Buying a house - no boiler installation certificates?

darronk

Hi,

Me and my partner are currently in the process of buying our first home. We have just recieved from our solicitors the forms detailing whats included in the sale, and I've got a couple of queries I'm hoping someone here can help me with.

Firstly, theres no mention of the gas cooker or dishwasher, but verbally we have been told by both estate agent and the seller that these are included (they are also mentioned on the estate agents description). If these aren't included, would be be within our rights to ask for money off the purchase price to cover these?

Secondly, they had a new boiler fitted roughly 5 years ago. When the documentation has come through, there is no certification to say it was installed by a corgi/gas safe approved fitter. Now from my little bit of googling, I think I'm right to believe that this is something if the solicitor is aware of, then they cannot proceed with the sale until this is present? Would I be right to ask that this is sorted before we complete?

Thirdly, they had an extension built at the same time, but again, the paperwork regarding the planning permission for this isn't present. Is this something the solicitor will find on the searches, or again, do we need to get this sorted?

The worrying thing for me now is that we had a conversation with the seller, and she assured us she had all of this paperwork, but on the documentation, she's just filled in unknown for the date of the installation of the boiler. I'm not too fussed about that, because in all honesty, I'll be getting it serviced and checked anyway, but the more worrying thing for me is the planning permission not being there.

If anyone can answer these questions that would be great.

dimbo61

You should be able to check the planning permission for the extension yourself on the council website.
Speak to your solicitor about the planning permission and the boiler certificate.

davidmcn

darronk wrote: »

If anyone can answer these questions that would be great.

Your solicitor will be able to answer them once you give them a chance to look at the paperwork. None of it sounds fundamental though so I wouldn't worry at this stage.

Ms_Sophia

But the question is also - does a seller have to supply such certificates? Is it a legal requirement? Or a buyer should rely on his own surveys etc to answer questions like this?

AdrianC

darronk wrote: »

Firstly, theres no mention of the gas cooker or dishwasher, but verbally we have been told by both estate agent and the seller that these are included (they are also mentioned on the estate agents description). If these aren't included, would be be within our rights to ask for money off the purchase price to cover these?

You're "within your rights" to ask for money off for whatever reason you want. The vendors are "within their rights" to say no.

Secondly, they had a new boiler fitted roughly 5 years ago. When the documentation has come through, there is no certification to say it was installed by a corgi/gas safe approved fitter. Now from my little bit of googling, I think I'm right to believe that this is something if the solicitor is aware of, then they cannot proceed with the sale until this is present? Would I be right to ask that this is sorted before we complete?

I don't think you can retro-certify the install. So... are you concerned it's not been properly fitted (get it inspected, regardless of paperwork, if you're concerned) or that somebody will come down on it for lack of paperwork (they won't)?

Thirdly, they had an extension built at the same time, but again, the paperwork regarding the planning permission for this isn't present. Is this something the solicitor will find on the searches, or again, do we need to get this sorted?

Five years is past the borders of what the council can enforce.
http://planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/ensuring-effective-enforcement/planning-enforcement-overview/

If you're worried, do a search on the council's website for any planning history. It might not have been needed, if the extension comes under permitted development - which will depend on the individual circumstances of the property and the extension and the area.

Building control sign-off is another potential omission - but, again, there's no risk of enforcement, so the question is just one of whether the extension was built properly or not. Your survey should answer that, to a reasonable degree of confidence.

Ms_Sophia wrote: »

But the question is also - does a seller have to supply such certificates? Is it a legal requirement? Or a buyer should rely on his own surveys etc to answer questions like this?

No, the paperwork itself is nothing more than confirmation of any permission or inspections. Whether you regard it as important confirmation is down to you, and obviously has to take the likely consequences of lack of permission/inspection into account. In this instance, it doesn't sound like there's any likely consequences at all. So... is the paperwork important? Only you can answer that.

Ms_Sophia

I'm actually a seller ☺ Our buyer is requesting a certificate for the "kitchen move". The kitchen might have been moved by a previous owner - into the reception - making the property an open plan reception /kitchen. But it wasn't done by us. So I was wondering - can a buyer demand such a certificate ("an electrical certificate for the kitchen move") from us as the sellers?

AdrianC

Ms_Sophia wrote: »

I'm actually a seller ☺ Our buyer is requesting a certificate for the "kitchen move". The kitchen might have been moved by a previous owner - into the reception - making the property an open plan reception /kitchen. But it wasn't done by us. So I was wondering - can a buyer demand such a certificate ("an electrical certificate for the kitchen move") from us as the sellers?

They can demand whatever they like, action photos of the sparky at work if it floats their boat. It won't make it appear, and it's up to them if the lack of it is a showstopper for them or not.

teddysmum

I have Gas Safe certificates for our boiler, as it still has over 3 years of warranty, but didn't keep any certification for the previous installation (just the instruction manual), once the warranty lapsed for a few years.


I imagine it is up to the buyer to have any checks they require (as with the house survey)...and before sale, as once bought you could be consider to have accepted the property as it was at that time.

martindow

If it was registered through them copies can be obtained from Gas Safe

http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/advice/gas_safety_in_the_home/building_regs_certificates.aspx

You may be happy to proceed with no certification but if you are buying with a mortgage the solicitor acts for them as well and they may want some sort of certificate or indemnity.

chanz4

noticed these certificates seem to be a money maker

Kermie

You can phone the Gas Safe register and ask if the boiler is registered. If it is, your solicitor might want to push the vendor to get hold of copies of the certificates (ours did); if it's not, you might want to take someone who knows about boilers along with you in order to be sure it appears to be fitted safely.

Nina