Would this put you off?

bris

Do exactly as you suggest, drain down the entire system and turn off the gas. If anyone is really interest enough this will not put them off as a you can get it up and running again for a second viewing.


I't's also been pointed out but you insurers will need to know the property is empty as this is an extra risk for them so expect a higher than normal premium, quite a bit higher actually.

[Deleted User]

Extra insurance cost is mattless as surely the cost will come out of the estate rather than OP's personal funds.

ruggedtoast

The estate may as well be his personal funds. The bills have to be paid regardless.

I dont think it's a deal breaker personally, but be mindful that an old system that is turned off and drained might not turn back on again. At least if you have the heating coming on every day you can demonstrate it works.

An unheated house over the winter will start to smell musty at best. Ideally if you want to have the best chance of selling at the best price you want the greatest pool of interested buyers.

That means a warm homely place that is light , merrily lived in so they dont have to use their imaginations to see themselves there, and well presented.

If you cant or cant be bothered to present it like that it may be harder to shift, or it might go to the first BTL toad to walk through the door who wont give a hoot.

Old_Git

Snuggles wrote: »

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?

wold you buy a house with the heating drained?
I would get the boiler serviced and leave it on low/timer .

Davesnave

As usual we get plenty of information about the back-story, except the crucial detail about condition, type and potential value of the house, target market etc.

If it's a grotty terrace in Wakefield, which will go to a BTL landlord who'll gazunder in January, it may as well be switched off and drained, but if it's a basically up-together detached in Tring, then I'd spend money, have it checked out and leave it on low.

The other detail missing is how far away the executor or other responsible person lives. When I was in this situation, I was calling in regularly several days a week. Not practicable if you are a 100 miles away, but there are ways and means, though that will involve paying someone, same as for holiday lets.

martin.cat

The house next to the inlaws was reduced from 380 to 290 and actually sold for 255. The lack of heating in the winter makes a big difference. The daughter there said she had to drain it for insurance.

Snuggles

Thanks for all the comments. In relation to insurance, cover applies if the services are drained down / switched off OR the heating is left on constantly over winter. I live a couple of miles away, so checking the house regularly is not an issue. I am more concerned that if the heating breaks down at any point over winter, how long will it take to get someone out to repair or drain down - reliable heating engineers seem to be in short supply in this area.


I did get someone out to check the system, but he didn't want to touch it. He basically said that given its age, there was a risk that if he looked at it, he would have to condemn it. I know we could replace the boiler but I would think it would be better to leave this to a prospective buyer so they can choose what sort of boiler they want, where they want it etc. The likelihood of it needing replacing will be factored into the asking price.


The property is a detached house in good condition, and I would say is not a typically obvious probate property - the deceased was relatively young and the house is being presented furnished.

trailingspouse

Don't be in too much of a hurry to reduce the asking price on account of the old boiler. A purchaser will try to get a reduction, regardless of whether you've already priced it lower, so you may end up effectively reducing it twice. Ask a sensible price, not too low, then you've got a bit of wriggle room if someone comes along and wants a reduction.

Then they'll be happy because they'll feel they've got a bargain - but you haven't sold for less than you expected to in the first place.

Not sure if that makes sense - in my head it does!!

And going back to the original question - I would have it serviced by a Gas Safe engineer, and if it's condemned then take a deep breath and do what needs to be done. The house is very unlikely to sell with an unsafe or even slightly dodgy boiler. Once serviced you should have no issues leaving it on low, which in turn will make it a bit more welcoming and avoid problems of mould and damp smells. Also ensure there's some sort of ventilation too.

freeisgood

We had that problem, with our old house. Central heating packed up so we thought "leave it" as too expensive to fix at the time, we were quoted 10 grand at least. Left the property uninhabited for all of a very cold winter 3months, as we were renting near work.

Nature took its course, the wall paper started peeling, the whole place suffered with that awful damp smell that lingered in the carpets and curtains.
We even had a rat or five!! (they just knew humans were not around in the property so they moved in) and they destroyed a lot of the furniture. (very old and cheap fortunately)

Fortunately when we did sell we always planned to completely refurbish prior to putting on the market as the decor was very dated anyway.

If you have decent carpets/wall paper/curtains and don't like rats, I do not recommend it.

stator

If you want to apply to FTB stick in a new boiler. People using Help to Buy or similar won't be able to afford the cash to put in a new boiler, but if it's added to the house price it will be covered by the mortgage.