Right to buy

Jon_B_2

Why don't you turn down the offer of right to buy and purchase somewhere on the open market with a more adequate boiler?

That way the council will fix the boiler and someone more needy and hopefully without such a scummy sense of entitlement can live there.

Yolina

Pixie5740 wrote: »

Lots of boilers that are 10+ years old work perfectly fine.

Mine's 25 and still going strong

worbikeman

fish180 wrote: »

We have just received our offer for right to buy and on the letter it states that no repairs need to undertaken before completion. However, when we had a gas engineer come round a few weeks back to inspect our heating he told us that as the boiler is over 10 years old the council have to replace it. Over the yeas, mainly during winter, we have had to call the landlord to come and fix the boiler as it always breaks down, the gas fitters have even 'red flagged' it and have put in recommendations to replace it rather than replacing parts time and time again. I was just wondering where we stand and what is the best way to try and solve the problem.

Are you buying a leasehold property?
Be careful, be very careful.
Because once you sign on the dotted line you will be liable for your share of any repairs/upgrades the council care to impose.
Without limit.
Boiler replacement will be the least of your worries.

PixelPound

The council won't replace it just because its old, even though many do if the old ones are seen as inefficient. They obviously won't do any upgrades now that you have put in to buy. What you should have done is not put your RTB in before you first pestered the Council to upgrade everything, then put in your RTB.

As a side note, you are seemingly taking the word of gas fitters as correct, without considering they may be exaggerating the situation. Telling you the boiler needs replacing generates more work than simply replacing a part. Newer boilers are more efficient, so they will say you need to upgrade as yours is old. There are plenty of posts on DIY forums moaning that engineers have told people a boiler needs replacing. I'm not saying that its necessarily done mischievously or to simply generate business, but how they are trained. New gas certification training is a lot shorter than it used to be years ago, they mainly now get trained to read off meters they connect to circuit boards in new boilers.

fish180

I love the replies on here... advice needed not sarcastic posters putting in their two pence worth. maybe the engineer was looking for work.
Is it my fault I have a chance to purchase a property for less than its worth on the open market. No.
What gives anyone the right to judge me on here, you dont know me or my circumstances, then again I didn't realise it was a bear pit. Sit behind your keyboards and abuse those after genuine advice.

PixelPound

I think its more that you are looking the gift horse in the mouth and expecting more. No, its not your fault you can get your house discounted through RTB, but you need to consider that the offer is for it "as is". I suppose you could ask them to upgrade it, but do you think they will? Do you think that the discounted price you are paying is fair, considering the boiler? If you don't then you don't have to buy and can buy a private sale with a newer boiler.

I'm buying a house, FTB and moving from private rental, never been fortunate enough to get social housing, so no chance ever of RTB. The house I'm buying is an ex-council and the boiler is about 10 years old, but working fine. Now the price I offered took this into account, the boiler was pointed out to me on viewing, I can't now insist on the boiler being replaced before exchange, nor should I expect to.

Lord_Baltimore

fish180 wrote: »

I love the replies on here... advice needed not sarcastic posters putting in their two pence worth. maybe the engineer was looking for work.
Is it my fault I have a chance to purchase a property for less than its worth on the open market. No.
What gives anyone the right to judge me on here, you dont know me or my circumstances, then again I didn't realise it was a bear pit. Sit behind your keyboards and abuse those after genuine advice.

No-one is judging you fish180. Try to see it from a different perspective: you have a right to buy at a discounted price which is heavily subsidised by the taxpayer; you want the same taxpayer (via the Council) to help you avoid an expense faced by many homeowners who don't get taxpayer handouts at all.

In all seriousness, does that seem reasonable to you (regardless of your circumstances)?:o

ibizafan_2

If it helps, my Potterton boiler is 37 years old and still going strong!

TBeckett100

What is right to buy?

Is it where you go through life paying low/no rent because you are poor and then suddenly find you have the means to buy it with help from the taxpayer?

Contradiction in terms surely.

t0rt0ise

I don't think anyone who lives in social housing should post here unless they are prepared for the remarks of the jealous. It happens everytime.