Quit everything , and start again over 50?

another_casualty

Forgot to mention ( before I edited ). Surveyor thinks the boiler placement IS in breach of regulations .
:eek:

harz99

AC, with respect don't "surmise" anything. Ask the EA for copies of boiler installation certificate, service records, last gas safety and electrical safety certificates. They may have been sent to your solicitor or not, but the EA should be able to provide them or tell you one way or the other, then speak to your solicitor.

anna_1977

and definitely get a gas engineer to quote for a replacement and reduce in price

Verbatim

Does the hall have an outside wall? Could the boiler go there?

harz99

another_casualty wrote: »

Mr. Surveyor thinks it is in breach of regulations, but the positioning of the flu is dangerous.
" you may be asked to reposition the boiler".

The word 'may' , doesn't sound so bad now . However, when he spoke to me, he insisted the boiler should be moved.
He also of course, said that the room has minimum purpose and no real furniture could go in there etc

Minimum purpose, yes as a bedroom but not for other uses. Like I said earlier, the reality is that the property is a large one bedroom flat. Nothing wrong with that if its fit for purpose, and as long as you don't end up chucking huge amounts of cash at it, which you'll not get back - remember the other one bed nearby thats not selling, its overpriced!

harz99

Verbatim wrote: »

Does the hall have an outside wall? Could the boiler go there?

No. If you look at the advert from the link a few posts back you'll see why.

another_casualty

Sound advice Harz& Anna.
Verbatim .. I cannot remember
You are right harz , about not assuming anything .
Question is , do I contact estate agent now or wait for solicitors instruction? Bearing in mind that the survey only came today.

When I sent solicitor the survey, I mentioned the boiler and flooring.
Maybe the estate agent will call me , as they need to know what's going on .
It does look,like I should get the survey printed out and then have another look inside. That's only part of it as I mentioned a while back
The lease etc may be problematic .
I'll,wait for now

dreaming

Re boiler. Current regulations state that the flue from a gas boiler must be at least 30cm from an opening window to prevent fumes being drawn into a room. Obviously if the flue of beneath a window it is more likely to be a problem. You can buy flue extenders for some boilers but it needs a gas engineer to check. I doubt it could go in the kitchen as the kitchen does not have an external wall. If there is signs of a flue in place (are you sure it is not part of the cooker extractor fan?) then there may have been a chimney there at some point. One way round it would be to turn the 2nd bedroom into a walk in wardrobe/dressing room and have a non-opening window fitted but that seems a bit drastic. It is probably the fact that it is near an opening window (if the window does indeed open) but it may be that it does actually comply with regulations even if it is not "ideal".

another_casualty

Thanks dreaming
Yep the flu hole is visible in the kitchen . He sent me the picture.
I have a fireplace in living room . If he could put the boiler in there:)
Maybe the flu in kitchen was interfering with upstairs ?

Don't want a window that doesn't open . The handle is broken in the living room window . Another thing to mention to the vendor

lessonlearned

Speaking with my ex EA hat on I will say that whilst these older conversations can be attractive because they have a nice period look and feel, they can be problematic in terms of the way they are chopped about.....in this case no exterior wall to the kitchen and realistically quite a small lounge. (It is narrow - only around 8ft)

Also......mortgage lenders are wary of them. Not a problem for you because you are a cash buyer, but maybe something to bear in mind.

Lenders do prefer purpose built flats and apartment buildings.

AC I hate to burst your balloon, but I honestly think this might be a "project too far for you" it needs someone who either has either DIY skills or who has contacts with the trade and who can pull in a few favours. Are you really well enough to cope with all this, do you really want to live on a building site. Could you afford to remain paying rent for the extra time required for the work to be done before you move in.

I'm not saying walk away but I am saying think hard. Obviously I haven't seen the property but from what you have said you want to do you could easily be looking at a renovation budget of £30k here. That's a lot on a £170k property.

This might be one for a builder who could probably bring it in at around £10 to £12k.

Maybe it might be worth looking at a few more before you make a final decision.