How important are certificates for selling your house (Electrical, FENSA, etc)

Niv

Out of curiosity, do doors need a FENSA cert too? I have replaced a number of doors in previous houses I lived in and I am not a registered fitter - just a DIYer. 

I have sold two houses and not been asked for certification for any windows or doors.

theartfullodger

Sold 3.5 houses in past 5 years (one joint with sister).  None in good condition.  No certificates.  Never an issue.

Good luck!

subjecttocontract

I've sold 10 properties in the past 5 years and every one of the sellers questionnaires asked me if I had FENSA certificates.

subjecttocontract

Niv said:

Out of curiosity, do doors need a FENSA cert too? I have replaced a number of doors in previous houses I lived in and I am not a registered fitter - just a DIYer. 

I have sold two houses and not been asked for certification for any windows or doors.

Doors need a FENSA cert if they have more than 50% glass in them. So, most front doors don't need one.

akira181

subjecttocontract said:

If a property has lost or misplaced its FENSA cert a replacement can usually be obtained from FENSA. Without a certificate, either a FENSA of an independent building regulations compliance certificate a sale would normally require an indemnity policy. It would usually be the seller who would be expected to pay for the indemnity policy so there seems little point in buying windows without a certificate and incurring future costs.

That would be true if the few FENSA registered installers in the area don't charge 40% more for the privilege of a bit of paper, that as far as I can tell, has minimal bearing on the sale, sale-ability, or value of a property. Indemnity insurance is less than £100, which is a significant saving over a FENSA installer (although I need to contact more than 1).

Emily_Joy said:

akira181 said:

I'm looking at getting new windows put in as mine are very old. A lot of the local installers, most in fact, are not registered with FENSA, Certass, or any other type of certifying body. My question is how important are these pieces of paper? Surely it's just any warranty information that's important?

So how important is it to get a FENSA certificate?

I actually believe that it is the quality, not the warranty, which is important. I generally prefer things not to fail/not to develop faults, rather than being reassured that when the problem occurs, it will be fixed for free after I got through the waiting list (typical problem with Apple products in my area). From the prospective of the future buyer, I would have thought that if the lender and surveyor are happy, then I am also happy.

Obviously it's better not to have things fail/develop faults but I don't have a crystal ball that lets me see what's going to happen in the next 10 years. Any "quality" you can see initially is purely cosmetic and defects are typically hidden until they cause an issue. If a manufacturer offers a 10 year warranty, then it's reasonable to assume the manufacturer expects it to be fault free for at least 10 years. There aren't many FENSA approved installers in my area, and the one I did get a quote from are quoting at least 40% higher than the non registered 2 quotes I got. 

Seems like a FENSA certificate is just a waste of money when it's not considered by solicitors, estate agents, surveyors, etc in my area and there's an indemnity policy route available if you get a good offer from a difficult buyer. I think I'm just going to find the cheapest installer with an insurance backed guarantee and good reviews and be done with it.

FreeBear

akira181 said:

I'm looking at getting new windows put in as mine are very old. A lot of the local installers, most in fact, are not registered with FENSA, Certass, or any other type of certifying body. My question is how important are these pieces of paper? Surely it's just any warranty information that's important?

Is this in Scotland by any chance ?

The rules north of the border are different. Not entirely sure if FENSA/CERTASS is a requirement or if it just needs a nod from the local authority to pass.

user1977

FreeBear said:

akira181 said:

I'm looking at getting new windows put in as mine are very old. A lot of the local installers, most in fact, are not registered with FENSA, Certass, or any other type of certifying body. My question is how important are these pieces of paper? Surely it's just any warranty information that's important?

Is this in Scotland by any chance ?

The rules north of the border are different. Not entirely sure if FENSA/CERTASS is a requirement or if it just needs a nod from the local authority to pass.

Yes, the OP's other current thread says they're talking about a property in Glasgow.

There's not normally any need for a Building Warrant or other building regs compliance, the more common issue with window replacement is planning (if you're in a conservation area or a listed building). But nothing to do with the installers being certified by anyone.

akira181

FreeBear said:

akira181 said:

I'm looking at getting new windows put in as mine are very old. A lot of the local installers, most in fact, are not registered with FENSA, Certass, or any other type of certifying body. My question is how important are these pieces of paper? Surely it's just any warranty information that's important?

Is this in Scotland by any chance ?

The rules north of the border are different. Not entirely sure if FENSA/CERTASS is a requirement or if it just needs a nod from the local authority to pass.

Yup, I'm in Scotland.The more people I call, the more conflicting information I'm getting. The first two installers were more than happy to install from the inside but I didn't like either tradesman that I spoke to and their quotes were 40% apart.

Today I’ve had one VEKA approved installer flat out refuse, too busy and not interested in tenement flats.  Another company insist that scaffolding on the 3rd floor is mandatory, which would add 3k to any quote.  Another said the same about scaffolding, told me I’m jointly responsible for the actions of my contractor, then tried to sell me secondary glazing with a whole bunch of spurious claims about their efficiency and benefit to the property value.

Finding a window installer that is reliable is harder than it seems.

Bigphil1474

We're currently selling our house and have certificates for just about everything, but not for the windows. Had quite a few viewings and people have asked about certificates for a few things, but never the windows. Usually just boiler, gas and electrics.

subjecttocontract

Bigphil1474 said:

We're currently selling our house and have certificates for just about everything, but not for the windows. Had quite a few viewings and people have asked about certificates for a few things, but never the windows. Usually just boiler, gas and electrics.

The buyers solicitor is likely to ask about the windows even if nobody else does.