Your realtor should be able to do much of the leg work for you. Especially for the water and sewer, for which you have to go down to their offices to get that turned on. We mailed our realtor the paperwork and check and she took care of getting it turned on. I assume you're purchasing new construction. I wouldn't bother with the gas right now, as you're not going to be using the fireplaces anytime over the summer. You can deal with that after you've been here a while. As far as the electricity, you won't be without power even if you don't get that turned on in time. Progress somehow lost our initial order to turn on the power. We didn't find out until we'd been in the house a month (with power) and called to find out where the bill was. Apparently the builder leaves everything on until you've switched it over. When we contacted ours to pay them for that month (since Progress wouldn't fix the error even after we sent them the confirmation paperwork for the original order) they told us not to worry about it. As far as the gas goes, it is very important to talk to your neighbors about what they are paying. We got quotes for every company that service our area. When I called one company back to tell them that our neighbor was paying less per gallon, they agreed to lower us to their price (although we ultimately decided to just buy a small tank and fill it ourselves). You have to stay on top of the gas companies down here.
^^Yes, your realtor should be able to at least get you the right numbers. Some companies offer a concierge service too, I know Coldwell Banker does, not sure of exactly who else.
Yes, I figured we could hold off on the gas tank for a few months. The power is on, I think the only thing we need to do is once we get there, call the water and sewage and trash, as that stuff is not an immediate need. Cable and internet are immediate though! lol
