Buyer wants the boiler checked before exchange, what should I do?

arachne

I know you've already made your decision (well done on making the right one in my opinion) but just to add one more comment to the mix for anyone else with the same question...

Our sellers refused to pay for their boiler to be inspected, even though it had never been serviced in the 26 years since it had been installed which led to us nearly pulling out of the purchase (it was kind of a last straw thing with other issues with the house we needed to pay to repair). In the end we negotiated a £1k reduction towards a new heating system as we had to work on the basis they were refusing the inspection because they didn't think the boiler would pass. We got the boiler serviced as soon as we moved in and found 2 gas leaks on it, which the engineer repaired and it's still going strong 9 months later. Why on earth they didn't just pay £60 for an inspection I will never know - their stubbornness cost them £1k in the end.

djheath

arachne wrote: »

I know you've already made your decision (well done on making the right one in my opinion) but just to add one more comment to the mix for anyone else with the same question...

Our sellers refused to pay for their boiler to be inspected, even though it had never been serviced in the 26 years since it had been installed which led to us nearly pulling out of the purchase (it was kind of a last straw thing with other issues with the house we needed to pay to repair). In the end we negotiated a £1k reduction towards a new heating system as we had to work on the basis they were refusing the inspection because they didn't think the boiler would pass. We got the boiler serviced as soon as we moved in and found 2 gas leaks on it, which the engineer repaired and it's still going strong 9 months later. Why on earth they didn't just pay £60 for an inspection I will never know - their stubbornness cost them £1k in the end.

Even though I didn't want to pay, I think that's the exact reason why I did, (plus thanks to some of the good advice on here). The sale has so far been very smooth (touch wood), and so I didn't want to suddenly put any doubt in the buyers mind about anything. Thinking things through with the shoe on the other foot, I would start to worry and create reasons for the seller being coy about a relatively simple request.

I hate to think what I would have done if any problems were found though!!:p:p

popty

We are in the position of our buyer asking for us to have a boiler service done, ours is oil and was last done in october 2010, being oil it costs a bit more than gas 3200.
Also living in rural wales it is highly unlikely that 'Bert' our 'oil man' could fit us in during the winter months unless it's an emergency coupled with the fact that the 'local' economy usually involves cash and a handshake.
I'm going to suggest that they arrange and fund whatever they require as we've dropped £30k

SandC

This thread is so interesting. If I was selling my house I'd have the boiler serviced after an offer was accepted and before surveys. That is unless it was close to my annual service which I have done each October anyway.

If you were selling your car wouldn't you get it MOTd if the one you'd got was short?

evoke

The boiler and heating system in the house that I bought earlier this year was truly ancient. The sellers that it had been serviced the year before. I checked with British Gas and it hadn't been serviced for a few years. But I loved the house and knew I would have to replace the whole heating system, which I did within the first few weeks.

I always went on the assumption that nothing would work after I moved in. Even if a boiler has been serviced recently, it could pack in the day you move in. Sometimes it's best to stand back and look at the house from high up - as that's what you're really buying. The bits inside it will chop and change over the years.

sunshinetours

SandC wrote: »

This thread is so interesting. If I was selling my house I'd have the boiler serviced after an offer was accepted and before surveys. That is unless it was close to my annual service which I have done each October anyway.

If you were selling your car wouldn't you get it MOTd if the one you'd got was short?

An MOT is about £40 and required annually by law and then lasts for 12 montsh whether buyer buiys car or not, but any savvy car buyer would still get the car checked over and HPI'd

A boiler service is not required by law and is not an essential document for selling a house. Any savvy buyer would get a detailed survey on the house and in particular on any bits of the house they were concerned about. If an annual check up is not due why would a seller do this at their own cost before exchange of contracts?

Clueless buyers often get too hung up on small details on house buying and even more so when its perceived to be a buyers market. if you want everything to be brand new then buy a new build and pay the premium for it

SandC

sunshinetours wrote: »

An MOT is about £40 and required annually by law and then lasts for 12 montsh whether buyer buiys car or not, but any savvy car buyer would still get the car checked over and HPI'd

A boiler service is not required by law and is not an essential document for selling a house. Any savvy buyer would get a detailed survey on the house and in particular on any bits of the house they were concerned about. If an annual check up is not due why would a seller do this at their own cost before exchange of contracts?

Clueless buyers often get too hung up on small details on house buying and even more so when its perceived to be a buyers market. if you want everything to be brand new then buy a new build and pay the premium for it

I agree it's a hang up on a small thing for a buyer but as we are always being told to dress our houses for selling, ie. declutter, decorate if needed to tone down, make the place look nice, why not within that spend add an extra £50 so you can show them the invoice for a recent boiler service? It's actually surprised me on here that so many people don't have theirs serviced every year so maybe it isn't that big a deal to most people.

Doesn't mean it's not old and knackered and liable to pack in quite soon even so....