Would this put you off?

Snuggles

I am about to put a probate property on the market (I am executor). The property is empty and I am very concerned about keeping it safe and secure over winter. Although working, the boiler is very old and I'm not confident to leave it running in an empty house over the coming months.

I had planned to arrange for the whole system to be drained down and the water and gas turned off so that I wouldn't have to worry about boiler breakdowns or leaks over winter.

However, my partner is adamant that this is a bad idea. He says it will put off buyers as the house will be cold and seem damp, and having a drained system will lead people to expect a bargain price (as in a repo property).
Would it put you off in any way if you were viewing a house and the system was all drained down?

Loanranger

Yes.
Why can't you ensure the pipes are properly lagged and go in to check all is well every week or so? Or put the boiler on Frost setting? Or replace the boiler and use that a plus point in the sales particulars...eg: boiler replaced October 2014.

DRP

Yes it would put people off - it'll be freezing cold and feel (be?) damp.

Just leave it on a low setting - unless you have a specific reason to think it will start leaking, in which case get a plumber in to sort it out to last over the winter.

Snuggles

Hmm, I just thought it was the sensible thing to do when a property is going to be empty over winter given the potential for water damage if anything goes wrong. I've no specific reason to expect anything to go wrong (other than the age of the boiler), but the responsibility of looking after the property is weighing heavily on my mind. When I mentioned it to the estate agent, he recommended having it done.

densol_2

I would leave it on a low heat. I was surprised how much my mum and dads house deteriorated being empty - keep it a bit warm and loved

clockworks_2

Didn't put me off when I bought my current home. Which coincidentally was a probate property. I went in the middle of January so it was freezing but I didn't expect it to be warm with no one there.

I'm sure most people can look/feel beyond the cold.
I would do what you have planned.

Snuggles

densol wrote: »

I would leave it on a low heat. I was surprised how much my mum and dads house deteriorated being empty - keep it a bit warm and loved

Hi and thanks for the reply. Can I ask in what way it deteriorated?

I_have_spoken

and having a drained system will lead people to expect a bargain price

TBH, they'll expect a bargain anyway on a probate sale! Buyers can tell within 0.5 seconds of looking at the property on Rightmove it's a probate.

If it's an old-skool open-flue boiler with header/expansion tanks in the loft, you could still turn the water off at the mains but run the C/H. If there's a burst, it'll just dump the water from the tanks but not pour out for days getting fed by the mains, the safety should stop the boiler firing.

phill99

You may find that you have to drain your system down and disconnect the gas & electrics as a condition if empty property insurance.

stator

It would put off a lot of owner occupiers, particularly FTB. If your main target audience are developers / investors then it wouldn't be such a big issue.

Could you perhaps keep it going but ask the neighbours to keep an eye on things, maybe check the house once a week?

[Deleted User]

Keep heating on low or call in often it turn heating on and off.

Not having heating on for weeks on end is not the same as coming in from work without the heating on all day. No heating on for weeks in middle of winter makes a house seriously cold and damp feeling. Trust me I know and got the t-shirt.