Title report received - do i get gas/ electricity checked before exchange?

FTB_Help

Hi all

Just got my title report from my solicitor, i have a few more enquiries i want to raise but seems I'm almost ready for exchange.

I just wanted to check, I've had full building survey but is it also normal to get gas and electricity checked too?

Thanks

oniongirl

It depends. Our first (current) house was an illegal HMO, built in the 50s, ex-council, everything was falling apart and NASTY GRIM UGH inside. We couldn't get people in to check everything fast enough (good job too - metal light switches, no earth, and when we did the kitchen our fella found a whole bunch of exciting things including main electric cables padded with newspapers from the 70s). However, even finding this out we did not renegotiate on the price as we suspected it when we viewed.

The house we're currently trying to purchase is very well kept, and built in the mid-90s, 2 previous owners, the one we're buying from has lived there from when it was just a few years old. The kitchen, bathrooms, boiler and windows are new within the last 5 years. It's a family home, not spotless but well kept. The Homebuyers report couldn't find fault with anything (except to say they obviously didn't test the gas or electricity). I will probably get someone in at some point after we've bought it, but I feel no urgency.

oniongirl

I think what I'm trying to say is - for me, it depends on the house. And what you'd do if you found out something was wrong. Would you want to renegotiate the price? If so, yes, get it done. If you'd just get whatever needs doing done, you can wait. 

But if you saw any scorch marks near sockets... well. I'd probably get it checked.

MaryNB

I got some gas & electrical documents from the seller during the process (I completed at end of November) and I knew the electrics had been checked in 2014 and the boiler was installed in 2015 so I didn't bother getting a gas and electrical check. I've set aside some money for a bit of minor electrical work and a gas boiler service so I wasn't too concerned about get a pre-exchange check.

FTB_Help

Thanks both.

My solicitor just noted in the title report that i should ensure heating, electrics etc are working order before exchange despite what is mentioned in vendors documents - which brought up this thread.

Heating was last serviced in 2019 according to the property info form, so fairly recent, so can bypass this one.

Guess it wouldn't hurt to get an electrician in for a once over

AnotherJoe

FTB_Help said:

Thanks both.

My solicitor just noted in the title report that i should ensure heating, electrics etc are working order before exchange despite what is mentioned in vendors documents - which brought up this thread.

Heating was last serviced in 2019 according to the property info form, so fairly recent, so can bypass this one.

Guess it wouldn't hurt to get an electrician in for a once over

They aways say that. CYA for them not you.

badger09

This is this is a really interesting one. We’re on purchase 2 after 1 fell through. 

1970s bungalow, with extensions. Vendor had buyer withdraw on agreed exchange date, so we’re all keen to get this one through. 

On both our viewings in November, house felt cold. Vendor said boiler was 10 years old, one radiator in living room ‘temperamental’. Surveyor visit 17th December said CH not on. Alarm bells now ringing. 
PIF & F&C forms are dated Oct 2019, say no idea age of boiler, but serviced Nov 2018. Gas fire not mentioned at all. 

We ask solicitor to include enquiry about CH functioning. Vendor refused to have it serviced. That’s not what we asked!! (but wouldn’t have thought unreasonable). 

We’re having our gas safe guy check tomorrow that it’s safe & working. 

We’ve pulled out all the stops to get this through quickly so they don’t lose their purchase. 

Maybe we’re being unreasonable, but I don’t think so. 

greatcrested

There's a cheap easy way to do a basic test.

Do a viewing and take a CO monitor with you.

* place monitor next to boiler for 15 minutes. Does it go off? If not, no CO risk.

* turn on heating. Do all rads get hot?

* turn down thermostat. Does boiler switch off?

* turn on hot taps. Does hot water come out?

What more do you want a heating system to actually do........?

macman

A visual inspection of the CU will give you a good idea of it's age and condition. Unless it's been replaced since December 2018, it won't meet the current regs anyway. So almost every install in the UK is technically obsolete. That doesn't matter, since it was valid at the time of install, and is still legal.

Context here is everything. if you are buying a tatty ex- HMO or a conversion that has been neglected and patched up/bodged over the years, then yes, a check is strongly advised. If you are buying a ten year old new build, it's not likely to need much updating.

Most properties will fall between the two extremes. They might need some updating, such as extra sockets, a modern CU with RCD protection...but that's not a reason not to buy, or to expect a price reduction.

Similarly with gas, establish that the boiler runs, produces hot water and CH. You don't need a gas safety cert to tell you that. If it looks old and neglected, and has no recent service receipt, then investigate further and expect that expenditure may be needed in the next few years.

amandacat

I would always insist on a boiler service If one hasn’t been done in the last year, there’s a lot of debate on that topic but I have always got one as a seller and ask for one as a buyer. 

I once bought a house where seller had an  18 month old service report, they agreed to get an up to date one. Turned out the boiler had a gas leak and was unsafe and needed about £500 repairs. The seller paid for the work and it was all sorted prior to me moving in. Had I not insisted that a service was done I could’ve moved into an unsafe house due to the gas leak and ended up footing the bill for those repairs.