A common question first-time home buyers ask when they purchase a home is how to move over utilities.
This is normally a pretty straightforward process, but you may sometimes need a little help from your realtor to find the right places to call.
One of my recent clients asked me this, so I thought I’d share what I normally take clients through.
Q: Hey Mike, how do I move over utilities in our name?
A: Hi Carlo,
Great question. How to move over utilities is pretty simple luckily.
There are several utilities that you’ll need to move over to your name, but the bulk of that work should be done BEFORE you pick up the keys. First, you either have to transfer or close the utility services at your current home. If the new home is in your current provider’s service area, you can simply transfer your account to the new address. If it’s not, you’ll have to close your account and arrange to open a new account with a new service provider.
Now, since this is your first home I’ll contact the seller’s agent to confirm the essential service providers they use (namely gas, hydro, water). You could then contact these companies to open a new account on your closing day.
Optional Services
For utilities like cable and internet, the same rules apply. Simply let those companies know your moving date and arrange a set-up time.
Rental Services
Now, in Carlo’s case, the only rental item he had to transfer over was the hot water tank. In Southern Ontario, it’s quite common for people to rent their hot water tank. The next most common item is usually an alarm system.
Beyond that, there are cases where the seller has rented the air conditioner and furnace. These kinds of rental contracts are usually very expensive to buy out, but are also expensive to rent monthly.
In these cases we advise clients to include in the offer a clause that makes the seller buy out those contracts. You don’t typically want to take those on.
As for the hot water tank rental, those are usually less than about $35/month, so most people just assume the contract assuming it’s in good working condition.
Change of Address
Most importantly, don’t forget to forward all mail to your new address! That means contacting Canada Post, your bank, changing your driver’s license and insurance information, and contacting all other provider’s you receive regular mail from.
That covers the basics and if you have any further questions feel free to leave a comment below reach out to me directly.
