HELP! Lack of boiler installation certificate delaying purchase.

Alc_2

Afternoon All,

I cant believe I never visited this site sooner!

I'm in desperate need of some advice, I'm in the process of purchasing a property and we are incredibly close to exchange. However we have a hold up at the moment, the boiler in the property was installed in 2008 but the sellers do not have a copy of the boiler installation certificate. They have offered an indemnity to cover the building regs side of things and make mention that in the 2 years since there's never been a problem with it. They are unwilling to budge on anything more then the indemnity.

I guess my options are:

1) Proceed with purchase (and indemnity) and get the boiler certified myself post completion. Can i even do this? How could I get it done?

2) Try and negotiate with the sellers further, but i don't think we will get any further.

We really don't want the purchase to fail for just this, and I know the boiler wont fail just because of a change of ownership. But I'm just concerned that come the day I want to sell it on, I'm going to encounter the same thing.

Any help you guys/gals are able to give me would be really appreciated!

Thanks

Al

beeswax_3

You could be talking about me! We had our boiler fitted in 2009 and we can't find the certificate anywhere. Solicitor has suggested we should get a service done so that we have a service certificate and also get a gas safety check certificate. Hopefully this will suffice.

I also can't find any way of getting a duplicate installation certificate. To be honest I think we must have thrown the original away

westv

You would have thought a recent inspection would have more value then an installation certificate. The important thing is to know what the condition of the boiler is now, not what it's condition was two or three years ago. I'm no gas expert though.

Jowo_2

Are you referring to a compliance certificate arranged by the installer? Or the manufacturers warranty which involves registering the boiler with the manufacturer? Or the Gas Safety certificate?

moneysavingplumber

You should be able to do a search at your local Building Control to see what work has been notified to them, it costs about £14. If the installer notified the new appliance installation via Corgi (now Gas Safe) then they would have registered it with building control for Part L compliance.

Pre-April 2009 duplicate certificates can be obtained here for £34 + Vat:
http://www.trustcorgi.com/HomeOwners/Pages/gassafetycertificate.aspx

As explained on the site, Building control can regularise those that weren't notified and are installed correctly. Although beware, if they weren't notified then it will likely be because they weren't installed in accordance with Part L guidelines. As long as you have a minimum of a timer and room and cylinder thermostat, or timer control and room thermostat for a combi, with thermostatic radiator valves and an automatic by-pass fitted, then they should accept it as satisfying criteria for HR5 or HC5, which is the minimum requirement.

Bananamana

All the CORGI or GAS SAFE certificate does is states the installation complies with building regulations. The enforcmement period is 1 year (albeit I have never heard of any council ever taking enforcement against a boiler.

The important point is to make sure it is safe. Get it inspected AND tested by a qualfied engineer at the seller's expense and take the indemnity to satisfy your lender.

Retrospective consent would be rather moot

Alc_2

Hi All,

Wow thanks for the really swift reply.

From what i read, if i contact the local authority i can put them on notice and as such invalidate any indemnity policy?

The document I believe is of issue is the compliance certificate arranged by the installer.

Banarama, I totally agree but these sellers are a nightmare (dont worry Beeswax its not you! ) , we love the property and for the sake of a few quid I would rather purchase then not.

Mr Plumber, are these things i can get post purchase?

Thanks all

Al

moneysavingplumber

It's true that this certificate has nothing to do with gas safety, but the existence of one is at least an indicator that the installer was at least registered to do the work. There's always an outside chance that a rogue installer has paid a registered mate to notify the work.

Having it tested for both safety and correct energy efficiency compliance is important for you as a buyer, and I have regularly carried these checks out myself on behalf of buyers. However, your conveyancer is likely to be insisting on this certificate from the seller's solicitor, which is what holds things up when the seller can't find it.

moneysavingplumber

Alc wrote: »

Mr Plumber, are these things i can get post purchase?

Thanks all

Al

Personally, I would be doing a search at Building Control on any property that I was buying to check that any post-deadline work (Jan 2005 for electrical, April 2002 for windows etc) was notified. If you call Corgi on the number at the link I posted, they should be able to tell you if a certificate was issued before committing to buy it.

blackshirtuk

As others have said it it the condition of the boiler now that is important. Installation certificate would only confirm to you and the council that the relevant regulations were met at the time of installation, These regulations may well have changed.

The indemnity will cover the missing certificate. If the council ever request sight of it point them in the direction of the insurer. If you tell the council now you will be unable to get the indemnity insurance. The indemnity would also cover you when you sell.(if you don't change the boiler by then anyway) It is an indemnity against the property not the owners.

If the sellers are unwilling to get a Gasafe check done, it is certainly something you could organise yourself after you move in. Gassafe plumbers can check it for you, i pay £40 for mine.

Alc_2

Hey,

Again thanks for the reply.

Mr Plumber: I take your point this is the first house we have ever brought so were a little bit unaware. I will drop that CORGI number a call tho as checking for the existence of a certificate cant do any harm

Blackshirt: Also thanks, and i agree, the boiler has been there for 2 years and rwg may have changed since then.

Thanks to all your advice, im thinking that we will request an indemnity and get the gasafe check done either before we complete or straight after for piece of mind.

I believe the seller is in the building trade and probably has mates who are as well and i have no reason to suspect its anything other then a decent job. Shame really because you would think he of all people would keep the bits and bobs

Shall keep you all posted!

Thanks again

Al