Buyer's friend to check boiler

kakalokia

googler wrote: »

Are you selling in England/Wales or Scotland?

England.

Sibz wrote: »

I don't think the request in itself is out of order. I agree that you shouldn't allow any tampering. The guy may know about boilers and be able to advice his friend on the approximate age of the boiler and to vouch that it is working etc.

Your buyer may simply want to get an idea if it's something he is likely going to have to replace sooner rather than later. Maybe they plan on doing up the kitchen and want to know roughly what this will cost and if they should replace the boiler at the same time.

Refusing to help, while you admit that the boiler does not have a service history (at least while you've resided there) would raise the buyers suspicions. If I was your buyer I would be considering whether to reduce my offer to factor in likely costs to replace this. Just make extra sure he doesn't do anything that leaves you with a less effective boiler as I don't think you'd have much recourse?

I'm definitely not refusing to help and am more than happy to help the buyer. Just wanted to ensure that the buyer didn't need to go through any official channels (EA/Solicitor) for the request.

I do think the buyer may just want to confirm how old the boiler is, especially as I couldn't confirm that because I don't actually know how old it is.

I'm honestly not bothered if he wants to check anything. Will just need to ensure any major checks will be carried by a qualified person (which his friend may well be).

Will see how it goes.

Thanks all for the advice.

kakalokia

D_M_E wrote: »

You say that contracts have already been exchanged.

If that is the case then buyer is legally obliged to purchase the property at the agreed contract price and you can happily refuse any reduced offer made after the boiler's been looked at.

If the friend is not gas safe registered then I think it's an automatic £5000 fine for the friend as soon as he removes anything from the boiler.

davidmcn wrote: »

No, contacts.

Ha. I had a feeling someone will misread contacts as contracts while I was writing the thread

Alfrescodave

Yes, I read it that CONTRACTS had been exchanged and wondered what the fuss was about letting someone look at the boiler as legally it was all sorted.

If he just wants to look at the boiler, why not send him a picture.

AdrianC

kakalokia wrote: »

I've never had a boiler check done, so I wasn't sure what's involved in it (should've googled it). I just assumed it doesn't involve opening the boiler up (i.e taking the cover out and looking into the internals). Clearly I was wrong.

I will allow the buyer's friend to look at the boiler, but will ensure he's GasSafe registered if he wants to open it up.

Simply taking the cover off the boiler doesn't require GasSafe certification. Anybody can work on any of the water or control side of a boiler perfectly legally. It's only if and when they start touching the gas side that GS is required.

For a simple pre-purchase check, taking the cover off and having a little poke around would be perfectly acceptable to me. But no internal dismantling. Eyes, not tools.

Since contracts have been exchanged, there's absolutely no possible comeback on you if you simply say "No, wait until after completion", though.

davidmcn

AdrianC wrote: »

Since contracts have been exchanged

They haven't - see above.

Ithaca

G_M wrote: »

If he is a registered GasSafe engineer (check here!) that's fine.

It's probably fine from a safety point-of-view, but there's still a risk as OP will have no contractual relationship with this "friend" If there are any issues with the boiler after the checks it could get messy regarding liability.

OP could offer to get the boiler serviced, either from a supplier or someone neutral that both parties agree on. Buyer gets assurance that the boiler is in good order, OP gets that contractual cover if anything goes sideways.

Boiler survey is £100 or so which if the sale has progressed reasonably well so far isn't a massive spend in the grand scheme of things.

Jumblebumble

AdrianC wrote: »

Simply taking the cover off the boiler doesn't require GasSafe certification. Anybody can work on any of the water or control side of a boiler perfectly legally. It's only if and when they start touching the gas side that GS is required.

.

This is very bad advice IMHO
We have an Old Myson Orion and if the cover is removed it breaks a foam seal which my GasSafe qualified mate says breaches their regulations if done by a non GasSafe engineer.
An unqualified person might not know this.
In any event I would never in these circumstances allow anyone unqualified and uninsured near my boiler.
What happens if they either state it does not work properly and the Buyer uses this as leaverage to drop the price or worse if they break it ?

JumbleBumble


I

G_M

AdrianC wrote: »

Simply taking the cover off the boiler doesn't require GasSafe certification. Anybody can work on any of the water or control side of a boiler perfectly legally. It's only if and when they start touching the gas side that GS is required.

For a simple pre-purchase check, taking the cover off and having a little poke around would be perfectly acceptable to me. But no internal dismantling. Eyes, not tools.

You are absolutley right so far as the regulations are concerned. But from a practical point of view it becomes dificult to manage. At what point does the hovering owner step in and tell the unqualified friend of the seller to stop. Even assuming the owner can recognise distinct elements of the internalof the boiler - which bits are "water or control side" and which bits are 'gas side'?



Far easier to say "you can test the consumer controls by switching on/off or turning up the thermstat, but no removing the cover".

there's still a risk as OP will have no contractual relationship with this "friend" If there are any issues with the boiler after the checks it could get messy regarding liability.

This too.

D_M_E

Note to self - READ A BIT SLOWER AND CLEAN EYEWEAR!!!!

AdrianC

Jumblebumble wrote: »

This is very bad advice IMHO

It's not "advice" of any quality. It's a statement of fact.


I didn't give any advice, however you snipped the next part, which was how I, personally, would view the situation.