you move in so you aren’t charged for the previous owners gas and electricity.

Gas and electric meters

These meters can be in some really random places and sometimes nearly impossible to get to. Personally, I have no idea where mine are! It is worth asking the seller where these are located so you don’t have to try and hunt them down later on.

Paint

If you like the current décor of the house, then ask the previous owners if they have any paint the same colour as the walls. When moving in, you might scuff the walls and want to repaint them. Sometimes it is impossible trying to find matching paint and it will most likely give you a headache!

Furniture

Sometimes the sellers might not want to take everything with them. It is definitely worth asking them if there is anything they are planning on leaving behind. Also, sometimes people leave curtain poles but there is no guarantee that anything apart from the carpets will be left. They sometimes even take the light bulbs so keep some handy on your moving day.

Stopcock

This is one of the most important things to ask about. Make sure everyone in your household knows where the stopcock is, just in case there is an emergency or a leak.

The simplest way to get these answers would be to drop the estate agent an email who will give them to the seller. It might even prompt them to do the same!

Alex Evans

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