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Currently in the final few weeks of the purchase of our next house.
For weeks we've been asking the owners to get gas & electrical safety tests done which they had agreed to.
Due to exchange contracts this week but found out today that the gas is booked 3 days before expected completion date (3 weeks away). No news on the electrical test..
Would you be happy to exchange without having the tests done? I don't think we are but some thoughts might help.
We're at the bottom of a 6 piece chain if that makes a difference..
I would still exchange but I would get a retention ie the solicitor holds back an amount in money in case of the tests failing or their being problems. couple of thousand should do.
Not sure I've ever had a gas or electricity check done on a house purchase. Had a survey but that would have been as thorough as checking that there were indeed plugs in the house.
Is this a new thing - not bought a house in 14 years.
Yes. But I only buy something that needs works.
I don't understand why you've asked to have these tests carried out. Have you spoken with your solicitor?
New house - they're both probably OK.
Old house - bound to be something wrong anyway!
So crack on regardless! 🙂
A house purchase is as much an emotional decision as a financial one - does the house feel right, is the location right, does it feel like home? These, to me, are for more important factors and a missing certificate wouldn't stop me.
We got messed around a lot by the people we were buying from with this sort of thing. We were weeks away from completion. Eventually, I walked away. It cost us over £1500 and another 4 months in rented but not once have I ever regretted that decision.
Sometimes, you just need to trust your gut.
If the tests show everything is good and 4 weeks later when you have moved in something breaks down, what can you do about it?
Are these inspections being done in the absence of current valid certificates?
This is obviously something that you want checking for your own peace of mind ..?
Obviously the gas inspection is something that is required on an annual basis when renting a property and an electrical inspection advised but not compulsory ..
Having viewed the property what have you seen to make go down this road ..old boiler / old sockets / fuse box ?
If it's bothering you that much then really dig your heels in and don't exchange until you are satisfied that all is ok
what makes you feel the need to have the tests? Does something look dodgy? If it fails either test could this be the difference between this house and another?
If it's got a modern 'fuse box' with breakers and you didn't smell gas when you looked round, then I'd be happy with going ahead (as indeed we did) . If it's an old proper fuse board then I'd be assuming it all needs re-wiring anyway so would already have accommodated that by the stage your at anyway. Likewise the boiler - looks old? I'd have already budgeted to replace it.
They are something we requested that the vendor has agreed to do (approx 6 weeks ago) so not really an issue if it is required or not. We requested, they agreed so it should be done.
On the whole, the electrics look OK but there some switches & cabling outside that look like they've been disconnected so we just wanted clarification that all is good/safe and has been done properly.
They couldn't produce an up to date service certificate for the boiler so that's why we asked for an up to date test.
Seller could get pissed off too and pull out from selling to you
Totally understand. Vendors saying they'll do something, then squirming and avoiding it really does set alarm bells off for me.
I'm in the middle of selling my mothers house, she didn't have certificates for anything. The buyer has had a survey, gas and electric check done themselves. They did throw up a few issues so we negotiated a bit of money of. Not sure if it's the sellers responsibility to have all of these things in place.
My buyers solicitor insisted on a gas safety certificate before completion. I think it cost me £40.
I wouldn't care. Even if it needed a complete rewire and new boiler - and that should have been pretty obvious from the viewing - the total cost is a pittance in comparison to what you're spending on a house. If it's an old boiler with a cast iron heat exchanger, it'll go for ever if it's been serviced or not, and if it's a modern one, it'll die on its 10th birthday* regardless of how often it's been serviced.
In general if you want an inspection / safety certificates for a house you're buying, you organise and pay for it yourself.
*IMHO. If it's vented to the outside and you have a carbon monoxide detector, it's unlikely to fail in a way that kills you.
A quick google suggests these tests (that are normally paid for by the buyer but you have negotiated that the seller sorts, so fair enough) are quick, cheap and can normally be done the next day. Also, barely worth the paper they are printed on.
If you really feel you want/need them I'd just crack on and organise yourself. You will be about a bazillion pounds worse off in a few weeks so an extra couple of hundred (max) is no drama.
Alternatively, now you have mentioned a specific issue I'd just organise and pay for an electrician you trust to visit and look with you so you can point out the things that concern you. Very much more informative than any safety certificate will be.
The boiler. It's just a boiler - almost a consumable. I'd not sweat it.
If I was the seller I wouldn’t be paying for those tests. I would say the integrity of the services is refllected in the price, I would however facilitate access for an inspection so you could pay for the tests yourself.
it seems as if you are getting them to pay for a survey when surveys are paid for by the buyer.
We're getting off the subject here.
Irrelevant of whether or not it's the sellers responsibility to pay for/facilitate the tests, they've agreed to do it but the boiler is booked 3 days before completion date and the electrical test isn't even booked in yet.
If they'd have said no, we would have sorted it ourselves.
They will be chasing us to sign as everyone above in the chain is wanting to exchange by 'the end of the month'...ie tomorrow.
Totally understand. Vendors saying they’ll do something, then squirming and avoiding it really does set alarm bells off for me.
Reluctant to spend any extra money when the buyers are asking lots of questions and might pull out?
We're not threatening to pull out.
Stevied, is this your 1st house purchase?
Regarding the certs, is your concern from a safety point of view, ie you don't want to move in until you consider it safe. Or is the issue that the seller has said they would do them, and they have not done them, in which case you might have to do them at your own expense?
If its the latter, just assume that you will have to pay for them to be done, call it £250 all in. Make sure you have that amount tucked away somewhere in case the seller fails to deliver.
If its the former, bit more tricky. Safety is a very personal thing. Personally I'd live (for a while at least) in almost any house, but it's just me, no kids etc. Post the rightmove page up, and STW will be able to give you some confidence one way or another over the likely safety of the property.
FWIW, I think you will regret it if you let this relatively small issue affect your plan.
Crack on, it’s not the end of the world and as above what would you actually do if the report/certificate flagged anything up.
Not 1st house purchase. Buyer said they would do the tests (purely from a safety point of view as it's me, wife and 2 young kids) but are now saying they won't.
We've arranged for a couple of mates to do the testing at our expense so it will be done.
I think it's all good but my wife was insistent on having the tests done just to make sure there aren't any issues that weren't pulled up on the survey.
Best to check up on the useless survey you’ve already spent your money on.