Ready to exchange but boiler appears broken after my final viewing

silverbanana

I am getting my advice from everyone here and my friends in real life. 

I am communicating to my solicitor and estate agent at the same time.

The estate agent was meant to update me on Monday (when the gas engineer was coming to look at the boiler) but I haven't heard from him except last night after I sent my unhappy email to say...

Just got your email. I've got a lot to update you on with regards to the boiler and parking etc that hasn't perhaps come across in the responses from the solicitor and that they won't know. I'll call you with an update tomorrow as I know it so far. Speak to you tomorrow.

My response re the boiler was:-

Re: Point 1 - I do not believe the seller arranging the repair of a 14-year old boiler is a satisfactory resolution nor have I been advised what the fault is. I had documented concerns regarding the boiler and the seller chose to ignore my email dated 10th October 2022 asking him to be mindful that gas/electrics being shut off at source was bad for the house. If this was a car purchase and on a test drive the car wouldn’t start because of a dead battery, I’d insist the garage replaced the battery. If I took a closer look at the previous service history and noticed it hasn't been regularly serviced - just had an MOT certificate, the car will be devalued. It is not reasonable to knowingly buy a car with all those faults and certainly not for the same sticker price.

cymruchris

Insisting on them putting in a new boiler will mean that if they agreed (they won’t they’ve already stated) - do you think they’d put in a decent appliance to give you faultless service for the next decade? No of course not - they’d put in the cheapest option they possibly could that once you’d moved in you’d realise - and then still have to fit a new boiler. Far better to get the old one working, and you spec your own boiler further down the line. 

silverbanana

cymruchris said:

Insisting on them putting in a new boiler will mean that if they agreed (they won’t they’ve already stated) - do you think they’d put in a decent appliance to give you faultless service for the next decade? No of course not - they’d put in the cheapest option they possibly could that once you’d moved in you’d realise - and then still have to fit a new boiler. Far better to get the old one working, and you spec your own boiler further down the line. 

I think I will let the boiler go if it is repaired I am just angry with the seller and agent about it and don't trust them any more.

I still think if I knew I was buying a house with a 14 year old boiler that has broken down before I even buy the house I would not have offered what I offered for the house and that's sticking in my throat and why I am maintaining my position.

A 14 year old boiler is on it's last legs and needs replacing - that's the general consensus my friends are telling me. He hasn't regularly serviced it so it's unlikely to go beyond 20 years. I can factor in a replacement but I didn't factor that factoring into my offer.

The last house I rented the boiler broke three times (in the year I was there) and every time the gas engineer came round to fix it he would say "I've been telling your landlord to get a new boiler for ages but he just wants to fix it". Eventually it got replaced. I don't want to go through that experience again, knowingly.

Caveat emptor .... emptor cavet!

Mutton_Geoff

silverbanana said:

A 14 year old boiler is on it's last legs and needs replacing - that's the general consensus my friends are telling me. He hasn't regularly serviced it so it's unlikely to go beyond 20 years. I can factor in a replacement but I didn't factor that factoring into my offer.

How many of those friends are plumbing/gas safe engineers? Why not employ your own plumber to look at it rather than rely on the vendor? I wouldn't say they can't be trusted now, after all as a landlord they would have only had arms length contact with the property.

silverbanana

Mutton_Geoff said:

silverbanana said:

A 14 year old boiler is on it's last legs and needs replacing - that's the general consensus my friends are telling me. He hasn't regularly serviced it so it's unlikely to go beyond 20 years. I can factor in a replacement but I didn't factor that factoring into my offer.

How many of those friends are plumbing/gas safe engineers? Why not employ your own plumber to look at it rather than rely on the vendor? I wouldn't say they can't be trusted now, after all as a landlord they would have only had arms length contact with the property.

I haven't been given the option to, I would prefer that.

They can't be trusted no for a few reasons but I will keep topic on boiler.

I hope to have an update on that today, it's been due since Monday.

housebuyer143

silverbanana said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

silverbanana said:

A 14 year old boiler is on it's last legs and needs replacing - that's the general consensus my friends are telling me. He hasn't regularly serviced it so it's unlikely to go beyond 20 years. I can factor in a replacement but I didn't factor that factoring into my offer.

How many of those friends are plumbing/gas safe engineers? Why not employ your own plumber to look at it rather than rely on the vendor? I wouldn't say they can't be trusted now, after all as a landlord they would have only had arms length contact with the property.

I haven't been given the option to, I would prefer that.

They can't be trusted no for a few reasons but I will keep topic on boiler.

You can arrange your own plumber, this is not a problem. Once it is confirmed working arrange a plumber to go and inspect it and make sure you are happy. 
There is no reason to think once repaired it will break constantly just because you had it happen to one person you know. I had my boiler fixed in my rental and it never went wrong again. Depends what is wrong with it.

Personally I would be most concerned about an abandoned car on your land?? 

silverbanana

housebuyer143 said:

silverbanana said:

Mutton_Geoff said:

silverbanana said:

A 14 year old boiler is on it's last legs and needs replacing - that's the general consensus my friends are telling me. He hasn't regularly serviced it so it's unlikely to go beyond 20 years. I can factor in a replacement but I didn't factor that factoring into my offer.

How many of those friends are plumbing/gas safe engineers? Why not employ your own plumber to look at it rather than rely on the vendor? I wouldn't say they can't be trusted now, after all as a landlord they would have only had arms length contact with the property.

I haven't been given the option to, I would prefer that.

They can't be trusted no for a few reasons but I will keep topic on boiler.

You can arrange your own plumber, this is not a problem. Once it is confirmed working arrange a plumber to go and inspect it and make sure you are happy. 
There is no reason to think once repaired it will break constantly just because you had it happen to one person you know. I had my boiler fixed in my rental and it never went wrong again. Depends what is wrong with it.

Personally I would be most concerned about an abandoned car on your land?? 

Ok I think that is reasonable - obviously I await what happened from the agent who said he had lots to update me on but yes, if I can send my own plumber to check it is all okay after it's been fixed I will be happy with that.

Re: the car abandoned on one of my spaces, it's on one of the spaces that I have to give legal right of way to (but was blocked by seller with bollards). Solicitor should know I cannot go to DVLA/Local Authority as they have every legal right to be there. It's annoying as I was told the house had two spaces and now I have to accept the abandoned car or neighbour dispute.

Re: Point 3 - The seller is not being forthright, he knows the car I am referring to and seems to acknowledge it's abandoned on one of my two spaces. The neighbour who owns the car has had access to the spaces and could only have access to my spaces if granted by the seller as they are blocked by padlocked bollards. It has materially changed how I view the property as it has been sold as 'two spaces' and notably in one of your enquiries the seller's solicitor stated:

"The parking spaces have only been used by the seller during their ownership. "

I have photographic evidence from at least 3 separate occasions - the original advert, my first viewing and my surveyor's inspection - to the contrary: a neighbour has been using both two spaces regularly.

"The seller has not experienced any issues with the parking."

The seller is aware that a car has been abandoned overlapping my parking boundary albeit not caused by him but a recovery truck.

"The seller has not received any objection regarding them blocking the use of the parking space which has the right reserved for others to use."

The seller has not been blocking the use of the parking space and has been granting access to someone else.

 

m0bov

What's this about a car, are you buying a car with it? Do you want a new battery fitted to it?

cymruchris

Legal right of way isn’t the same as dumping something on the land and leaving it there. If it’s your land you can get it cleared. 

silverbanana

Today, our plumber has been to the property and diagnosed the boiler with having a faulty PCB which is the printed circuit board.  Apparently, but I am no plumber, quite a common problem on a lot of boilers. The seller has agreed to have the part replaced and a full service and health check on the boiler and it is now working absolutely fine.  It is kicking out the heat from the radiators and providing hot water.  The part fitted also comes with a 12 month warranty,  I have attached a copy of the invoice for your information.  The cost agreed to be paid by the seller is £372.00.

Estate agent has returned with this re: boiler, I am inclined to accept it. Do you think that's fair and reasonable?