“What time do we get the keys?”
There is no set time. The availability of the keys is determined by (1) the sellers moving out (2) your mortgage funds coming into our Bank Account and (3) If selling, your purchasers being able to pay the price over to us. We have no direct control over any of these and therefore can’t give you any exact time until it all falls into place on the day.
We normally arrange for your mortgage funds to come in the day before, to avoid delay in this connection.
You sign the Deeds a few days before the Entry Date and leave us one key to your place, which we send to the Purchaser’s solicitors the night before the entry date to be “held as undelivered”. This means they hold the keys to our order. They send us the purchase price normally by bank transfer, on the same basis.
We send the Purchase price of your new place to the Sellers’ Solicitors and they send us a key, both “to be held as undelivered.” Anything “held as undelivered” cannot be touched until the solicitor sending the keys or the money says that It Is ok to do so.
We then have to wait for everything to fall into place. You load up in the morning and wait for our call.
The purchaser’s Solicitor calls us to say they are ready for us to hold the purchase price as delivered.
We ring the sellers’ solicitor to check if their clients are clear and if so we tell them to hold the purchase price as delivered
We call you and ask you to call in to collect your keys to the new place. Based on the time of our call, you let us know when you will be clear of your own place. (You leave the remaining keys in the property when you leave it for the last time).
We phone the purchasers’ solicitor and confirm that they can hand over the keys to the Purchasers but tell them not to attempt access until after the time you have given us.
When you get the keys
Take a note of the meter readings and send online or phone in the readings for both properties to the Service Providers using the contact information below. If you don’t know the Gas and Electricity suppliers, note the meter serial number and for Gas, contact the Gas enquiry service on 0870 608 1524 or www.findmysupplier.energy and for Electricity contact SP Energy Networks on 0845 270 9101.
Check everything is in working order. You have only 5 working days to intimate any defects and you cannot claim (1) if something is working but does not comply with technical regulations, (2) if the missives state the seller would not be liable, (3) if the value of the claim(s) is less than £400 in aggregate, or (4) if the defective item is not a “system or appliance”.
If the property has been damaged since you viewed, the Seller may be liable for the repair but not if the damage existed before you viewed or if you had accepted any damage would not be repaired, at the Missives stage.
Get on the Voters Roll by contacting the number below. You lose a lot of points on a Credit Search if you are not registered to vote from your new address.
We sort out the Council tax for your sale and the Seller’s Solicitor or their client should deal with the Council Tax for your purchase but you may wish to contact them directly to ensure. The Council will not acknowledge receipt of our Intimation of the change in ownership and we have no control over the Seller’s Solicitors actions so if you don’t hear from the Council in around 6 weeks give them a call direct to ensure that they have actioned the change of ownership.
Don’t forget to notify your change of address to…
- Bank
- Building Society
- Buildings & Contents Insurance Company
- Life Insurance Companies
- Car Insurance Company
- Pensions Company
- Premium Bonds/National Savings
- Employers
- Credit /Store Card Companies
- DVLA
- HMRC
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Optician
- Blood donor/bone marrow register
- Newsagent
- Schools
- Clubs
- AA/RAC
- Online shopping companies including any supermarkets
- Amazon; QVC; etc
- JustEat; Deliveroo etc
- Internet Service Provider
- University
- Subscriptions
- Rental Company
- Charity donations
- Broker
- Vet
- Cable/Sky TV
- TV Licence
- Investment Companies
- Library
- Mobile phone Company
- Friends
- Relatives
- Other people…
Some useful contact details
- ECO TRICITY www.ecotricity.co.uk
- EDF 0333 200 5100 General enquires www.edfenergy.com/for-home/help-and-support
- EON 0345 052 0000 www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/moving-home
- M&S ENERGY 0808 169 7822 www.mandsenergy.com
- OCTOPUS ENERGY 0808 164 1088 www.octopus.energy/contact-us or email hello@octopus.energy
- OUTFOX THE MARKET 0800 103 2702 www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk
- OVO ENERGY 0330 303 5063 www.ovoenergy.com
- SAINSBURYS ENERGY 0808 501 5277 www.sainsburysenergy.com
- SCOTTISH / BRITISH GAS 0333 202 9804 www.britishgas.co.uk
- SCOTTISH POWER 0345 027 0070 www.scottishpower.co.uk
- SHELL ENERGY 0330 094 5800 www.shellenergy.co.uk
- SO ENERGY 0330 111 5050 www.soenergy.co.uk
- UTILITA 0345 207 2000 www.utilita.co.uk/help
- UTILITY WAREHOUSE 0333 777 0777 (existing customer) www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk/contact/existing0333 777 3212 (new customer) www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk/contact/new
- TV LICENCE 0300 790 0368 (direct debit) 0300 555 0286 (payment card customers) www.tvlicencing.co.uk
- DVLA www.gov.uk/change-address-drivinglicence or DVLA, SWANSEA, SA99 1BN
- VOTERS ROLL 0131 334 2500 www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- COUNCIL TAX CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL 0131 608 1111 www.edinburgh.gov.uk/movinghouse
- EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210559/council_tax_and_benefits/12321/council_tax_forms
- FIFE COUNCIL https://vf.fifedirect.org.uk/Viewer-VicForms.asp?user=anon&Form=Council%20Tax%20Change%20of%20Address%20Form%20%281%2E0%29%2Ewdf
- MIDLOTHIAN COUNCIL https://www.midlothian.gov.uk/info/606/council_tax/282/report_a_change_that_affects_your_council_tax/2
- WEST LOTHIAN COUNCIL https://eforms2.westlothian.gov.uk/counciltaxenquiry/
- BT 0800 800 150 www.bt.com/help/home/contactus
- PLUS NET 0333 242 7059 www.plus.net
- SKY 0300 7591 018 customer services or 150 www.sky.com/help
- TALK TALK 0345 172 0088 www.talktalk.co.uk
- VIRGIN MEDIA 0345 454 1111 customer services www.virginmedia.com/shop/contactus
- Three 0333 338 1001 or 333 from 3 phone www.three.co.uk/support/contact-us
- EE 0800 079 8586 or 150 from EE mobile Broadband or EE TV customers 0800 079 8586 www.ee.co.uk
- O2 0344 809 0222 (pay as you go) 4445 from O2 mobile
0344 809 0202 (contact) 202 from O2 mobile
www.O2.co.uk/help - TESCO MOBILE 0345 301 4455 www.tescomobile.com
- VIRGIN MOBILE 0345 141 0111 OR 789 from Virgin mobile
- VODAFONE 0333 304 0191 or 191 from Vodafone mobile www.vodafone.co.uk