FTB - Vendor not giving us list of works/certs

Worrymerchant

Hi,

we are first time buyers and are close to completing on a freehold property in South London & would really appreciate some help!

The property has been done up by a property developer. Our solicitor has asked for a letter listing all the works carried out, we've not received this yet and are getting a little worried as it's getting quite close to completion.

Our solicitor has received a Home Owner Gas safety certificate for the Boiler only (dated 3 months ago) & not the central heating/front room gas fire. We've also had a Domestic Electrical Installation certificate & the usual fixtures & fittings contents list & property questionnaire. If the electrics & central heating/boiler are newly installed should the vendor be providing us with more than the above information?

There's also a gas fire in the front room should we be getting any documentation for this?

Is there anything else we should request from the vendor? We read something about asking for the Benchmark book and compliance certificate for the boiler (if installed after 2005), what should we do if they wont provide this? What else must we ask for?

Is it crazy to pay to get the boiler & central heating inspected before we exchange contracts? If they cant provide the certificates for them should we ask for the vendor to pay for this or is that too cheeky?

many thanks!!

clairet707

definitely get the boiler / central heating serviced (or get the vendor to pay) before completion...

We didnt and the night we moved in the heating failed, we moved in at the end of january 2006 and it was cold, we woke up the next morning to a freezing house and no hot water

It took weeks of letters between our solicitor and theirs to try and sort it out but in the end we had no come back as we hadnt had it serviced before we moved in

Canucklehead

Is there anything else we should request from the vendor? We read something about asking for the Benchmark book and compliance certificate for the boiler (if installed after 2005), what should we do if they wont provide this? What else must we ask for?

Hi

If you have exchanged contracts you must complete, so it's a bit late to request these items.
So, on the Corgi side of things you should have a Certificate of Compliance (as you say) This is NOT something a Corgi can write out for you. When I install a boiler I then notify Corgi (online ) after a few weeks a Cert. is forwarded to the home owner(property developer). This applies to each newly installed gas appliance.
The Benchmark book is completed at the time of installation and is like a car service history. All the installer details will/should be on it.
If you have doubts call Corgi, it is possibly an illegal installation.(an unregistered fitter)
If you can hold up proceedings then do so and make a fuss .It might save you grief further down the line.
www.trustcorgi.com

HTH

Corgi Guy.

Worrymerchant

Thanks for the reply, that sounds a total nightmare Clairet, hope it wasn't too expensive to sort out.

Canucklehead, thanks for the reply. Sorry just to clarify we haven't completed/exchanged contracts yet but it's pretty close. So am I right in thinking the vendor should have the compliance certificate for both the boiler & the gas fire if they've (as they claim) been installed while the developer has owned the property (less than a year)? We'll contact the EA on Monday anyway.

So can we check with Corgi for the installation certificate is that correct?

Sounds like we should get an inspection done for sure then, we were thinking better safe than sorry anyway.

thanks

Canucklehead

Good morning: Yes to both questions...for more details visit http://www.trustcorgi.com/consumer/requestacertificate.htmx
Do not exchange until your solicitor has copies of the compliance certificates for all gas appliances in the property. The EA should be aware of current requirements and the solicitor ,most definitely, but nothing surprises me these days:eek:

HTH

Canucklehead