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FTB - Boiler certification/Damp issue

mpr87
Posts: 54 Forumite


Hi All,
Currently in the midst of buying our first home, Solicitors have been instructed and we've recently had a letter from our solicitor which included a fixture/fittings form and a "sellers Property information form"
When we viewed the house the vendor had bought the house in 2015 and explained they'd had a new bathroom fitted and a new boiler moved put into the loft in 2017 with the old storage/boiler cupboard in the bathroom being turned into a walk in shower.
a lot of work seemed to have been done "by a mate", my initial thought was... ahh well if it's a mate then he's unlikely to do a poor job and leave a friend with a poor bathroom. After a chat with the surveyor after his visit he'd mentioned a few things like no signs of the bathroom having Electrical Bonding,(he didn't say there wasn't any, just saying he couldn't locate it. He mentioned the bathroom downlights not having the correct insulation and just a few "lazy things" in respect of pipes and plumbing.
This in itself doesn't seem like the end of the world however in questionaire the seller states the Boiler has a warranty but the question relating to documents is answered "Do not have Originals..." so what good is it saying there is a warranty if we have no documents if something goes wrong? Another question regarding when it was last inspected is also answered "not known".
for a relatively new boiler I find it a bit difficult to believe they have lost the proof of warranty,
If there's no documents in respect of the warranty at the least should I be expecting a gas safe certificate of some sort? If there isn't should we be asking/expecting them to get the boiler inspected or will we have to foot the bill here?
The surveyor also mentioned he was surprised to see a patch of damp on one of the walls. The wall is only a small "half wall" section that previously was underneath the old window and back door before the kitchen was extended. the kitchen was extended but this part of the wall remained as a sort of divide. The surveyor seemed to think because it was the old external wall and has been plastered/painted over this may have just affected the DPC. Said it certainly wasn't something to stop us buying the house but was a surprise. We have viewed the house twice and certainly hadn't noticed anything so i was a bit shocked by this. Again if we want to get this checked out are we within our right to bring this up with the EA and arrange for someone to take a look before we move in? again the questionaire is completed by the vendor as having "no signs of damp". which clearly isn't the case...
Currently in the midst of buying our first home, Solicitors have been instructed and we've recently had a letter from our solicitor which included a fixture/fittings form and a "sellers Property information form"
When we viewed the house the vendor had bought the house in 2015 and explained they'd had a new bathroom fitted and a new boiler moved put into the loft in 2017 with the old storage/boiler cupboard in the bathroom being turned into a walk in shower.
a lot of work seemed to have been done "by a mate", my initial thought was... ahh well if it's a mate then he's unlikely to do a poor job and leave a friend with a poor bathroom. After a chat with the surveyor after his visit he'd mentioned a few things like no signs of the bathroom having Electrical Bonding,(he didn't say there wasn't any, just saying he couldn't locate it. He mentioned the bathroom downlights not having the correct insulation and just a few "lazy things" in respect of pipes and plumbing.
This in itself doesn't seem like the end of the world however in questionaire the seller states the Boiler has a warranty but the question relating to documents is answered "Do not have Originals..." so what good is it saying there is a warranty if we have no documents if something goes wrong? Another question regarding when it was last inspected is also answered "not known".
for a relatively new boiler I find it a bit difficult to believe they have lost the proof of warranty,
If there's no documents in respect of the warranty at the least should I be expecting a gas safe certificate of some sort? If there isn't should we be asking/expecting them to get the boiler inspected or will we have to foot the bill here?
The surveyor also mentioned he was surprised to see a patch of damp on one of the walls. The wall is only a small "half wall" section that previously was underneath the old window and back door before the kitchen was extended. the kitchen was extended but this part of the wall remained as a sort of divide. The surveyor seemed to think because it was the old external wall and has been plastered/painted over this may have just affected the DPC. Said it certainly wasn't something to stop us buying the house but was a surprise. We have viewed the house twice and certainly hadn't noticed anything so i was a bit shocked by this. Again if we want to get this checked out are we within our right to bring this up with the EA and arrange for someone to take a look before we move in? again the questionaire is completed by the vendor as having "no signs of damp". which clearly isn't the case...
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Comments
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You can go to gas safe website and search for the address to see if it has a certificate.
I didn't know there was question asking about damp on the property information form?0 -
You can go to gas safe website and search for the address to see if it has a certificate.
I didn't know there was question asking about damp on the property information form?
Thanks, I've just check and there is an entry for the cooker from 2013 but no mention regarding a boiler, should this be a concern?
in respect of the damp question there is a question on the form that says
"has the property ever suffered from:
Subsidence
Defective Drains
Damp Penetration
Fungal or insect infestation
Structural defect"
To which they've replied no, Maybe i'm thinking too much into it and I need to wait until I get the report with the photo's of the damp to make a better judgement but it has worried me a little.0 -
Agreed, just completed a sellers form and don’t recall that question.0
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When we viewed the house the vendor had bought the house in 2015 and explained they'd had a new bathroom fitted and a new boiler moved put into the loft in 2017 with the old storage/boiler cupboard in the bathroom being turned into a walk in shower.
When in 2017? I ask because of the boiler warranty.
a lot of work seemed to have been done "by a mate", my initial thought was... ahh well if it's a mate then he's unlikely to do a poor job and leave a friend with a poor bathroom.
Certainly that is one of the two possibilities.....
After a chat with the surveyor after his visit he'd mentioned a few things like no signs of the bathroom having Electrical Bonding,(he didn't say there wasn't any, just saying he couldn't locate it.
If this worries you, arrange for an electrical inspection.
He mentioned the bathroom downlights not having the correct insulation and just a few "lazy things" in respect of pipes and plumbing.
You need to either get him to explain/specify, or get a plumbing inspection. But the surveyor chould be able toexplain what he means or he would not have spotted/mentioned it.
Phone him and ask.
This in itself doesn't seem like the end of the world however in questionaire the seller states the Boiler has a warranty but the question relating to documents is answered "Do not have Originals..." so what good is it saying there is a warranty if we have no documents if something goes wrong?
Get your solicior to ask specifically:
* date of boiler installation
* done by who?
* provide Installation Commissioning documentation. If seller does not have, he should request this from the installer
* Length of warranty? Provided by Manufacturer? Conditions comlied with (eg systmen flush, annual service). Is warranty transferable?
* if nothing forthcoming on the boiler, consider geting it inspected yourself.
Another question regarding when it was last inspected is also answered "not known".see above
for a relatively new boiler I find it a bit difficult to believe they have lost the proof of warranty, well either
* his 'mate' is not GasSafe regisatered, or, like thousands of people, the seller just didn't keep the paperwork......
If there's no documents in respect of the warranty at the least should I be expecting a gas safe certificate of some sort?
You could request insurance indemnity in case the local authority insist the boiler is removed, reinstalled eg if it is non-compliant with Building Regs. Very unlikely though that LA will ever know,or care.
Apart from that, if you have concerns about the boiler, get it inspected yourself.
If there isn't should we be asking/expecting them to get the boiler inspected or will we have to foot the bill here?
Them? no.
You? Yes. It's for your benefit!
The surveyor also mentioned he was surprised to see a patch of damp on one of the walls. The wall is only a small "half wall" section that previously was underneath the old window and back door before the kitchen was extended. the kitchen was extended but this part of the wall remained as a sort of divide. The surveyor seemed to think because it was the old external wall and has been plastered/painted over this may have just affected the DPC. Said it certainly wasn't something to stop us buying the house but was a surprise. We have viewed the house twice and certainly hadn't noticed anything so i was a bit shocked by this. Again if we want to get this checked out are we within our right to bring this up with the EA and arrange for someone to take a look before we move in? again the questionaire is completed by the vendor as having "no signs of damp". which clearly isn't the case...
Or just buy the house and see if there really is an issue. If after 6 months the paint is peeling off and mould is showing, deal with it. Won't cost much.0 -
Thanks for the response GM. I've checked the gas safe register website and the property has no mentioned of the boiler. a cooker is mentioned in 2013 but looks like the Boiler doesn't have a gas safe certificate. I'd imagine this isn't something that can be given retrospectively?0
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Thanks for the response GM. I've checked the gas safe register website and the property has no mentioned of the boiler. a cooker is mentioned in 2013 but looks like the Boiler doesn't have a gas safe certificate. I'd imagine this isn't something that can be given retrospectively?
You can get an indemnity policy to cover the lack of certificate. This will satisfy any mortgage but won't cover you for cost resulting from a poorly fitted boiler.0 -
Correct.
Either indemnity to protect against LA enforcement (which will never happen) or inspection report to satisfy you it is safe and working.0 -
Thanks, I've just check and there is an entry for the cooker from 2013 but no mention regarding a boiler, should this be a concern?
in respect of the damp question there is a question on the form that says
"has the property ever suffered from:
Subsidence
Defective Drains
Damp Penetration
Fungal or insect infestation
Structural defect"
To which they've replied no, Maybe i'm thinking too much into it and I need to wait until I get the report with the photo's of the damp to make a better judgement but it has worried me a little.
I don't think that's the standard PIF? Unless its a new version.0 -
I expect the boiler warranty is no longer valid if it hasn't been serviced yearly.When using the housing forum please use the sticky threads for valuable information.0
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It’s very likely that the boiler was installed as a “foreigner” by a friend or someone they know. If it’s not been registered with gas safe then it’s very likely it has no Building compliance certificate either!
Do not accept responsibility, as said above, for the cost of getting it inspected! Tell the seller that you have checked to find out if the boiler was registered with Gas Safe and that it wasn’t. It is a breach of the Gas Safety Regulations and The Gas Safety Register rules to not register a new boiler installation. It is NOT your responsibility to pay for it to be inspected as it is not your property as yet so the onus falls on the seller, especially as it has not been registered. If you pay for the inspection and your choice of Gas Engineer finds fault with the boiler and it’s At Risk or Immediately Dangerous then the engineer will have to turn it off with the sellers permission and report back to you. The seller could argue that there’s no problem and refuse. It is not only in your best interests for the boiler to be checked but also the sellers, jobs done as “foreigners” are rarely without problems.
I would think about a survey by a qualified plumbing and heating engineer if you’re really concerned but, a qualified Gas Engineer may not like signing off an unregistered boiler as safe as the responsibility for any unseen faults will then lie with Him.0
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