Boiler Condemned in Soon to Be New Home

MalMonroe

dimbo61 said:

So what is the rest of the property looking like.
Old boiler, leaks, needs a new kitchen ? and bathroom ? 
What about the electrics ? 
Have you got £2,500 for a new boiler ? Can you get one under a government grant ? Or Interest free.
Ecotec Vialliant boiler 👍

Ha Ha Ha!!!  Ecotec Vaillant boiler?!!!  Do not touch, either with or without a bargepole!! I have one and it's rubbish. 

And sorry (not sorry) but you can't even spell Vaillant properly. What kind of advert is that?

Norman_Castle

alsaskiaj said:

 following an annual service on the boiler (back boiler), it has been deemed "at risk" due to a ventilation being undersized. As a result, a warning notice has been slapped on the boiler and oddly, the request to turn off the appliance for the safety of the occupants (of which there are none at present), the property and neighbouring properties has been refused by the seller. In addition to this, there is also a leak in the cold water storage cistern and this will need rectifying.

If you're happy to replace the boiler next year find out independently from the seller if this one can be used safely and the cost of doing this. The cost of doing this is what you should aim to recover from the seller.

Assuming there is access repairing a leaking storage tank shouldn't be difficult or expensive.

alsaskiaj

MalMonroe said:

This sounds like an absolute nightmare to me. Having bought and sold a few properties in the past I know that sellers don't disclose everything (although now they are supposed to).  I never would buy a house with a back boiler, even in the days when they were popular just because they were so difficult to access. 

Is this REALLY your dream home? If they won't accept a reduction - which I would ask my solicitor to request of their solicitor - it may be time to reconsider altogether. Seems to me this house is going to be a money pit from the outset - what else is REALLY wrong with the place? You might be better off waiting until something decent turns up. I wouldn't trust that seller as far as I could throw him. You could probably build your own new home for less!

Hi! It really is everything we have been looking for in a new home, especially with its period features and it being close to work and both of our families. However, there is a considerable amount of work that needs doing on it and this is something we were prepared for. However, we didn't see a spanner being thrown in the works by BG in terms of the boiler and tank being knackered but it isn't something we would want to lose the property over due to us wanting to get the boiler replaced anyway (albeit not so soon). We are also aware that the property will also need a full re-wire but that's something we can save on with my partner being an electrician, likewise with the bathroom and having various other tradesmen/women in the family.

alsaskiaj

Norman_Castle said:

alsaskiaj said:

 following an annual service on the boiler (back boiler), it has been deemed "at risk" due to a ventilation being undersized. As a result, a warning notice has been slapped on the boiler and oddly, the request to turn off the appliance for the safety of the occupants (of which there are none at present), the property and neighbouring properties has been refused by the seller. In addition to this, there is also a leak in the cold water storage cistern and this will need rectifying.

If you're happy to replace the boiler next year find out independently from the seller if this one can be used safely and the cost of doing this. The cost of doing this is what you should aim to recover from the seller.

Assuming there is access repairing a leaking storage tank shouldn't be difficult or expensive.

Thank you Norman. Very helpful.

royalmike

Many boilers open flued are classified as at risk, because ventilation is inadequate, they can only be turned off with the homeowner's permission and most do get left on and a new safety notice issued next year see so many standards have changed over the years.
It's not a big deal but I would recommend having the correct size air vent fitted should be 100-150 max fitted air vent kit and about an hours labour with a core drill problem solved. 
Back boilers are not really a problem as well, do require proper servicing once a year and they will last a long time probably 3 or 4 times longer than a new condensing combi.
And no you won't cut your gas bill in half by fitting a new boiler maybe 20%