Property left empty

[Me2Me2]

We're in the process of buying a property but the sale has been delayed til Jan, by which point it will have been standing empty for 7-8 months.

What should I be asking the vendor to do to ensure everything is still working when we get the keys? (run the heating? hot water through taps?). I'm a bit of a novice but recall moving into a few rented properties where things broke down immediately upon use presumably because they had been left for a bit.

Thanks

the insurers will not want to cover a house left empty for that period. They usually ask for the heating to be lefty on at 12C continuously, or for the water to be turned off and all pipes drained. A modern well-insulated house takes a long time to freeze indoors, but the loft, garage, garden tap and underfloor (where there may be radiator pipes) cool faster.

I had a burst loft pipe in an empty house even though it was heated, as there was no movement of water in the pipes due to no taps being run.

I would be happier to turn off at the outside stopcock and drain.

There may be a tank and pipes suplying the CH system in the loft, if it has an older boiler. These are not drained by running the taps.

If it has a hot water cylinder, this will be full of water even if you run the hot taps until they stop. A plumber can drain it with a hosepipe.

the estate agent has told me the vendor will drain the pipes. fingers crossed he does and all's well when we get there.
thanks for responding

as you will need to insure it from exchange, make sure your insurer knows the situation.

Speaking from experience - we have had two houses that were previously empty for 7+ months (over summer not winter).

In both houses we found: 2 out of 3 loos stopped flushing after the first couple of test flushes (flushing mechanism inside cisterns failed despite being completely different design and ages). 1 of 2 power showers stopped working partially or completely.

Both houses had problems with central heating (more due to being tenanted and not maintained - rather than through lack of use).

Several taps developed big leaks and needed replacement in both properties. The first house was rented, the second one we have just bought and we booked a plumber for the day after completion as we knew it would be a huge hassle (it was).

Lesson learnt:
If possible, get a gas safe / plumbing survey done before exchange which includes a FULL function test of every tap, every loo, every shower.

We might have been unlucky but at least the second time we we not caught unawares, if still irritated.

in an older house, there may be rust, limescale and sediment in the tanks and pipes, which is disturbed during draining and refilling, and is liable to wash down into taps and fittings. Some of this can be washed out by running the hot and cold bathtaps before anything else (being big, they are not easily clogged) until the water runs clear.