Buying a house with an unserviced boiler

mynameisthehulk

It is unusual for a gas meter to be removed on request, this could possibly indicate it was removed for non payment, which may mean you have issues when trying to get a new meter (the supplier may insist you have a prepayment meter, or pay a security deposit). As the seller is being awkward over the survey, I would be inclined to believe there could be further issues but they are delaying so that by the time you get the survey you are desperate to move.

Thrugelmir

[QUOTE=clutton;28384587
i have bought many houses and never had the boiler checked in any of them, and all worked when fired up, or with a service.....[/QUOTE]

Current house I live in, boiler packed up within 10 days of moving in.

A lesson learnt.

bristolgymdude

The house is not a repossession, it's a part rent part buy property and the same person has owned it for 9 years. I is too small as only 2 bed and she now has 2 children so needs a 3 bed. I contacted British Gas and they did not know why the meter was taken out. They suggested it maybe because the property has been left empty for 10 months.....

space_rider

I would have thought they would cap the meter rather than remove it. I would ring again and ask they how much it would be to put meter back.

C_Mababejive

I wouldnt worry too much about it. You have to look at the overall package. Truth is that heating system probably worked not so long ago and so no doubt it will work again either first time or with some spend. I certainly wouldnt jeopardise a reasonable deal on the possibility of a boiler that you cant test.

bristolgymdude

Very true.. I am just gonna proceed and sort it ou when it become mine. Thanks for the advice!

jayss

If she's never had a service in 9 years, what else hasnt been maintained in the property?

not_loaded

Posts #16 and #17 get to the nub of this issue. I wouldn’t blow out a good deal just on the boiler.

Suggesting that a buyer costs out a whole new heating system and deducts it from their offer is madness when you don’t know anything at all about the offer.

I suspect the seller never intended to be selling a 100% perfect property – not many do! Their lack of interest probably reflects the situation price-wise. They’d almost certainly be able to sell it again without such an unfair reduction being made.

Bear in mind that boiler efficiency has hugely improved in recent years, so if staying a while the investment in a new one would be worth it. In the meantime, scrape through with the minimum repairs and replacements just in case the meter/boiler matter is not important and something else crops up in the first few weeks of ownership.

saveallmymoney

After watching British Gas "Service" my boiler a few years back i don't bother now either, i put the money saved in a "new boiler" account instead. Its not missed a beat in 20 years since it was put in.

I have a CO alarm in the cupboard with it for safety.

david29dpo

same here.