Should we push for vendor to get gas and elec safety checks?

john_white

bedfordshireboy wrote: »

So they now have to foot the bill to get it done.

No they don't.

Lil_Me_2

I'm in a similar position that I'd appreciate opinions on too. In my case the sellers installed their boiler in 2011 but when my solicitor asked theirs for documentation the response has simply been "there is none", and they've said that they haven't had it serviced since. This makes me anxious! Can I insist on them getting it checked out before I exchange? I can see there is a clear opinion on the lack of service history, but in my case there is also questions about the installation which included getting gas piped into the flat as it didn't have any previously.

JencParker

Lil_Me wrote: »

I'm in a similar position that I'd appreciate opinions on too. In my case the sellers installed their boiler in 2011 but when my solicitor asked theirs for documentation the response has simply been "there is none", and they've said that they haven't had it serviced since. This makes me anxious! Can I insist on them getting it checked out before I exchange? I can see there is a clear opinion on the lack of service history, but in my case there is also questions about the installation which included getting gas piped into the flat as it didn't have any previously.

You can ask but they are under no obligation to do so. If the purchaser wants things checked, then they pay for those checks in the same way they pay for a survey.

Buyers seem to be a lot more demanding since I last bought 25 years ago. But remember in many areas it's a seller's market and a too demanding buyer would put off most sellers possibly to the stage where they call off the sale.

bedfordshireboy

john_white wrote: »

No they don't.

They don't but they will. I can wait and wait for as long as I want to exchange... They have half their house packed up and want to complete next week to avoid anymore mortgage payments and bills going out. They are not in a position to find another buyer or stall the sale simple as that.
EA needs to exchange this week for his figures so he will be pushing it as well.
Why should I have to pay for something that they said was done? If is known the boiler hadn't ever been touched I would've offered less on the assumption it would need replacing?

DRP

bedfordshireboy wrote: »

They don't but they will. I can wait and wait for as long as I want to exchange... They have half their house packed up and want to complete next week to avoid anymore mortgage payments and bills going out. They are not in a position to find another buyer or stall the sale simple as that.
EA needs to exchange this week for his figures so he will be pushing it as well.
Why should I have to pay for something that they said was done? If is known the boiler hadn't ever been touched I would've offered less on the assumption it would need replacing?

we were in exactly the same situation-

1st they had boiler serviced regularly and documents were "to follow" the PIF.
Then they had apparently lost the service document and needed to get another copy (hmmm - lost every single annual service document?)
Then they said they needed to get it re-serviced
Eventually we received a document which wasn't a service and wasn't even a proper safety certificate - unfortunately by that time we had to hurry things. A subsequent service we had done stated the flue was wrong and a seal inside the boiler had been replaced with insulation tape... :eek: boiler condemned until repairs could be carried out! The engineer reckoned no one had serviced the boiler for a long long time...

So my advice would be that the vendors may want do it on the cheap so make sure you know what you are getting - service/safety check/something else...

rosie383

Mixed replies on here but thank you everyone. It was the surveyor who has put it very strongly on his report that it is something that we must bring to the attention of the legal team before we exchange. The boiler is a fairly new one and I would hope that it was installed safely.
The thing is that the owner stated before we offered that he would have the gas safety check done before the sale. Now that the surveyor has flagged this up he seems a bit more reluctant.

ess0two

bedfordshireboy wrote: »

They don't but they will. I can wait and wait for as long as I want to exchange... They have half their house packed up and want to complete next week to avoid anymore mortgage payments and bills going out. They are not in a position to find another buyer or stall the sale simple as that.
EA needs to exchange this week for his figures so he will be pushing it as well.
Why should I have to pay for something that they said was done? If is known the boiler hadn't ever been touched I would've offered less on the assumption it would need replacing?

Providing it doesn't back fire on you,hopefully they leave no surprises for you.