Agree who will check the home, how often they will report back and what they may spend in an emergency.
Record the condition on handover day
Photograph meters, keys, the main water shutoff and the electrical board. Ask for account numbers, recent bills, service contacts and written confirmation of who pays charges up to handover. Keep a list of any local registrations, insurance or utility transfers that still need action.
For a flat, record the building manager’s details and regular charges. For a house, identify who maintains shared access, wells or drains if there are any. Have someone show you the points you would need to reach to isolate water or power.
Plan for weeks when nobody is there
- Check the policy’s terms for an empty or partly renovated property and agree how to meet them.
- Ask a local contact to record visits and report signs of leaks, storm damage or loss of power.
- Ask what should be drained, isolated or left on through winter and who will check it.
- Write down how a repair is approved, what photographs or invoices you expect and who has the spare key.
Decide which work needs you on site
Put weatherproofing and safe services ahead of decoration. Agree a written scope, what is excluded and how changes will be priced. For larger works, arrange dated progress photos and checks before paying a stage invoice.
Review your first-year budget after the first few months. Add actual regular bills and the maintenance you have deferred, then keep a separate reserve for larger work.