New boiler or repair?

wigwam

I hope you guys can give me some advice. 
I was advised on last service my combi boiler, 13 years old, will need replacement parts approx £600 as it had apparently boiled dry at some point. As it still worked fine I put my head in the sand and haven't got around to a full repair yet. Now I am looking at selling and will need another service and check. In your experience would I be better off just replacing the boiler, like for like, would this added cost increase the value and / or selling potential or should I just go for a repair? 
Flat is in Greater London, approx value 270 - 300k 
If you think it needs changing any advice on what to go for and where to get would help.
Thanks!

hazyjo

Selling your house? Presuming you're not currently renting it out or anything, and you're in England, why will it need another service and check?

wigwam

Ah apologies, last service was almost 3 years ago and thats when I was advised it needed work. So will definitely need a service to sell if I am not mistaken?

[Deleted User]

You don't need to service your boiler in order to sell a property in England. Replacing the boiler might make the property easier to sell but you won't see the money back.

AdrianC

Nothing is NEEDED.

Getting it serviced and/or replaced may well remove a potential sticking point for a buyer.

Jeepers_Creepers

If it works fine, leave it. 

Yes, when you come to sell, the buyer's solicitor (I think it's in the Seller's Info Pack?) will almost certainly ask when it was last serviced and - if this was yonks ago - will request you get one done to reassure the buyer it's safe and currently working ok. It's up to you how to reply, but if you say 'no' then it's up to the buyer as to how they'll reply to you. 

You can either say "No, it was done only 3 years ago (that is pretty normal) so I can't be bovvered/too busy to arrange this..." and hope that it'll end there, or you can get it done in which case get a different GasSafe for this. This is a 'service' - a clean and a check-over that it's safe and has no obvious faults. If the new guy says the same - it's an old model/it has suffered from overheating so is close to death - then tell him 'fine - I'll get it replaced when I need to - for the moment it's fine'. 

If it's actually condemned, then you either get it replaced or factor in an expectation of having to negotiate a £2k+ discount - but these costs are pretty meaningless in a £300k property as the price could vary by this on a daily basis depending on how many folk want it. 

Regardless of how well it's working, the buyers will be aware that it's a 13-year old combi - and it'll therefore be close to the end of its life in any case; they will - almost certainly - be factoring in this cost for their near future.

Emotive factor - will it make your flat easier to sell with a new boiler? Probably - many folk see the boiler as a costly expense ready to hit their wallet at the worst possible time and not just as a fact-of-life that needs sorting every decade or so. But, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker. 

(Mind you, my mum-in-law is obsessed with boilers - it's the first thing and the last thing she asks about during viewings...)

dimbo61

Solicitors and surveyors are not gas Safe Engineers.
So if you have the boiler serviced and proof that it was safe on that day it is another piece of paper that proves you are a property owner who looks after his/her home.
Like wise if you have the fensa certificates for the uPVC windows and doors. ( If you had any fitted)
I would not replace the boiler nor use British Gas ( upselling )

macman

Replacing it or servicing it will add nothing to the value of the property. Potential buyers will expect it to be working, that's all.
PS: if it was BG that told you it needed replacing, or spares were not available, then you can ignore that.

greatcrested

wigwam said:

Ah apologies, last service was almost 3 years ago and thats when I was advised it needed work. So will definitely need a service to sell if I am not mistaken?

Yes you are mistaken.

It works.

If the buyer wants to have it inspected at their own cost that's up to them.

Alfrescodave

So your last service 3 YEARS ago identified that replacement parts were required and since then (presumably) the boiler has worked OK; this would suggest to me that the new parts were not necessary. If you do go ahead with a boiler service then get a local engineer rather than a big organisation to do it.

lifegoeson2013

For info, I wouldn't waste money on a new boiler.  You're looking at upwards of £3,500    The rules are  (according to BG and and independent installer) that combi boilers HAVE to be condensers therefore need additional fittings (still to research that statement).  My combi has packed in and the quotes I've had are scary!  £3,500 from British Gas ( £1,100 for boiler, £2,400 is installation and parts.  Independent fitter - £4,000  (£1,200 for boiler, £2,800 installation and parts).  This extra is because they need a roofer to go onto the roof to fit the flue - apparently my existing flue isn't good enough and I live on the first floor.  Then they need to build in a condenser unit and hook that up to my main waste pipe to dispose of the excess water from the gases - all in the name of efficiency and CO2 emissions.  Hope this helps!