indemnity insurance for electrics and boiler

Kimberlie

Hi,

Can anyone offer some advice on indemnity insurance?

We're first time buyers and were hoping to exchange this week but our solicitor has just told us she hasn't had the building regulations for boiler and electrics and our estate agent has advised we take out indemnity insurance.

My worry is the house is around 60yrs old and had a lot of work done to it. The fact the vendors have waited this late to admit they don't have the relevant paper work is worrying me.

The last thread I can see talking about this on MSE is over five years old. If anyone has any more up to date advice I'd be really appreciative.

Thanks

princeofpounds

our estate agent

They aren't your estate agent. They are your vendor's estate agent.

Not all electrical and boiler work requires building regs approval. Can you give a little detail about what and when this was supposed to be done?

terrierlady

I think they should ,the vendors should be the ones taking out this insurance as they are selling,

Kimberlie

All we've been told is we're still waiting for "building regulations for boiler and electrics" we're assuming this means corgi certificates (I know, never a good idea to assume anything but our solicitor is not great at returning any of our phone calls or emails hence this post)

The thing we're worrying about is the fact the vendors said they'd sent all requested paperwork back and are only now saying they couldn't find the requested certificates now our solicitor has called them up on it.

Foxy-Stoat_3

What works have you done to the property recently?

Added new sockets, re-wired anyway, replaced the fuse board, fitted new boiler?

Kimberlie

Foxy-Stoat wrote: »

What works have you done to the property recently?

Added new sockets, re-wired anyway, replaced the fuse board, fitted new boiler?

We haven't done anything to the property,

The sellers are/were half way through finishing a double story extension (walls and roof in place, wiring, plastering left to do) and about ten years ago the garage was converted into a utility room.

The survey said the boiler was about ten years old (i think) but this is one of the certificates that's missing

Foxy-Stoat_3

Any new recent electrical work should of been carried out by an electrician and certified.

The extension will need building regulation sign off, are you buying it half finished?

Turning a garage into a room will also require building regs.

If the boiler is 10 years old I doubt they will have or need to have it certified, maybe just get it checked and serviced when you buy it and budget for a new one just incase.

pmlindyloo

I suspect that the certificates relate to the garage conversion. There should be an electrical certificate as regards the wiring and boiler for the now utility room.

You should also have building regulations for the garage conversion. We had one and you should have a building regulation certificate and electrical certificate for any electrics done.

As already said you also need to check about the new extension. Did they need planning permission? Have they applied as regards building regulations? A building control officer should be involved if the extension is not complete. It is important that you, or should I say, your solicitor checks all this.

Foxy-Stoat_3

The extension may of been within the limits that planning permission is not needed. A certificate from the BCO is a must though.

pmlindyloo

A useful site to look at:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/garageconversion/

And you can find out about extensions too.

princeofpounds

All we've been told is we're still waiting for "building regulations for boiler and electrics" we're assuming this means corgi certificates (I know, never a good idea to assume anything but our solicitor is not great at returning any of our phone calls or emails hence this post)

Corgi (or rather gassafe now) is separate to building regulations.

If there are building regulations issues, it means that they have done some material 'notifiable' work on the property.

Some of this work does not require actual attendance of building regulations inspectors, if you employ a contractor who is sufficiently qualified. This is where Gassafe, NICEIC Part P, HETAS etc. come in.

If they have had the work done and merely misplaced the certificates, that's not so much of an issue. If they have been using unqualified contractors or DIY-ing that is more of an issue and you need to actually think about the actual quality of the work more, not just the building regs issues.