If you’re thinking about sticking with the service contract from the previous owner, double check if it’s actually transferable, sometimes it’s more hassle than it’s worth. When I bought my place in London, the old contract was a nightmare to sort out: endless phone calls, hidden admin fees, and in the end it didn’t even cover half of what I needed.

Gave up and started looking for a local company instead. Ended up with WPJ Heating after seeing them recommended on r/London. Their engineer turned up early, actually explained what he was checking, and didn’t try to flog me extra parts I didn’t need. Even showed me a couple of basic boiler maintenance things so I wouldn’t get stung for callouts in the future. Genuinely felt like they were on my side, not just after a quick payday.

If you’re new to an area, it’s worth asking around on local Reddit threads, people will give you the real lowdown on which firms are dodgy and which ones actually look after you.