No fensa certificate and can't exchange without it 14 August 2010 at 3:03PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in House Buying, Renting & Selling 70 replies 151.8K views

Catbells

I was supposed to exchange yesterday but have just found out that I have no FENSA certification for some replacement windows I had installed 5 years ago. There is a 10 year guarantee on the windows but the buyers lawyer wants the certificate. What can I do as they have already beaten me down on price following their surveys (3 of them). Thanks for any advice.

Bananamana

Indemnity insurance at a cost of around £30. Cheapest and quickest way.

waste of money to have someone come out to FENSA certify/ building control sign off.

Also do a search of your house on the FENSA website as maybe you never were sent the cert. A new one will cost £12.

This really shouldnt be holding up an exchange.

tbs624

The indemnity insurance will only offer cover against the council pursuing for non certification, so your buyers may prefer to have a buildings control officer come out to sign it off - 70/80 quid or thereabouts when we last had one done.

Catbells

Yes the building inspector can do it too at a cost.
Have contacted the window firm who installed and am trying to initially get them to get one as they are FENSA registered and don't know why they didn't give me one in the first place.

Bananamana -I was surprised at your comment that this shouldn't have to hold up exchange because the buyers wouldn't want to buy my house if there was something the matter with the windows surely? I can understand why they want certification.

Thanks all.

hellokitty08

Didnt know you could check fensa for the certificates, that might come in usefull one day.

Catbells

hellokitty08 wrote: »

Didnt know you could check fensa for the certificates, that might come in usefull one day.

Yes you can call them up and give them your post code for them to search for your FENSA number or reference.

Horizon81

Interesting read. Do all solicitors during conveyancing check when windows were last replaced and request Fensa certificate accordingly? How do they know when they were replaced? Does the vendor have to declare it?

Bananamana

Catbells wrote: »

Yes the building inspector can do it too at a cost.
Have contacted the window firm who installed and am trying to initially get them to get one as they are FENSA registered and don't know why they didn't give me one in the first place.

Bananamana -I was surprised at your comment that this shouldn't have to hold up exchange because the buyers wouldn't want to buy my house if there was something the matter with the windows surely? I can understand why they want certification.

Thanks all.

They are 5 years old - if there was an issue it probably would have come to light by now. Tbh if there was an issue it would have been flagged on survey. Its a frequent issue in conveyancing as a lot of installers fail to issue the certificate which causes a problem down the line.

I have not for a long time (in fact I can't recall an instance if im honest) seen anyone insist on the council coming out to inspect to delay an exchange.

Catbells wrote: »

Yes you can call them up and give them your post code for them to search for your FENSA number or reference.

Or check the website and type your post code in ^^

Horizon81 wrote: »

Interesting read. Do all solicitors during conveyancing check when windows were last replaced and request Fensa certificate accordingly? How do they know when they were replaced? Does the vendor have to declare it?

Its in the property information "have you replaced any windows since 2002". If you lie and the buyer finds out it's a misrepresentation and they can sue .

Cashsaver_3

Does this mean you dont need a FENSA cert if the windows and doors were installed before 2002?

Bananamana

Cashsaver wrote: »

Does this mean you dont need a FENSA cert if the windows and doors were installed before 2002?

correct

The Government's Approved Document L (Fuel Conservation) was issued on 31 October 2001. It extended Building Regulations to cover replacement window and door installation from April 2002.

Ankatden

http://www.fensa.co.uk/asp/certificate.asp

As another poster has said.

Should use as part of due diligence in buying a house anyway.