Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Selling, is this the norm?

48 replies

StressedMover · 09/05/2017 11:57

In the process of moving. Our buyers have requested both a boiler service and electrical testing at our expense.

Whilst I don't want to risk our sale but don't feel this is our responsibility. Is this the norm?

OP posts:

StripeyZazie · 09/05/2017 13:01

Think it's recommended that you get your electrics tested every 10 years now. And they may be worried that as it's just outside house guarantee period, that everything is about to fail.

Original poster

StressedMover · 09/05/2017 13:10

I'm not worried about having the tests done. I have nothing to hide. My aibu is I don't think we should have to pay to have them checked, surely the onus is on the buyers at this point?

Our buyers offer is £25,000 under asking price. We wanted a quick sale so that we could get the house we were after. Identical houses on my street have sold at asking. I feel the buyers should pay for theses checks.

On the other hand there seems to be a mix of opinions on this topic

OP posts:

wasonthelist · 09/05/2017 13:14

Just say no - what are they going to do?

NoSquirrels · 09/05/2017 13:18

OK, £25K under asking is quite a chunk. If they know you're after a quick sale, they may be a bit cheeky.

In that scenario, I might be tempted to go back and say "we accepted your significantly under asking price offer in order to incentivise a quick sale with minimum hassle, and the discount reflects the lack of certification. If you'd like the boiler and electrics checked pre-sale, please do organise the appropriate tradespeople at your expense and we'll be happy to arrange appointments for them to carry out the tests".

OTOH, if you're worried they'll drag or pull out over something small like this, you might as well pay £80 for the boiler?

User48627 · 09/05/2017 13:34

Totally normal, we have had to on all properties we've sold.

User48627 · 09/05/2017 13:35

NB: Proof of servicing is important, you may find that the manufacturer will not honour their warranty unless it is serviced on an annual basis.

Noodledoodledoo · 09/05/2017 13:40

When was your boiler last serviced? If it is more than a year as a buyer I would be wary, if it was within a year then I would be less concerned.

If its not been checked I would be worried I would need to replace in the near future - especially if its now 10 years old its getting to that kind of age.

Just because thier offer is lower doesn't mean you should refuse - you choose to accept the offer at that price.

Katkincake · 09/05/2017 13:52

Selling (& painfully slowly buying) at the moment and we had to send any electrical certificates and boiler service record off to purchaser. Thankfully we'd changed the RCD in the last 6 months, so we had an electrical certificate, otherwise I'm not sure what they'd have asked us for in terms of electrical survey otherwise. The survey already stung us for £800 in roof repairs which we've had to get sorted (rather than take money off for them). Say no to paying for the electrical on the grounds they've got a good deal anyway, though welcome them to do their own incase they think there's something dodgy with them!

They are now threatening to pull out if we don't complete soon, but we're waiting on incompetent solicitors for the house we're buying - contemplating breaking the chain and taking a 2 week holiday in between. This is the last time we ever move - it's much more stressful and tick boxey / risk averse these days. I've lost track of the amount of indemnity and Fensa certificates we've had to shell out for, for things done before we bought our place 4 years ago! (sorry for the rant, you've given me the opportunity to have a cathartic whinge!)

dollydaydream114 · 09/05/2017 13:53

You should be able to provide boiler service records, and if you don't have those records then yes, you'll need to pay to have it serviced/checked.

However, there's no reason you should pay for the electrical survey. It's just like any other survey - the buyer would usually be expected to pay for that. If it reveals that work needs doing then you'd negotiate over the cost of the work, but it's not the norm for the vendor to pay for the actual survey.

PurpleMinionMummy · 09/05/2017 14:04

We asked for a copy of a gas safety certificate/proof of last service. The seller had one done.

HollySykes · 09/05/2017 14:08

You don't have to, but it is asked for more often than not and doesn't cost that much. EA speaking here.

loveka · 09/05/2017 14:11

The boiler is your responsibility.

If they want an electrical survey, they should pay for it.

I have literally just done this. We paid for a gas safety certificate, and had to showcthe boiler service history.

Buyer wanted us to pay for electric survey. We refused and she paid, after the estate agent confirmed it was her call whether she wanted one or not.

I would advise anyone buying a house to pay for an electrical survey. We didn't have one and ended up having to pay 4k on electrical work. An expensive lesson!

NanooCov · 09/05/2017 14:20

When I bought a few years ago I paid for a gas safety certificate and an electrical inspection. I had asked for proof of boiler service and safety check on installation but they didn't have it - boiler was installed before they bought and they hadn't kept proof of service. I wouldn't expect the seller to pay.

Solo · 09/05/2017 17:19

I think NoSquirrels puts it well. They are paying significantly less than asking and should pay for the EICR if that's what they want.

thenorthernluce · 09/05/2017 18:05

We just completed. We saw the gas safety certificate/latest service report as part of the pre-contract queries process and paid for an electrical survey before exchange, which cost about £200, if I recall correctly. I think your buyers are being a bit cheeky!

Original poster

StressedMover · 09/05/2017 18:22

Yes norhern that's exactly what I'm thinking! The buyers are coming from a rental background so I wonder if they just assumed? I would have thought their solicitors would have put them straight?

OP posts:

wrinkleseverywhere · 09/05/2017 18:28

If you pay for it, the buyers won't have any recourse against the person who did the survey & it turns out to be wrong. You wouldn't have a decent caus of action either as you won't have lost anything as you'll have moved out of the property. Obviously if you pay for it the buyers save the cost &, if it comes back with anything that needs correcting, you may re-negotiate the price to reflect this but it won't help them if something is discovered with the electricals at a later date.

Suze1621 · 10/05/2017 00:26

Recently sold our house - just provided record of most recent annual service for the boiler done last September, personally wouldn't have paid to do another one early. Purchaser paid for electrical check.

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 10/05/2017 05:16

I always ask to see the boiler service certificate and if it's more than a year old, I request + pay for a new one to be done prior to exchange. When we've bought this has always been at our cost, and likewise when selling I wouldn't expect to pay.

I've not requested electrics before but think this definitely comes under the buyers responsibility. Like pp says, I consider it part of the surveys etc that buyers decide on + finance. It's their job to ensure they're buying something sound.

Obviously, the financial obligation for the results of these surveys are then up for discussion.

londonrach · 10/05/2017 05:23

We asked when we bought our first house re the boiler. Its a common request ea said. Seller showed brand new boiler service check. Not worth the paper its written on as boiler failed day we moved in. Seller came to try and fix it. No luck. Had to get boiler replaced a month after moving in. Not an expense we needed.

Fiona1984 · 10/05/2017 05:53

My buyer asked for the boiler servicing. I said I would not pay for it. It's an ex council house, and £50 must be paid to the council as a fee, so I have compromised and agreed to pay this.
We're also buying a house in an unconnected transaction. My partner is a heating engineer so he can sort the heating himself :)

Collaborate · 10/05/2017 07:26

All the electrical survey will tell them anyway is that it's 10 years old and so not compliant with modern regs. Which they'll know anyway.

PeachesandPie · 10/05/2017 07:39

Our solicitor insisted we get the boiler serviced when we bought and that the seller should pay for it as it hadn't been done in 7 years. As first time buyers paying the asking price we would have reduced our offer significantly if they hadn't agreed to the survey. As it was, they got a dodgy mate to do the survey and when we moved in the boiler didn't work (should never have passed the survey) and cost us over £300 to fix . When we sell we will be able to prove our boiler has been serviced annually since we moved in so I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the seller to pay for something most people would reasonably have already done.

Flip

1 2