Buildings insurance prior to completion, what info do I need?

[WTF0ver]

I've to arrange buildings insurance for our new house prior to completion. I have the home report so some info will be in there but don't have info such as what type of locks it has.

I emailed the estate agent recently to ask about this and a few other things and haven't heard back. So now I'm getting paranoid that I shouldn't have contacted them for some reason? Or maybe they just haven't had a chance to respond.

Anyway, can I arrange the insurance without knowing what type of locks there are, just to get insurance cover or should I attempt to get this info from the estate agent again? Thanks.

Bumping for you as I’m in same boat.

My solicitor says I have to have insurance on day of exchange, but can’t tell me when that’ll be

You don’t need the lock information yet - that’s for the contents, not the building.

I went for a second viewing and wrote down the type of locks and whether they had window keys etc. I think I got the patio doors right. I went through compare the market, wrote out all the questions and then wrote the answers as the owners show you a house in random order.

I already have insurance but now there’s. Been a week delay due to not being able to agree a completion date due to a lack of removal companies! So I am probably paying for a month earlier. Also my survey had a little damp in a bay window and I had to get weird insurance as there seemed to be no difference between “damp meter was a little high in one part of a room” to “entire house is rotten” in terms of tick box forms. I even called a few bigger providers. It’s not like I wanted to claim for it!

Oh snap, @LividLoves I asked my solicitor's colleague (solicitor is on leave for a few days) on Thursday what date exchange is and she said she didn't know! I'm supposed to be getting the keys on Friday! She said she'd find out for me and I've still not heard anything. So I'm not sure what date I'd need to start the insurance on? Although on the paperwork I was sent before it said I need buildings insurance in place on or before the date of entry, there's no mention of needing it for the exchange date?! It's all very confusing!

I'm wondering what's going on behind the scenes. The seller was supposed to move out last week (solicitor said) but when we drove past the house tonight they were definitely still living there! We actually triggered the security light and someone came to the door so we scarpered! I just hope things are proceeding as they should be and we'll get the keys on Friday as discussed

@HeddaGarblededdaGarbled Aren't the locks to ensure that nobody can access the building though? Or is it purely on a locks are there to protect the contents basis? Can I just select the 'other' option and change it later? Thanks

We only had one viewing of the house and it was the estate agent who showed us around which is apparently quite unusual here in Scotland, usually the owner always shows people around unless there's some mitigating circumstances. So unless the seller is dead or ill it's rarely the estate agent who does the viewing. And now I can't get in touch with the estate agent, they didn't answer my email anyway. Getting a bit paranoid now! The seller already changed the entry date by a couple of days which was fine, no problem. And apparently they don't even need my money for their new house. I think I'll call my solicitors tomorrow and see if they can tell me this exchange date. I hate not knowing what's going on!