Seller Has No Gas or Electricity Cerificates

FataVerde

Buying a 1BR Victorian conversion from the 1920s and the seller, who lived there for 6 years, has no knowledge of when electrical or gas installations were completed and apparently no electricity or gas certificates. They mentioned in response to my solicitor that they had the boiler serviced in 2019, but no longer have the papers. Is this typical with homeowners? I know they don't have to be annual as with rented places, but they have no document whatsoever. They seem open to servicing the boiler, but should I do gas and electrical inspections myself? They are currently living in the house so the electrics and gas must be working, I guess. Thanks!

canaldumidi

FataVerde said:

.... Is this typical with homeowners? Yes

I know they don't have to be annual as with rented places, but they have no document whatsoever.

Fairly normal

They seem open to servicing the boiler, but should I do gas and electrical inspections myself?

If you want

They are currently living in the house so the electrics and gas must be working, I guess. Thanks!

If you're worried about the gas or elecrrics, arrange an inspection.

Or go take a look yourself:

* consumer unit/fuse box: what kind? old fashioned fuse wire/cartidges or modern RCS/MCD swotches?

* boiler working? It's winter - are the radiators hot? Top and bottom? Hot water in the taps? Is there a CO detector near the boiler? Why not kake one in and leave there for 10minutes while you view the house - does it go off?

PadreM

Standing to be corrected, I don't think it's usual to provide such certification (unless they were done relatively recently, in which case it might be a selling point).  Nor do I have the impression it's for the vendor to supply them.  You could have them checked at your expense.  I'm in a similar boat and have just asked the EA if he knows if and when the wiring was serviced/replaced. 

Snookie12cat

FataVerde said:

Buying a 1BR Victorian conversion from the 1920s and the seller, who lived there for 6 years, has no knowledge of when electrical or gas installations were completed and apparently no electricity or gas certificates. They mentioned in response to my solicitor that they had the boiler serviced in 2019, but no longer have the papers. Is this typical with homeowners? I know they don't have to be annual as with rented places, but they have no document whatsoever. They seem open to servicing the boiler, but should I do gas and electrical inspections myself? They are currently living in the house so the electrics and gas must be working, I guess. Thanks!

Very common. I have lived in my house 10 years. I have never ever had an electrical check and since I had the boiler installed I have never had it serviced. 
I don't need to. It works fine and I have no problems, so lots of homeowners don't do it for this reason. 

canaldumidi

Just realised this is your 2nd thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6321280/electrical-inspection-for-house-im-purchasing#latest

Repeated threads on the same topic contravenes forum rules and is treated as spam...

FataVerde

canaldumidi said:

Just realised this is your 2nd thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6321280/electrical-inspection-for-house-im-purchasing#latest

Repeated threads on the same topic contravenes forum rules and is treated as spam...

Sorry for this! I didn't know, but happy to have the first thread removed. I went through my records from the vendor's solicitor and I noticed the gas certificates too so I thought I'd check about the whole lot

FataVerde

Snookie12cat said:

FataVerde said:

Buying a 1BR Victorian conversion from the 1920s and the seller, who lived there for 6 years, has no knowledge of when electrical or gas installations were completed and apparently no electricity or gas certificates. They mentioned in response to my solicitor that they had the boiler serviced in 2019, but no longer have the papers. Is this typical with homeowners? I know they don't have to be annual as with rented places, but they have no document whatsoever. They seem open to servicing the boiler, but should I do gas and electrical inspections myself? They are currently living in the house so the electrics and gas must be working, I guess. Thanks!

Very common. I have lived in my house 10 years. I have never ever had an electrical check and since I had the boiler installed I have never had it serviced. 
I don't need to. It works fine and I have no problems, so lots of homeowners don't do it for this reason. 

The current vendors were FTB 6 years ago too. I would have assumed they carried out such checks. It makes sense if you installed the boiler yourself that you wouldn't worry, but in this case the vendors have not installed it and have no knowledge of when it was installed either.

FataVerde

PadreM said:

Standing to be corrected, I don't think it's usual to provide such certification (unless they were done relatively recently, in which case it might be a selling point).  Nor do I have the impression it's for the vendor to supply them.  You could have them checked at your expense.  I'm in a similar boat and have just asked the EA if he knows if and when the wiring was serviced/replaced. 

I think these questions should be asked via your solicitors

london21

Only a requirement if renting out.
Seller does not have to provide a Gas or electricity certificate.

You can have this done for approximately Gas certificate £50 Electrical certificate £120.

davilown

If you want the certificates, you’ll need to pay to have them done.
Remember that any check is only good for the time it is completed so any old ones would/could not be up to date with current building regs. If they have them then great - it shows it’s been maintained according to manufacturers guidelines. If they don’t, it still means nothing

Snookie12cat

FataVerde said:

Snookie12cat said:

FataVerde said:

Buying a 1BR Victorian conversion from the 1920s and the seller, who lived there for 6 years, has no knowledge of when electrical or gas installations were completed and apparently no electricity or gas certificates. They mentioned in response to my solicitor that they had the boiler serviced in 2019, but no longer have the papers. Is this typical with homeowners? I know they don't have to be annual as with rented places, but they have no document whatsoever. They seem open to servicing the boiler, but should I do gas and electrical inspections myself? They are currently living in the house so the electrics and gas must be working, I guess. Thanks!

Very common. I have lived in my house 10 years. I have never ever had an electrical check and since I had the boiler installed I have never had it serviced. 
I don't need to. It works fine and I have no problems, so lots of homeowners don't do it for this reason. 

The current vendors were FTB 6 years ago too. I would have assumed they carried out such checks. It makes sense if you installed the boiler yourself that you wouldn't worry, but in this case the vendors have not installed it and have no knowledge of when it was installed either.

Some people do not care. I wouldn't service any boiler tbh whether I installed it or not. I don't really see any benefit to it.