2 Questions

shie6523 · 1 November 2014 at 10:07PM

2 quick questions...

1. We've seen a house we like, needs some work doing etc. One thing I noticed was the boiler looked very dated. When I asked the seller when it was last serviced, he said he had no idea as his mother was living in the house. He did state though that his mother had the heating on all the time and never had a problem. Would it be reasonable to agree a price with the seller on the proviso he gets the boiler serviced? I don't want to buy the house and within a few months have the boiler pack up hence this question. At least if we agree a price and the service shows the boiler doesn't have long left, I can use this as a bargaining tool when negotiating the price on the house.

2. Are there any issues with buying a house direct with the seller and cutting out the estate agent? We've seen another house currently on the market but it isn't advertised with an agent - its been done by the seller themselves. Any issues with this?

Many thanks.

mr_average_2 · 2 November 2014 at 9:22AM

My answers to your two questions would be :-

1. My wife an I used to be property developers so we've bought and sold lots of houses. I would say sellers generally are not interested in having to spend money on a property before a sale. If there is a point of concern, it's usually is better to negotiate a price that accounts for them. You mention the property 'needs some work' so the boiler doesn't sound like it's the only issue you'll be negotiating round.

It would be better to try and find out the age of the boiler (that will give you a better idea of how long it might have left) and ask for the gas safety certificate (or previously Corgi certificate). In my experience these are often lost. If so, and you go ahead with a purchase, your solicitor can ask that the seller take out an indemnity policy for the lack of certificate, which may offer you some protection.

All in all though, I would make an assessment on the boiler issue as part of the negotiation, and if you can successfully do this, then put a new boiler in (if it is old, it probably won't be very efficient anyway, and you would be better off with a new 'A' rated one).

2. We did buy one property direct from a seller, and had no problems ourselves, as in that situation, once you've agreed a price, you're handing over the legal checks and balances to your solicitor. The only word of caution from me would be to assess whether they seller looks trustworthy enough to agree a price and stick to it later down the line when you've incurred costs, to try and squeeze you into paying more.

Good luck!