How do I stop previous house owner from "ceasing" the line on our new house

[#1]

Having read some horror stories about spending weeks waiting for a service to be "re-installed" I am now worried about what happens when we move to our new house.
We have had a break of a few months since we cancelled our Plusnet ADSL+Homephone+LRS service when we have been looking for a new home in a new area.
Having now found somewhere and we are (hopefully) about to exchange contracts, I have checked that there is a landline fitted (they are ex directory) and have checked the BT ADSL checker and all BB incl fibre are available, I was thinking and hoping that once we have exchanged (and the house purchase is a done deal - can't do a lot before then), I would just contact Plusnet and order my new homephone and BB and LRS etc.
I have just read some horror stories in the forum about SKY supplying line for phone and BB and I believe that the previous occupants (who have Sky TV satellite dish for TV and Landline + Phone for their BB) want to take their number with them (as they are just moving round the corner to their new home) and I am assuming that at some stage they will move their service from the current address to their new address.
Will this result in a "cease" being issued for the landline and what do I need to do to ensure that I am able to take over the line on the moving day and have a seamless service.
Please note that I have not ordered anything yet from PN because the house purchase is not yet a done deal and I thought I would have to wait until I have a definite date before I can contact PN.
Any advice would be welcome, I do not want to wait weeks for a changeover without any home phone or BB.
Thanks

[#2]

Hey NorthRiding, I have just looked in to this a little further for you. If there is a cease on the line where they are retaining there telephone number to another location, we unfortunately can not do anything until the line has ceased. The only option is to book a new line instillation for the date closest to the cease date. The instillation does come with a charge of £49.99.
Thanks
Ben B

[#3]

Thanks Ben. That is interesting and a bit disappointing that we will probably have to wait to get our service up and running.
Doesn't seem right that I have to pay for them to move their number with them (they are going just around the corner)!! Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it and just gone ahead with the new contract with Plusnet - after all, what the previous owners are doing is not really my concern. I was just trying to anticipate problems but may have exacerbated the situation by researching it?
And I thought it was the 21st century!!
Will try to get more info from the occupants before they arrange their move if I can? Or maybe that Sky is the answer for the landline and the BB (and Freesat TV)? Hope not. Have been with PN for ages now and are very happy with everything.
Will think about that.

[#4]

There is also the complication of Sky releasing the line back to BTOR.
It is all daft, but ordering a new line (and spending £50) is the only way of avoiding the usual delivery times post the "release" of the line.  Two lines to one property does though bring other issues too!
Why BTw / BTOR cannot have more than one order on a line each having sequential dates is a question which needs putting to Andy Baker to ask of his suppliers.

[#5]

Thanks for that Townman.
Are you saying there will be 2 physical lines into the property??
Surely not but if Andy Baker is reading this (or can be told?) it would be interesting to see what can or can't be done?
Actually, I haven't contacted PN new moves/cust service yet (just done the online checks of the line etc which shows that BB/Homephone CAN be connected) because there is a line at the property.
because the "exchange" of contracts" has been delayed a bit and until this takes place, I can't do anything affecting someone else's property. Seems like things are not going to be so simple?

[#6]

This space can be very complicated - there is a difference between...
- taking over an existing working service
- taking over an existing line
The latter needs the line to be free of service.  The former is not an option as the current subscriber intends to move the phone number.  So AFAIK the only options are to wait for the line to become free at which point orders can be placed or plan for a new (2nd) line to be installed on the date you move in.
I repeat myself, it is daft, but it is the way BTw / BTOR work.

[#7]

There seems to be a sad paucity of information on this problem, which Phone and Broadband providers really need to address.
I can see why it has built up, due to the various freedoms/flexibility we now have to change providers, migrate numbers etc. but it is sheer laziness on the part of the providers to NOT provide clear guidance to those moving house - both ends of the deal, departers and arrivers.
I remember "back in the day" it was dead easy - you just moved, told GPO/BT and the new person took over the line rental with minimal fuss and no loss of service, unless you specifically told them to suspend the line as the property would be empty.
Even then the line was usually connected and live, at worst restricted on outgoing calls.
And I also don't recall any major problems with taking your number (if technically feasible for a local move) as the place you left just seemed to get assigned another one without fuss.

[#8]

HP,
Though that's largely true, back in the day, you did not have alien kit in the exchanges requiring physical swapping of wires to re-provide the service.  With flexibility has come complexibility and in-built delay.  Who said LLU was beneficial for the subscriber?  It just creates more work for BTOR to charge for, but using the same local area network where the real monopoly issues lay.

[#9]

Quote from: Townman

you did not have alien kit in the exchanges requiring physical swapping of wires to re-provide the service.

Exactly (though not in every case, far from it!), which is why I said "I can see why it has built up" but that means the need for guidance is greater and the providers are ignoring the issue.
(And creaming off the very profitable additional fees for reprovisions and reconnections in the process   )