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Buying house - boiler not serviced for 10 years. What wouldl you do?

suebfg
suebfg Posts: 404 Forumite
in House buying, renting & selling
We're buying a house and the vendors haven't been able to evidence any servicing of the boiler in the last 10 years or any sort of check of the electrics.

Would you ask them to produce an inspection certificate prior to exchange of contracts?
«134567

Comments

  • ChrisEvanson
    ChrisEvanson Posts: 645 Forumite
    You can ask, but what if they refuse? It really depends how much you want the house/how much they want to sell/how much you want to pay/how much they want to sell for...

    No harm in asking for them. If they say no then what?

    We bought ours last July. Rewiring in the 70's, bathroom tiny and outdated, spent a bally fortune extending and restoring but wouldn't change it for the world. Could have had a perfect newer house on an estate, but didn't want that.

    I guess what I am trying to say is we can't answer your question sorry. Only you can decide.
    If I had a pound for every pound I'd lost, I'd be confused
  • bryanb
    bryanb Posts: 5,031 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    The only certificate a vendor must produce is an energy performance cert!
    If you want more it's down to you.
    This is an open forum, anyone can post and I just did !
  • ess0two
    ess0two Posts: 3,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It'll cost £100 tops to get a plumber to inspect / service it.
    Official MR B fan club,dont go............................
  • suebfg
    suebfg Posts: 404 Forumite
    Primarily it's a safety concern - I don't want to move into a house with a potentially dangerous boiler. Plus I don't want the cost of replacing a boiler straightaway as the price agreed didn't reflect that.
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    suebfg wrote: »
    Primarily it's a safety concern - I don't want to move into a house with a potentially dangerous boiler. Plus I don't want the cost of replacing a boiler straightaway as the price agreed didn't reflect that.
    If the boiler is working then it doesn't need replacing. Any faults with it can be repaired and won't cost very much. You can pay for your own gas safety inspection after you move in and repair it at your own cost. You should take that into account when you put a value on the property.
    :footie:
    :p Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) :p Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. :p
  • suebfg
    suebfg Posts: 404 Forumite
    We would have expected the owners to have had the boiler serviced at regular intervals at the price level we are paying. I don't think that's unreasonable. I think we will ask for a safety inspection test to be carried out.
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    suebfg wrote: »
    We would have expected the owners to have had the boiler serviced at regular intervals at the price level we are paying. I don't think that's unreasonable. I think we will ask for a safety inspection test to be carried out.
    I think it is unreasonable. I've not serviced mine in 10 years. Why does the price level matter?
    :footie:
    :p Regular savers earn 6% interest (HSBC, First Direct, M&S) :p Loans cost 2.9% per year (Nationwide) = FREE money. :p
  • bryanb
    bryanb Posts: 5,031 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    suebfg wrote: »
    I think we will ask for a safety inspection test to be carried out.

    You can ask of course, but don't be surprised if they refuse. That kind of test is only needed in rental property.
    Private owners either have boilers serviced or they don't.
    This is an open forum, anyone can post and I just did !
  • AFK_Matrix
    AFK_Matrix Posts: 682 Forumite
    If they vendor's won't do a service then ask if you can bring your own man in to do a service. I got one done as I have a lodger for £60 so its nothing in comparison to buying the house etc.
  • suebfg
    suebfg Posts: 404 Forumite
    I have higher expectations the more that I'm paying that's why. And why should I take the risk that the boiler needs replacing?
This discussion has been closed.
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