Selling a home involves some cooperation between the sellers and buyers, and one area that needs cooperation to ensure a smooth sale is the transfer of utilities. Interrupt services and the buyer gets a sour feeling about what was otherwise a smooth transaction.
It's the responsibility of the sellers to maintain utility service in the home through closing or the end of their occupancy, whichever is later. It's the buyer's responsibility to ensure the utilities are transferred to be effective no later than their occupancy date.
And it's far, far easier to arrange for a name transfer than it is to arrange for a physical turn on of utilities. The name transfer ensures a seamless transition. However if the seller turns off the utilities early, the process becomes more burdensome for the buyer. For instance, the gas and water providers aren't likely to turn on either service unless someone is physically in the home to ensure there are no leaks or problems with the service. After all, who wants a flooded home or one that goes BOOM because of a gas leak?
The seller side should be able to provide a list of utility providers to the buyer well in advance of the sale:
Electric
Gas
Water
Sewer
Trash (and what day is pickup?)
Telephone (assuming you still have a landline?)
TV (cable/Dish)
Once the buyer has the list and knows the closing date, please make contact with the appropriate utility providers to make sure your services aren't interrupted. And sellers, DON'T turn off the utilities even if you move our early. Part of your obligation is to keep the home as the buyers last saw it, and that means the lights are on and water at the faucet!
Ready to talk the specifics of buying or selling a Warren County area home? Call The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite at 513-520-5305 or email Liz@LizSpear.com. Ask for those references, we'll be happy to provide them and they'll be happy to talk to you!
Serving Warren County Ohio area home buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz
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