When you are moving house there are a few things it is important to find out about your new home and neighborhood; therefore, it is a good idea to ask the previous owners some questions. Some may be thoughtful enough to provide this information anyway, but others will be worrying about their own move and may not think about passing this information on.
You need to know about the utilities at your new house. Check where the isolation point is for the water supply and where the meters are located for the gas and electricity services. You also need to know about things such as refuse collections. On which day are they carried out? Are there special arrangements for recycling?
Find out which appliances are being left behind. If there is a built-in oven in the kitchen, for example, the previous owners cannot reasonably take this with them when they move house. Ask them to leave behind any instruction manuals that you can make use of. Some items may still be under warranty, in which case you will need the relevant paperwork. It would also be useful to have information about the heating system for the house and instructions on how it operates so you are not left freezing while you figure it out.
It is a good idea when you are moving to a new house to find out where the previous owners bought certain things, such as the fixtures. If, for example, a kitchen cabinet door breaks, you will then know where to start looking to source a replacement. Also find out whether anything needs specialist care, such as wooden floors.
