Solar Panels?

sevenhills

My house was built in the 60s, I had solar panels installed about five years ago.
It's got the original roof, but I am not the type of person to worry.
I bought this council house, they are now my panels, that makes it easier 

Bendy_House

shorty1988m said:

Spreadsheetman said:

I'd walk away from leased solar. My late father's house had panels from ASG and that put off lots of prospective buyers and killed 3 sales when I tried to sell it. All sales fell through with mortgage refusals (correction - one didn't like not having the option to do a loft conversion).

In the end I shifted it, but for quite a bit less than I could have got without the panels.

The mortgage is the only remaining worry to be honest but that is only for me, not intending to sell at all. Its why I'm looking at 3/4 bedroom houses as a single person.

The thing in my head now is weighing up potential problems with this house vs actual problems with other similar houses. This one requires no work (brand new kitchen, bathrooms, living/dining room) so aside from some furniture and appliances its ready to go. All others I have viewed in the past 5 years have needed some degree of renovating. 

I'd also like to get moved in as quickly as possible to begin overpaying a mortgage and reducing what I eventually have to pay. If i wait another year or so then that just gets worse.

At the minute I'm leaning go for it and taking the gamble of no problems with the roof

This has to be your call. But on a 7-year old house, I personally wouldn't be concerned about the roof requiring work. And even then they'll seemingly shift them.

What's the future for energy? 4kW is a pretty decent system. If you fit a thermal store, I can imagine that being charged up very nicely on most days, and piping hot in our recent weather! That will give you tons of washing water in hot weather, and even some CH during cold - I'd have thought a very decent saving in energy.

Then - IF you'd be allowed to fit them so worth checking - if you could fit batteries (perhaps as an alternative to the TS), you'll have leccy when you need it, perhaps even for charging up your electric car overnight...

It needs looking in to, as regards what you might be allowed to add to the system, but a 4kW PV layout shouldn't be sniffed at, I don't think.

spotty_dog343

I was in exactly the same boat as you a month ago! I actually pulled out of buying the house. I weighed up the pros and cons, but the cons outweighed the pros (I was buying a 2-bed as a first-time buyer, had it been a 3/4 bed maybe a different outcome).

The reason I pulled out was because of the reselling after. I'm young I need more than a 2 bed or the ability to add an extension in the future (hopefully have a family). And the panels would have caused problems with that.

I was extremely thorough when doing research about ASG.

Somethings to note:

- There is no buy-out clause with a shade greener, unfortunately. 

- The conveyancing is also done as a leasehold, as the contract needs a deed of variation (additional cost).
- Checks to make sure they were fitted properly, and the roof can cope with it.
- Not allowed to add external batteries. 

If you are going for the house, get them to send you the lease so you can read through it, and then just make sure to check if the vendors have any of their 2 free refits left. 

[Deleted User]

Bendy_House said:

shorty1988m said:

Spreadsheetman said:

I'd walk away from leased solar. My late father's house had panels from ASG and that put off lots of prospective buyers and killed 3 sales when I tried to sell it. All sales fell through with mortgage refusals (correction - one didn't like not having the option to do a loft conversion).

In the end I shifted it, but for quite a bit less than I could have got without the panels.

The mortgage is the only remaining worry to be honest but that is only for me, not intending to sell at all. Its why I'm looking at 3/4 bedroom houses as a single person.

The thing in my head now is weighing up potential problems with this house vs actual problems with other similar houses. This one requires no work (brand new kitchen, bathrooms, living/dining room) so aside from some furniture and appliances its ready to go. All others I have viewed in the past 5 years have needed some degree of renovating. 

I'd also like to get moved in as quickly as possible to begin overpaying a mortgage and reducing what I eventually have to pay. If i wait another year or so then that just gets worse.

At the minute I'm leaning go for it and taking the gamble of no problems with the roof

This has to be your call. But on a 7-year old house, I personally wouldn't be concerned about the roof requiring work. And even then they'll seemingly shift them.

What's the future for energy? 4kW is a pretty decent system. If you fit a thermal store, I can imagine that being charged up very nicely on most days, and piping hot in our recent weather! That will give you tons of washing water in hot weather, and even some CH during cold - I'd have thought a very decent saving in energy.

Then - IF you'd be allowed to fit them so worth checking - if you could fit batteries (perhaps as an alternative to the TS), you'll have leccy when you need it, perhaps even for charging up your electric car overnight...

It needs looking in to, as regards what you might be allowed to add to the system, but a 4kW PV layout shouldn't be sniffed at, I don't think.

This. With the average energy bill set to hit over £4k, you will probably benefit a lot from having these. Even more if you have an air source heat pump. Free air conditioning in the summer is pretty nice.

Bendy_House

spotty_dog343 said:

I was in exactly the same boat as you a month ago! I actually pulled out of buying the house. I weighed up the pros and cons, but the cons outweighed the pros (I was buying a 2-bed as a first-time buyer, had it been a 3/4 bed maybe a different outcome).

The reason I pulled out was because of the reselling after. I'm young I need more than a 2 bed or the ability to add an extension in the future (hopefully have a family). And the panels would have caused problems with that.

I was extremely thorough when doing research about ASG.

Somethings to note:

- There is no buy-out clause with a shade greener, unfortunately. 

- The conveyancing is also done as a leasehold, as the contract needs a deed of variation (additional cost).
- Checks to make sure they were fitted properly, and the roof can cope with it.
- Not allowed to add external batteries. 

If you are going for the house, get them to send you the lease so you can read through it, and then just make sure to check if the vendors have any of their 2 free refits left. 

Check to see if yours can have a battery fitted. That would be a shame if it couldn't.

But, still, you can have a thermal store. And I understand most future energy systems will require one - you'll be one step ahead, and using it to store all the free leccy being generated that you aren't also directly using it yourself.

shorty1988m

spotty_dog343 said:

I was in exactly the same boat as you a month ago! I actually pulled out of buying the house. I weighed up the pros and cons, but the cons outweighed the pros (I was buying a 2-bed as a first-time buyer, had it been a 3/4 bed maybe a different outcome).

The reason I pulled out was because of the reselling after. I'm young I need more than a 2 bed or the ability to add an extension in the future (hopefully have a family). And the panels would have caused problems with that.

I was extremely thorough when doing research about ASG.

Somethings to note:

- There is no buy-out clause with a shade greener, unfortunately. 

- The conveyancing is also done as a leasehold, as the contract needs a deed of variation (additional cost).
- Checks to make sure they were fitted properly, and the roof can cope with it.
- Not allowed to add external batteries. 

If you are going for the house, get them to send you the lease so you can read through it, and then just make sure to check if the vendors have any of their 2 free refits left. 

Yeh since I'm buying a 4 bed that I plan to have for life now, its not as big of an issue for myself.

The 2 free refits are left as well. I would have liked to fit batteries and I have heard people have done it but I work away for 6 months of the year so I save a lot on electricity anyway and its easy to get most of what I need done during the day (washing, drying, cleaning etc.) so I can time around that to help save.