Pulling out of purchase week of exchange

chrissie52

Please, if you really want the house don't dismiss it because of this boiler! My boiler is at least 25years old, I've been in this house for twenty years. The boiler was 'serviced' by a friend of of mine for the first ten years as I couldn't afford a service engineer, despite what B/Gas would like us to think, it's not rocket science with an older boiler. Boiler is now serviced by a local engineer who advises me not to change it until I have too as it is in good working order and does the job. BTW cost for a new boiler seems high I had a condensing boiler fitted in another house I own, Worcester Bosch, all rads fitted with room thermostats, cost was £1500. So if you want that house go for it, the boiler may last for years!!:D

geoffky

In this market they should be kissing your !!!!..if the boiler has not been looked after ,,,what else?

papermoney

The boiler may last ages. If it doesn't (depending where you are) it may cost £1700 plus but it shouldnt cost 3k . I wouldn't lose a house I really liked over the boiler especially as starting again would incur charges anyway.

LilacPixie

i think the stress is quite understandably getting to you. House i just sold boiiler was easy 20 years old and was great, new house has a 18 month old combi and not quite to grips with it yet.

lovemotown

Complete on purchase and join the British Gas heating breakdown cover for x pounds per month for peace of mind!

Mrs_Z

Hi, just had a new boiler (combi) fitted to our buy to let - £1840. At our house, we have a 20+ ? year old Potterton - going strong 24/7 at this weather. We moved to our house in 1996, have had it serviced twice in 14 years and we are NOT maintaining it ourselves...

Assuming you've done a survey, paid a solicitor's deposit, mortgage application fee, etc - that'll be at least a grand down by now - which you will have wasted if you pull out now.

Take a deep breath and go for it. Then get the boiler serviced asap when you move in and maybe get a 1 year 0% credit card as a plan b....

paul1964_2

arachne wrote: »

...... which showed the 25 year old boiler had never been serviced although the seller (not a gas engineer) had 'maintained it himself' :eek: and they were not willing to have a service done now.....

I am a little surprised at some of the responses to your post.

If the vendor really has been maintaining the boiler, he has probably broken the law and the boiler is potentially unsafe. If you do buy this house, I would advise you get it checked by a Gas Safe engineer ASAP.

Personally, I would be uneasy about buying a property knowing that the vendor has such a casual disregard for safety. If I did buy, I would assume that he had been doing DIY on the electrics as well as the gas and would be setting aside a budget for putting right any bodges (obviously this would affect the price I would be willing to pay).

DVardysShadow

paul1964 wrote: »

I am a little surprised at some of the responses to your post.

If the vendor really has been maintaining the boiler, he has probably broken the law and the boiler is potentially unsafe. If you do buy this house, I would advise you get it checked by a Gas Safe engineer ASAP.

Personally, I would be uneasy about buying a property knowing that the vendor has such a casual disregard for safety. If I did buy, I would assume that he had been doing DIY on the electrics as well as the gas and would be setting aside a budget for putting right any bodges (obviously this would affect the price I would be willing to pay).

No, it is not illegal to do your own gas work. It is just illegal to do it for other people and charge them. Similarly with DIY electrical work as ever, what really matters is the standard to which the work has been done. There are some fine and capable DIY people out there and if your criterion for whether work is done adequately is whether it was DIY or not, I think you will find that there are at least as many bodged paid for cowboy jobs as botched DIY jobs.

What is important is the standard to which the job has been done. Whether it is DIY or not is simply a false criterion.

boots_babe

Not sure why everyone is saying £3k is too much for a boiler, as nobody knows what sort they would be getting. Yes ok a combi would be cheap, but if the figure of £3k is being bandied about, I'm assuming it's a larger property with perhaps a requirement for a system boiler and separate cylinder.

This could easily cost £3k - we did exactly that and got quotes from over 10 engineers, and all were between £3k and £5k (luckily got a boiler and cylinder at cost from a friend in the business and just had to pay installation in the end, but that was just pure luck). I think the OP must have based the cost estimate on something (hopefully!) so isn't necessarily that ridiculous.

However also agree with other comments, that if you really want the house it's not such a big cost to absorb. Plus you don't even know if it's necessary until you get it inspected - worth paying someone yourself to inspect it seeing as they vendor is refusing. Least you'll know what you're dealing with then.

bungle4by4

beware of a gas bodger,its illegal to touch a gas appliance for a reason. its you who end up dead and not some internet advice junkies.

follow your instincts i say. if they wont sort the boiler and you arn't happy, then walk away. you will not settle otherwise