Boiler service needed to sell. Why?

davemorton

In the process of selling my home, almost at exchange.  When I accepted the offer, I made the buyers aware that I was accepting the offer under the understanding that a new boiler was needed asap (I had the fitting of a new boiler booked in, but they offered, so cancelled the plumber).  The boiler does work, but it is very old and not the most efficient.  Now we are due to complete, the buyers solicitor is saying I need to get a boiler service before sale.  To me, this is just a waste of money, why are they insisting on it, would it be a proviso of the mortgage, or just the solicitor following standard questions/procedure? TIA

user1977

You'd need to ask them what their rationale is. The mortgage lender is very unlikely to care.

AdrianC

Just reply to the solicitor stating that you will not be servicing the boiler, as part of the acceptance of the offer was that the buyer understood the boiler required replacement.

I bet it's just a standard enquiry on their part, and the buyer hasn't mentioned it.

daveyjp

They can ask you to redecorate throughout  and landscape the garden, you simply refuse.

If they want a boiler check they pay for it.

canaldumidi

I's a standard question- the solicitor does not know about the discussion you had, nor about the plan for a new boiler. Just reply "the buyer is welcome to have the boiler inspected if they wish'.

Maybe mention to the agent and check the buyer (not their solicitor) recalls that you said a new boiler was recommended.

eddddy

It may be for the following reason...

If a gas engineer comes to service your aging boiler, and they find it's dangerous, they will stick a notice on it saying "Danger - Do Not Use".

And presumably, you would do "the decent thing" and leave the notice on the boiler, and tell the buyer asap - so they know they'll be no heating / hot water when they move in (and they won't try to use the boiler and potentially die of carbon monoxide poisoning!)

Obviously, if the engineer doesn't class the boiler as dangerous, the buyer will feel safer about using it.


If you prefer, you could try offering the buyer a safety inspection certificate instead - that might be a bit cheaper than getting a boiler service.

 

TBagpuss

I'd just respond to say ou aren't providing one and remind your solicitor that the the offer was accepted on the basis that yhthe boiler was an old one.

If you want you can say you'll facilitate access if they want have it inspected . 

Thrugelmir

Waste of money for you. Piece of mind for them. 

TripleH

I think it is a general question solicitors ask mainly to show they are doing a thorough job since it means nothing as the boiler could break down between you moving out and the new owners moving in

We moved a couple of hundred miles away due to work and so left the paperwork for our flat in a kitchen drawer there rather than take it with us. Included was the service history of the 2 year old boiler.

Our buyer's solicitor insisted that their clients had to see the service history before we could exchange (or that is how we were informed). We argued to no avail that we were significantly far away in a nationwide lock down and the information was in the flat.

We ended up going down and taking photos to send on (we also had a few bits and pieces left in the flat we needed to clear out).

csgohan4

For the sake of less than 100£ you would have to decide, to stand your ground, but I doubt the buyer will back out. Plus getting a boiler service at this time of year, may be difficult to do ini a timely manner

davemorton

I have had a chat to the buyer, and as agreed, they have someone already lined up to fit a new boiler, so have just informed their solicitor (via mine) that I will not be getting a service done due to the agreement. (I had also wrote about this on the pack you have to fill in for the solicitor).
Many thanks for the reply's.