Asking for gas and electric safety certificates

ThriftyGinger

Hi all, FTB, buying a flat, just had my homebuyers report back which is one of the last pieces of the puzzle before we can get on with exchanging (still waiting for the last bit of the legalities to sort itself). The report's come back fine but I've asked for gas and electrics safety certificates from my vendors as recommended in the report - only to be told by the estate agent that they don't have them because the electrics and boiler were only put in two years ago.

If that's the case, surely the regulations (as the work was done post 2005) would mean they had to have safety certificates in hand?

I have asked whether they'd be willing to have those checks done - and now I'm not sure if I'm sounding unreasonable. I know the answer doesn't have to be yes, and I'll likely have to pay for it myself. Did other people ask for these checks before they bought a property?

 

Falafels

It's only compulsory to have these safety certificates if you're renting the property out, not if you're selling it. If the electrics and boiler are only two years old, I really wouldn't bother - either as buyer or seller - if you had the boiler service record.

Both the boiler and the electrics will still be under warranty and will be fixed at no cost to you if anything goes wrong; just make sure the paperwork's signed over to you to that you can make a claim if you need to.

anselld

You are correct, if they were done properly they should have building regulation compliance certificates for any notifiable work.

The regular test certificates are only required for rental properties and they do not substitute for the initial installation certificate anyway.  If you are concerned about the quality of installation then you should get your own qualified persons to inspect.

greatcrested

ThriftyGinger said:

.......I've asked for gas and electrics safety certificates from my vendors as recommended in the report.........

the electrics and boiler were only put in two years ago.

 

So ask for the installation documentation includng Building Regulations certification.

Or search for them yourself online with the local authority and/or GasSafe Register.

ThriftyGinger

Thanks, everyone: when I next speak to someone I'll ask about getting hold of the installation documents - and have a look while I'm at it to see if I can find them. Wish I'd known about that when I had a phone call about it on Friday! No one in my family has bought a house for 30 years and so it's like wading through treacle trying to work out what's best.

anselld

Places to start ...
https://www.checkmynotification.com/
https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/notifications/landing-page/

knightstyle

Our buyer asked us to get them so we said OK, give us the money and we will go ahead, never heard anything more about it.  More important IMO is the responses in the information forms.

Jumblebumble

Falafels said:

It's only compulsory to have these safety certificates if you're renting the property out, not if you're selling it. If the electrics and boiler are only two years old, I really wouldn't bother - either as buyer or seller - if you had the boiler service record.

Both the boiler and the electrics will still be under warranty and will be fixed at no cost to you if anything goes wrong; just make sure the paperwork's signed over to you to that you can make a claim if you need to.

Ho Ho Ho
This assumes that the boiler has a longer warranty than 2 years and was installed correctly in the first place and also that the servicing paperwork is genuine and that the neither the boiler installer nor the electrician  do a runner
I think someone is lying to the OP about the certificates as there is no reason on earth why the vendor would not have them, the estate agent is talking  nonsense and I would not be convinced either thing was installed in accordance with building regulations, and a massive red flag would be raised
I suspect the boiler warranty would want to see the installation certificate otherwise they would repudiate

zonifer

The house we are buying had no gas safety certificate. We asked them to get one and pay for it (we arranged the engineer etc). They agreed but I suspect that's partly to do with us being good buyers for them in various ways throughout this process so were due a favour really 

Carl2510

I think getting them to get these if they don’t have them is very reasonable.

oniongirl

Jumblebumble said:

Falafels said:

It's only compulsory to have these safety certificates if you're renting the property out, not if you're selling it. If the electrics and boiler are only two years old, I really wouldn't bother - either as buyer or seller - if you had the boiler service record.

Both the boiler and the electrics will still be under warranty and will be fixed at no cost to you if anything goes wrong; just make sure the paperwork's signed over to you to that you can make a claim if you need to.

Ho Ho Ho
This assumes that the boiler has a longer warranty than 2 years and was installed correctly in the first place and also that the servicing paperwork is genuine and that the neither the boiler installer nor the electrician  do a runner
I think someone is lying to the OP about the certificates as there is no reason on earth why the vendor would not have them, the estate agent is talking  nonsense and I would not be convinced either thing was installed in accordance with building regulations, and a massive red flag would be raised
I suspect the boiler warranty would want to see the installation certificate otherwise they would repudiate

We had our kitchen done up 5 years ago. Could I find the paperwork? No. No I could not. Our buyers got their own checks done at their expense. I wasn't hiding anything. The paperwork was hiding from *me*!