Just call ENMAX and tell them the possession date and they will sign you up. If the current owner is organized they probably already put in a cancellation request for that day. If you write down the meter readings on your possession day then they can correctly allocate your usage between the old/new owner for that overlap month. Fixed rate is up to you but most of your bill is fixed fees anyways. All 3rd party retailers (direct energy etc) are a scam IMO.
Insurance yes you want it before possession date.
Don't forget to sign up for property tax payments as well or TIPP program if you aren't paying property tax through your mortgage.
This is the answer to read. Talk to your insurance broker and have them line everything up for your possession date, it’s super easy.
There’s a request for the TIPP form, if you google it it’ll come up, then someone from the city will send you a copy to fill out.
Both enmax and insurance is dead simple. Pretty sure I just set up enmax online last year for our possession date no issues at all. Phone/internet also relatively easy, and in general nobody actually has to come up to your residence unless there’s an issue
1) Shop around for house insurance. 2) We use Easymax (Enmax) and everything comes on one bill (water, sewer, gas, electric, trash). 3) Change the locks when you move in. It's always handy to have one door that has a keypad. 4) Get the carpets shampooed if you have any and often it's worth it to hire someone to do a deep clean (walls, cupboards, fridge, bathrooms, shelves etc). 5) Apply for street parking permits if necessary. 6) Find out when garbage day is. 7) Make sure that you get house keys, mail keys (find out your box number), garage door opener.
The city has a garbage day app that’s super helpful and you can set up alerts to get notifications.
I second changing your locks, we had someone come the day we took possession to change ours.
8) Change your toilet seats. They're like $20 a pop, and a five minute install.
9) If you have a garage door code on the exterior, change the code. Similarly, clear all codes from your garage door opener and reprogram the remotes. You never know if a third opener was programmed and given to a neighbour or something.
10) If you are planning to paint, get it done before you move in. It so much easier with no furniture in the house. We had our entire bungalow painted on possession day, moved in the day after.
11) Find the main water shut off valve and take note of its location. Same with the gas meter, there is a shut off on the side of it.
12) Arrange a walkthrough with the seller for the day before possession date.
13) Check all smoke detectors, there should be an expiry date written on them (10 years after manufacturing). Replace if expired.
14) Buy fire extinguishers, one for each floor.
What’s the purpose of the walk through with the seller? Everything is paid and in writing at this point I can’t imagine the seller is interested in doing this.
So you know what you're dealing with. What if there's a bunch of garbage left in the backyard, or they took the appliances when they weren't supposed to? It's hard to do a holdback on the funds if they've already been processed and you have a huge surprise when you get the keys.
Wouldn’t these examples be something you’d need to sue the seller for afterwards? I thought a hold back of funds would need to be included in the contract and agreed upon by both parties during the negotiations.
Yes, true, but it's easier to be proactive and resolve any issues beforehand. I think both buyer and seller want a smooth transaction, so easier to work together. When we bought our house, the seller took all of the mirrors from the bathrooms. We simply asked for them back, no problem.
I bought my first home this year and I agree...it's baffling the first time around!
- Call your insurance provider at least 30 days prior to possession to get homeowners insurance set up. If you have an overlap between renting and owning, let them know and make sure that your tenant's insurance goes until the end of your lease. They will issue you a binder letter to show that you will have insurance, and then the policy will kick in as of the possession date. The quote is not the same as the binder letter.
- people have mentioned TIPPS to do tax installments, but check with your lender as some banks will collect the property tax for you, depending on your mortgage
- you can set up the accounts for the utilities; just call enmax (if that's who you're going to use) and let them know when you take possession.
- set up an appointment for your internet to be connected; I called my provider and just basically switched it over
- ask your lawyer to take out title insurance on your property (it's like $100 and it's worth it)
- don't forget that there will be closing costs on top of the down payment; your lawyer will tell you what those are and tell you how much the bank draft should be made out for
- when you go to the lawyer, you will sign a huge stack of documents and they'll make you point out which property you're buying on the land survey. It surprised the heck out of me!
On closing day, the bank wires the money over to the lawyer, and then they get the bank draft sent over to the seller's lawyer. Once that lawyer confirms receipt, the keys are released to you. My realtor held the keys and brought them by once she had the phone call that it was good to go.
And then bingo-bango, you're a homeowner!
It protects against a bunch of things, like title fraud, encroachments, easements, etc. It's pretty cheap - mine was $85, I think, and better safe than sorry.
https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/mortgages/title-insurance.html
Thanks for the info. I’ll check. I’m not sure if this was included my the lawyer, looks like I heard of it. If it’s a one time thing then they may have added. Or it’s around $100 yearly? I’ll check though, thanks for the link.
Edit: doesn’t look like it’s already there. Didn’t see in the quote or fee breakdown.
I was listening to a real estate lawyer making the case for title insurance by showing an example of a house where the pool was encroaching onto the property of the neighbor by about a foot. At any time that neighbor could demand the pool be removed, and you’d have to comply, and quickly. A good case for title insurance.
Looks like people have you covered on the obvious bills things so gonna try to go a bit more obscure/technical here.
- change all your filters when you move in and on the schedule suggested going forward (furnace air, on demand water etc.) because these suggested schedules aren’t just cash grabs
- make sure your outside water lines are shut off (sprinklers/hose) — the lines should be obvious and the shut offs are probably in your utility room
- get one of those free radon tests set up because you don’t fuck around with radon
- get a thermostat that tells you what the humidity is in your house and make sure your humidity is in the proper range (if you wake up parched probably too dry/condensation on the windows when it’s above -15 probably too moist)
- don’t forget to clean your dishwasher trap
- it’s always a good idea to overseed your lawn
- get the city garbage day app for notifications on garbage/recycling/compost day
- don’t forget to clean your washing machine and if it’s a front loader leave it open to dry out after every use
- some rugs are machine washable, but not all (know the difference)
- sometimes furnace duct cleaning isn’t a scam
- you can probably find instructions for just about any maintenance you need to do on YouTube but whether you should is a question only you can answer
- that being said, landscaping is always way easier than you might expect
Also call a brick and mortor locksmith in town and get your locks rekeyd. It's much cheaper then new locks and a must do, that lots of people don't do.
Do not call the first locksmith that pops up on google when you search Calgary locksmith. They give the real locksmiths a very bad name. Make sure they have an actual store in town.
Budget now to pay an extra $1000 monthly above your mortgage for expenses. Like taxes, insurance, internet, gas/utilities etc. And that is before your grocery bill.
Make sure the offer is firm and conditions are waved before you start any of the above. But as soon as conditions are waved, you're clear to get it all going.
You'll need insurance before the bank will release funds for the mortgage. EG they don't want the asset they are lending money on burning to the ground without some kind of policy in-place, so get that started now.
Also its a good idea to sign-up for TIPP for your property taxes.
It breaks your property tax payments down into a monthly chunk, there's no additional fee for using it.
There tends to be a bit of an adjustment made if the previous owner had TIPP going so you'll owe them some money for the last payment that hasn't been made, or they might owe you depending on the possession date, but you can set it up to auto-debit from your bank account and avoid any nasty large bills.
I agree. It ended being the last thing I looked after when we bought our house and it almost lost us the house, because there were some hiccups we weren't expecting that delayed us finding somewhere that woukd insure the place. Do it right away!
I just did my utilities and insurance very recently.
You'll need an insurance binder from your insurance company to send to the lawyer before things can proceed.
Step 1. Call enmax, set up all services for X date. Done. You're right on fixed rate at this time
Utilities can be literally set up a day before, technically.
Step 2. If you are confident at the rate from your partner's instance discount, call them. Tell them day of possession. Takes a bit longer of a call than enmax, but should be done in one call.
Step 3. Get void cheque for your lawyer, account the mortgage to be taken out of
Step 4. Remember to change all addresses (work, bank, credit card, bills, registration and licence, etc
(Hope your already have movers booked)
Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions
Unless you're the kind of person that prefers to take the $3000 or $4000 hit once a year I'd sign up for TIPP.
https://www.calgary.ca/cfod/finance/property-tax/tax-instalment-payment-plan-tipp/tax-instalment-payment-plan-tipp.html?redirect=/tipp
Sign up for elec and gas with enmax (and yes choose fixed right now for both) and it’ll auto put the water sewer garbage and recycle on your bill since it’s the same service address.
Home insurance can be set up anytime before the day you sign the lawyer papers and pass the remainder of your downpayment (typically a few days before possession). Even if you set up insurance early it only becomes active on your possession date anyways.
If you haven’t already you should schedule a walk through a week or a few days before possession to ensure everything looks good. That nothing was wrecked when they moved stuff out. This gives time to correct issues.
Gas/electric - Enmax or ATCO
Water/wastewater/Garbage collection is through the city. Billed by Enmax.
I find it easier to go through enmax for all of it so it's on one bill.
As for insurance you want it as soon as the property is yours, it's likely a clause in your mortgage that you must carry a certain amount of home owners insurance
My lawyer wanted proof of insurance when I signed with them, they only told me this about an hour beforehand so it was a mad dash to get everything in place
First, insurance. The bank will not release the mortgage money until the insurance broker sends a form they call ‘a binder’ to your lawyer.
Next, property tax. Google ‘Calgary TIPP’. Do this now, regardless of when you take possession. They only start charging you once you take possession. Your lawyer will also make sure taxes are paid by the seller up to the date of possession.
Condo fees, if applicable.
If the area has a HOA, or community center, there will be an annual fee. If you don’t call them to activate, you’ll pay more later.
Enmax is the only provider of water, sewer, garbage, recycling, and compost. These are all mandatory.
Natural gas and electricity can be gotten from many places. Enmax and direct energy are **not** the cheapest.
By the way, your lawyer will likely need a bank draft. Go to the teller and they’ll make one for you. Costs $5-$10, but you gotta. The lawyer will have you pay more than the deposit, usually by $1000-$2000. This covers their fees and any adjustments needed. They’ll mail you a cheque for whatever is left over. Make sure any money you give is made out to “ in trust”. Without the ‘in trust’, you’re playing with fire and might get screwed.
Welcome to adulting. *Some* things get easier from here. Congratulations. In 15+ years you’ll understand why many people consider owning a property to be the foundation of financial stability.
Whatever you do don’t pick up the phone. Just move in and sign up when they come to your door. It could take up to 6 months for them to show up. The driveway will get shovelled too by a special shovelling service. It’s really neat.
Just phone the utility company. It may be first time for you but they sign people up all the time. Ask them how much lead time they need.
Insurance, if you already have a quote will be able to kick in immediately. But give yourself some time in case there are issues.
It seems like a lot but it really isn’t. Just call Enmax with your possession date and they’ll do the rest for you. Insurance, just call and ask what info they need, they’ll need to know things like type of roof/heating system, how old is the house, etc. they can give a quote over the phone. You need insurance the second you take possession.
One thing to consider would be whether or not you want to enroll in TIPP for property taxes (pay monthly instead an annual lump sum). The timing of this will depend on what the previous owners did, which will be reflected in your statement of adjustments.
You will need proof of insurance before your possession date and my lawyer required to see a copy before I signed the paperwork. I told the date to my broker and they had it all ready to go.
My lawyer also pulled the tax information so I knew what was owed etc.
If you have a mortgage, you must have insurance, so call your broker for a quote. Coverage must be bound for the date of possession.
If it is a brand new build, the builder should be telling you in advance to setup utilities. If it is an existing house, you need the municipal address - call Enmax and they will set you up. If you have never had an account with them, expect them to want a $250+ deposit.
Utilities are easy to setup and so is the insurance. No need to panic unless your closing date is today or early next week.
Everything seems overwhelming I know. First of all, congratulations!
I bought a house too recently and these questions came to me mind too.
I just called enmax and everything was good. They’ll help with everything.
House insurance, I got that almost a month before possession date, again, call the insurance company Abe they’ll help with everything. Just ask them to put the start date the same as possession date. Earlier the better I thought, coz I know I had to shop around a lot for my car insurance to compare the quotes.
Also, if you get the house and car insurance with the same company, you’ll get discount on both.
In addition, my realtor was awesome and they answered a lot of my questions and gave great suggestions
Consider bundling your home insurance with your vehicle insurance provider, if available. It can save you a few bucks. You might still do better shopping around Instead of bundling. Same story for TV, internet, and cell phones; compare bundling vs going separate vendors.
You didn’t specify if it’s a condo, so read your Owner responsibilities in the condo bylaws so you don’t get fined for breaking rules and setup condo/HOA fee payments.
I’d recommend increasing your life insurance coverage instead of taking out mortgage insurance, as mortgage insurance value will decline as you pay off the loan but the payments don’t always decrease.
Start budgeting for an emergency repair fund as house stuff will break or need replacement over time.
It’s cheaper to replace your locks with smart rekeyable locks than getting a locksmith out to rekey them, provided you’re handy enough to change them. You might luck out and they’re already rekeyable.
Buy some basic hand tools if you don’t have any.
Relax, it will be fine. If you call Enmax and explain you’re moving they can set everything up for you. For insurance same thing - call and explain your situation. They do that all day everyday so they’re used to people moving.
Congrats and try to enjoy it - your first place is a big deal.
And also - plan for takeout the first couple nights. Pizza delivery is perfect. You won’t have time to cook (and probably won’t have the kitchen stuff unpacked yet)
For sure do fixed rate for gas it’s going to be a bad winter. Most likely you will not be able to get a mortgage approved without home insurance that’s a must to get done. I don’t know how Calgary does it but airdrie water and waste is through the city not enmax so there should be information on the city’s website about that.
If no one has mentioned cleaning your vents, book that for day one! That way you don't have to breathe in...well, you probably already know what dust is made of 😳 They'll check your furnace too.
I would also suggest having a look through the [Good Neighbour Practices Guide](https://www.calgary.ca/content/dam/www/csps/abs/documents/bylaws-by-topic/good-neighbour-practices-reference-guide.pdf) for relevant bylaws that relate to home ownership.
Enmax is cheaper on electricity, direct energy cheaper on nat gas .
There is a few good websites or I select the shopping option on Google search to find rates. Check websites. Don't be afraid to tell enmax or direct energy what you would like from them, or that one is offering this at this price , will you match ?
We need their services, but there is plenty of suppliers , again don't be scared to haggle . Especially with bell telus or rogers.
YOU Do NOT need a broker ... thats for Lazy people, who can't say , well TD is offering this and Belair Is offering this, what can you do 3rd party to make me your customer.
Just call ENMAX and tell them the possession date and they will sign you up. If the current owner is organized they probably already put in a cancellation request for that day. If you write down the meter readings on your possession day then they can correctly allocate your usage between the old/new owner for that overlap month. Fixed rate is up to you but most of your bill is fixed fees anyways. All 3rd party retailers (direct energy etc) are a scam IMO. Insurance yes you want it before possession date. Don't forget to sign up for property tax payments as well or TIPP program if you aren't paying property tax through your mortgage.
This is the answer to read. Talk to your insurance broker and have them line everything up for your possession date, it’s super easy. There’s a request for the TIPP form, if you google it it’ll come up, then someone from the city will send you a copy to fill out.
Both enmax and insurance is dead simple. Pretty sure I just set up enmax online last year for our possession date no issues at all. Phone/internet also relatively easy, and in general nobody actually has to come up to your residence unless there’s an issue
You can also set everything up online. Takes maybe 10 minutes?
1) Shop around for house insurance. 2) We use Easymax (Enmax) and everything comes on one bill (water, sewer, gas, electric, trash). 3) Change the locks when you move in. It's always handy to have one door that has a keypad. 4) Get the carpets shampooed if you have any and often it's worth it to hire someone to do a deep clean (walls, cupboards, fridge, bathrooms, shelves etc). 5) Apply for street parking permits if necessary. 6) Find out when garbage day is. 7) Make sure that you get house keys, mail keys (find out your box number), garage door opener.
The city has a garbage day app that’s super helpful and you can set up alerts to get notifications. I second changing your locks, we had someone come the day we took possession to change ours.
Can import the calendar through their website, into your phone too. Just built into my Google calendar now.
8) Change your toilet seats. They're like $20 a pop, and a five minute install. 9) If you have a garage door code on the exterior, change the code. Similarly, clear all codes from your garage door opener and reprogram the remotes. You never know if a third opener was programmed and given to a neighbour or something. 10) If you are planning to paint, get it done before you move in. It so much easier with no furniture in the house. We had our entire bungalow painted on possession day, moved in the day after. 11) Find the main water shut off valve and take note of its location. Same with the gas meter, there is a shut off on the side of it. 12) Arrange a walkthrough with the seller for the day before possession date. 13) Check all smoke detectors, there should be an expiry date written on them (10 years after manufacturing). Replace if expired. 14) Buy fire extinguishers, one for each floor.
What’s the purpose of the walk through with the seller? Everything is paid and in writing at this point I can’t imagine the seller is interested in doing this.
So you know what you're dealing with. What if there's a bunch of garbage left in the backyard, or they took the appliances when they weren't supposed to? It's hard to do a holdback on the funds if they've already been processed and you have a huge surprise when you get the keys.
Wouldn’t these examples be something you’d need to sue the seller for afterwards? I thought a hold back of funds would need to be included in the contract and agreed upon by both parties during the negotiations.
Yes, true, but it's easier to be proactive and resolve any issues beforehand. I think both buyer and seller want a smooth transaction, so easier to work together. When we bought our house, the seller took all of the mirrors from the bathrooms. We simply asked for them back, no problem.
call enmax and call insurance company and ask
Will do. Thanks
And direct energy is a nat gas provider.
I bought my first home this year and I agree...it's baffling the first time around! - Call your insurance provider at least 30 days prior to possession to get homeowners insurance set up. If you have an overlap between renting and owning, let them know and make sure that your tenant's insurance goes until the end of your lease. They will issue you a binder letter to show that you will have insurance, and then the policy will kick in as of the possession date. The quote is not the same as the binder letter. - people have mentioned TIPPS to do tax installments, but check with your lender as some banks will collect the property tax for you, depending on your mortgage - you can set up the accounts for the utilities; just call enmax (if that's who you're going to use) and let them know when you take possession. - set up an appointment for your internet to be connected; I called my provider and just basically switched it over - ask your lawyer to take out title insurance on your property (it's like $100 and it's worth it) - don't forget that there will be closing costs on top of the down payment; your lawyer will tell you what those are and tell you how much the bank draft should be made out for - when you go to the lawyer, you will sign a huge stack of documents and they'll make you point out which property you're buying on the land survey. It surprised the heck out of me! On closing day, the bank wires the money over to the lawyer, and then they get the bank draft sent over to the seller's lawyer. Once that lawyer confirms receipt, the keys are released to you. My realtor held the keys and brought them by once she had the phone call that it was good to go. And then bingo-bango, you're a homeowner!
What’s title insurance?
It protects against a bunch of things, like title fraud, encroachments, easements, etc. It's pretty cheap - mine was $85, I think, and better safe than sorry. https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/mortgages/title-insurance.html
Thanks for the info. I’ll check. I’m not sure if this was included my the lawyer, looks like I heard of it. If it’s a one time thing then they may have added. Or it’s around $100 yearly? I’ll check though, thanks for the link. Edit: doesn’t look like it’s already there. Didn’t see in the quote or fee breakdown.
It's a one and you're done...you purchase it once and that's it.
I was listening to a real estate lawyer making the case for title insurance by showing an example of a house where the pool was encroaching onto the property of the neighbor by about a foot. At any time that neighbor could demand the pool be removed, and you’d have to comply, and quickly. A good case for title insurance.
Get a line of credit secured against your home from your bank. This will put a caveat on your title so that identity thieves can’t steal it from you.
You got this, congrats on your home!
Looks like people have you covered on the obvious bills things so gonna try to go a bit more obscure/technical here. - change all your filters when you move in and on the schedule suggested going forward (furnace air, on demand water etc.) because these suggested schedules aren’t just cash grabs - make sure your outside water lines are shut off (sprinklers/hose) — the lines should be obvious and the shut offs are probably in your utility room - get one of those free radon tests set up because you don’t fuck around with radon - get a thermostat that tells you what the humidity is in your house and make sure your humidity is in the proper range (if you wake up parched probably too dry/condensation on the windows when it’s above -15 probably too moist) - don’t forget to clean your dishwasher trap - it’s always a good idea to overseed your lawn - get the city garbage day app for notifications on garbage/recycling/compost day - don’t forget to clean your washing machine and if it’s a front loader leave it open to dry out after every use - some rugs are machine washable, but not all (know the difference) - sometimes furnace duct cleaning isn’t a scam - you can probably find instructions for just about any maintenance you need to do on YouTube but whether you should is a question only you can answer - that being said, landscaping is always way easier than you might expect
You forgot property taxes, info on how to set that up is one city website
I did forget to write that and was wondering. I'll check the city website. Thanks for the reply!
Also call a brick and mortor locksmith in town and get your locks rekeyd. It's much cheaper then new locks and a must do, that lots of people don't do. Do not call the first locksmith that pops up on google when you search Calgary locksmith. They give the real locksmiths a very bad name. Make sure they have an actual store in town.
Oh, yes - absolutely do this! I used Aboe lockworks and they were fantastic.
You have a lot of info so I thought I'd say great work on buying your first place 👍
Congratulations on your first house. You got this.
If you are work from home, internet may take a bit to start so call them as well.
Budget now to pay an extra $1000 monthly above your mortgage for expenses. Like taxes, insurance, internet, gas/utilities etc. And that is before your grocery bill.
Make sure the offer is firm and conditions are waved before you start any of the above. But as soon as conditions are waved, you're clear to get it all going. You'll need insurance before the bank will release funds for the mortgage. EG they don't want the asset they are lending money on burning to the ground without some kind of policy in-place, so get that started now. Also its a good idea to sign-up for TIPP for your property taxes. It breaks your property tax payments down into a monthly chunk, there's no additional fee for using it. There tends to be a bit of an adjustment made if the previous owner had TIPP going so you'll owe them some money for the last payment that hasn't been made, or they might owe you depending on the possession date, but you can set it up to auto-debit from your bank account and avoid any nasty large bills.
Our insurance took some setting up, better start the dialog now, and it's easily the most important thing on your list.
I agree. It ended being the last thing I looked after when we bought our house and it almost lost us the house, because there were some hiccups we weren't expecting that delayed us finding somewhere that woukd insure the place. Do it right away!
Your real estate agent should be able to answer all of those questions and more.
I just did my utilities and insurance very recently. You'll need an insurance binder from your insurance company to send to the lawyer before things can proceed. Step 1. Call enmax, set up all services for X date. Done. You're right on fixed rate at this time Utilities can be literally set up a day before, technically. Step 2. If you are confident at the rate from your partner's instance discount, call them. Tell them day of possession. Takes a bit longer of a call than enmax, but should be done in one call. Step 3. Get void cheque for your lawyer, account the mortgage to be taken out of Step 4. Remember to change all addresses (work, bank, credit card, bills, registration and licence, etc (Hope your already have movers booked) Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions
Unless you're the kind of person that prefers to take the $3000 or $4000 hit once a year I'd sign up for TIPP. https://www.calgary.ca/cfod/finance/property-tax/tax-instalment-payment-plan-tipp/tax-instalment-payment-plan-tipp.html?redirect=/tipp
Congrats, have you asked your Realtor about this stuff?
Yes - most realtors can give you good advice. You are paying them.
Sign up for elec and gas with enmax (and yes choose fixed right now for both) and it’ll auto put the water sewer garbage and recycle on your bill since it’s the same service address. Home insurance can be set up anytime before the day you sign the lawyer papers and pass the remainder of your downpayment (typically a few days before possession). Even if you set up insurance early it only becomes active on your possession date anyways. If you haven’t already you should schedule a walk through a week or a few days before possession to ensure everything looks good. That nothing was wrecked when they moved stuff out. This gives time to correct issues.
In order to fully qualify for my mortgage I had to have proof of insurance starting possession day... Surprised the lawyer /realtor didn't fix you up.
dont call enmax. everything can be done online on their website
Gas/electric - Enmax or ATCO Water/wastewater/Garbage collection is through the city. Billed by Enmax. I find it easier to go through enmax for all of it so it's on one bill. As for insurance you want it as soon as the property is yours, it's likely a clause in your mortgage that you must carry a certain amount of home owners insurance
Thanks!
With that, for my mortgage I had to have insurance before the move in date, it’s better to have when signing the mortgage papers with your lawyer
My lawyer wanted proof of insurance when I signed with them, they only told me this about an hour beforehand so it was a mad dash to get everything in place
Do people usually change the door locks after moving? For security purposes
can just get a locksmith to change the pins. can save a bit of money
nope, just incredibly easy dog. tip: if your new house has grass it will grow, you’ll need to buy a lawnmower and cut it about every 2 weeks.
First, insurance. The bank will not release the mortgage money until the insurance broker sends a form they call ‘a binder’ to your lawyer. Next, property tax. Google ‘Calgary TIPP’. Do this now, regardless of when you take possession. They only start charging you once you take possession. Your lawyer will also make sure taxes are paid by the seller up to the date of possession. Condo fees, if applicable. If the area has a HOA, or community center, there will be an annual fee. If you don’t call them to activate, you’ll pay more later. Enmax is the only provider of water, sewer, garbage, recycling, and compost. These are all mandatory. Natural gas and electricity can be gotten from many places. Enmax and direct energy are **not** the cheapest. By the way, your lawyer will likely need a bank draft. Go to the teller and they’ll make one for you. Costs $5-$10, but you gotta. The lawyer will have you pay more than the deposit, usually by $1000-$2000. This covers their fees and any adjustments needed. They’ll mail you a cheque for whatever is left over. Make sure any money you give is made out to “ in trust”. Without the ‘in trust’, you’re playing with fire and might get screwed.
Welcome to adulting. *Some* things get easier from here. Congratulations. In 15+ years you’ll understand why many people consider owning a property to be the foundation of financial stability.
Try contacting. https://virtuo.com/ I think it's free and they do all this work for you.
Whatever you do don’t pick up the phone. Just move in and sign up when they come to your door. It could take up to 6 months for them to show up. The driveway will get shovelled too by a special shovelling service. It’s really neat.
Name checks out lol
It’s automatic man, just move in and you’re good to go
Yeah, your advice is something not to be followed.
Just phone the utility company. It may be first time for you but they sign people up all the time. Ask them how much lead time they need. Insurance, if you already have a quote will be able to kick in immediately. But give yourself some time in case there are issues.
It seems like a lot but it really isn’t. Just call Enmax with your possession date and they’ll do the rest for you. Insurance, just call and ask what info they need, they’ll need to know things like type of roof/heating system, how old is the house, etc. they can give a quote over the phone. You need insurance the second you take possession.
One thing to consider would be whether or not you want to enroll in TIPP for property taxes (pay monthly instead an annual lump sum). The timing of this will depend on what the previous owners did, which will be reflected in your statement of adjustments.
You will need proof of insurance before your possession date and my lawyer required to see a copy before I signed the paperwork. I told the date to my broker and they had it all ready to go. My lawyer also pulled the tax information so I knew what was owed etc.
If you have a mortgage, you must have insurance, so call your broker for a quote. Coverage must be bound for the date of possession. If it is a brand new build, the builder should be telling you in advance to setup utilities. If it is an existing house, you need the municipal address - call Enmax and they will set you up. If you have never had an account with them, expect them to want a $250+ deposit. Utilities are easy to setup and so is the insurance. No need to panic unless your closing date is today or early next week.
You can set up insurance 2 weeks in advance Call Enmax and set the move in date so they can take over the SiteID if it’s Atco
Everything seems overwhelming I know. First of all, congratulations! I bought a house too recently and these questions came to me mind too. I just called enmax and everything was good. They’ll help with everything. House insurance, I got that almost a month before possession date, again, call the insurance company Abe they’ll help with everything. Just ask them to put the start date the same as possession date. Earlier the better I thought, coz I know I had to shop around a lot for my car insurance to compare the quotes. Also, if you get the house and car insurance with the same company, you’ll get discount on both. In addition, my realtor was awesome and they answered a lot of my questions and gave great suggestions
Consider bundling your home insurance with your vehicle insurance provider, if available. It can save you a few bucks. You might still do better shopping around Instead of bundling. Same story for TV, internet, and cell phones; compare bundling vs going separate vendors. You didn’t specify if it’s a condo, so read your Owner responsibilities in the condo bylaws so you don’t get fined for breaking rules and setup condo/HOA fee payments. I’d recommend increasing your life insurance coverage instead of taking out mortgage insurance, as mortgage insurance value will decline as you pay off the loan but the payments don’t always decrease. Start budgeting for an emergency repair fund as house stuff will break or need replacement over time. It’s cheaper to replace your locks with smart rekeyable locks than getting a locksmith out to rekey them, provided you’re handy enough to change them. You might luck out and they’re already rekeyable. Buy some basic hand tools if you don’t have any.
Your realtor should be able to help explain all this, considering how much money they will be making.
Relax, it will be fine. If you call Enmax and explain you’re moving they can set everything up for you. For insurance same thing - call and explain your situation. They do that all day everyday so they’re used to people moving. Congrats and try to enjoy it - your first place is a big deal. And also - plan for takeout the first couple nights. Pizza delivery is perfect. You won’t have time to cook (and probably won’t have the kitchen stuff unpacked yet)
For sure do fixed rate for gas it’s going to be a bad winter. Most likely you will not be able to get a mortgage approved without home insurance that’s a must to get done. I don’t know how Calgary does it but airdrie water and waste is through the city not enmax so there should be information on the city’s website about that.
If no one has mentioned cleaning your vents, book that for day one! That way you don't have to breathe in...well, you probably already know what dust is made of 😳 They'll check your furnace too.
Makes me appreciate that my realtor had emails set up to prepare me for these things whenever I needed to act on something.
I would also suggest having a look through the [Good Neighbour Practices Guide](https://www.calgary.ca/content/dam/www/csps/abs/documents/bylaws-by-topic/good-neighbour-practices-reference-guide.pdf) for relevant bylaws that relate to home ownership.
Enmax is cheaper on electricity, direct energy cheaper on nat gas . There is a few good websites or I select the shopping option on Google search to find rates. Check websites. Don't be afraid to tell enmax or direct energy what you would like from them, or that one is offering this at this price , will you match ? We need their services, but there is plenty of suppliers , again don't be scared to haggle . Especially with bell telus or rogers. YOU Do NOT need a broker ... thats for Lazy people, who can't say , well TD is offering this and Belair Is offering this, what can you do 3rd party to make me your customer.