Test heating before making an offer?

js3142

A newbie FTB question...

Is it 'normal' to want to test heating/hot water systems before making an offer to buy a house? It seems logical to me to want to see how this important system works before making an offer but I have a feeling this would be an unusual request on my part? The house I'm considering is currently empty so it's not as simple as just going in and seeing if it is warm and running a tap...

Or do people tend to pay for a professional inspection post offer being accepted?

Thanks for any advice.

chib

I don't think it's an unusual request, something that'll take less than an hour to form one of the larger decisions in your life.

bylromarha

Never known anyone to test the taps for hot water in the houses I've sold.

We had 1 buyer ask for a professional service of the boiler before exchange - which amounts to the same thing and more. Cost us £60 and happy to get it for them.

googler

If the house is empty, who takes responsibility if you or your heating engineer go in, and it goes bang? What assurances do the owners have that you followed the correct start-up and commissioning procedure?

If the system has been drained down, as it should be, then you'll have to go through the full process to get it running, then what? If you don't proceed, it'll have to be drained down again.

js3142

googler wrote: »

If the house is empty, who takes responsibility if you or your heating engineer go in, and it goes bang? What assurances do the owners have that you followed the correct start-up and commissioning procedure?

If the system has been drained down, as it should be, then you'll have to go through the full process to get it running, then what? If you don't proceed, it'll have to be drained down again.

Thanks for you comments. I was thinking of asking the estate agent to turn the heating on before I arrived for a second viewing? It's a combi-boiler if that makes any difference?

When I say the property is empty I mean that the owner has essentially moved out, although there is still food in some of the kitchen cupboards. Not sure how long ago they left but but the impression I got of the owner from the estate agent I doubt that draining the heating system would have occurred to them. (It wouldn't to me FWIW.) Good point though if it has been, not somthing I'd thought of.

I guess I'm cautious as I know the radiators in my my current rented house are virtually all two thirds full of silt and so far less effective than they should be. The shower is also useless due to the complete lack of hot water pressure.

Owain_Moneysaver

If it's a repossession then the gas/electricity will be turned off and it will probably sold explicitly with no guarantee about the heating and other installations.

If it's an ordinary sale then usually the standard conditions (at least here in Scotland) require the heating to be in working order (taking into account age and standard of the installation) or the seller recifies the defect if reported within 3 days of entry ... or similar.

js3142

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

If it's a repossession then the gas/electricity will be turned off and it will probably sold explicitly with no guarantee about the heating and other installations.

If it's an ordinary sale then usually the standard conditions (at least here in Scotland) require the heating to be in working order (taking into account age and standard of the installation) or the seller recifies the defect if reported within 3 days of entry ... or similar.

The electricity is definitely on and I believe it is an ordinary sale.

G_M

I would check.

As others have said, if its a repo, or empty as in not lived in, then the gas may be turned off and the water drianed down- in which case you are stuck.

But otherwise I would certainly ask to see the heating turned on (takes 5 seconds to see if boiler fires up!), thermostat turned off (does boiler turn off?), and if you have 15 minutes spare you can see if all rads heat up.

Would you buy a 2nd hand car without starting the engine?

js3142

G_M wrote: »

Would you buy a 2nd hand car without starting the engine?

That's my natural way of thinking. I guess I've got nothing to lose by asking. But as I suspected it certainly doesn't seem to be something that everybody does...

googler

Just 'firing it up' without confirmation of whether or not it's ready to be fired up could do major damage to any kind of boiler, and is borderline irresponsible.

You or the EA could try it, but who foots the bill if it's not ready for use, when you haven't even made an offer on it?

lessonlearned

Whenever I've sold a property at the second viewing I have always asked the proposed purchaser if they would like me to demonstrate the heating system.

No-one has ever said no thank you.

I think it is a perfectly reasonable request - however you must ask the vendor and not the EA. It is not within the EA's remit to go around firing up boilers without the vendor's express permission.