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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU or are our home buyers CF?

51 replies

ChocolateEmergency · 04/03/2020 08:11

Selling our house and just received the buyers enquires, which to me seem over the top and actually rather cheeky.

They have asked that we:

Arrange for the boiler to be serviced and gas certified
Arrange for the electrics to be tested and certified
Arrange for the gas fires to be chimney swept

The first two I can maybe understand but the third seem really over the top to me.

So AIBU or should we being doing these things?

OP posts:
PrayingandHoping · 04/03/2020 08:12

The top one definitely should be up to date.

Disfordarkchocolate · 04/03/2020 08:13

Standard, now I think. Our solicitor asked for the same checks when bought this house (apart from the chimney).

TitusP · 04/03/2020 08:15

We had these requests (minus the chimney) our solicitor told us they were standard to request and that the seller normally replies that the buyers need to rely on their own enquires or some such. Basically the buyers need to arrange it. Our solicitor said as soon as buyers find out how much an electrician costs to test and certify they are normally put off and they were right.

TitusP · 04/03/2020 08:16

Ah we didn’t have a gas boiler but yes that should be serviced annually anyway.

Frenchw1fe · 04/03/2020 08:16

We had to do the boiler when we sold but not the other 2. Our electrics were only about 18 years old though.
If the gas fire chimneys have a cowl on they shouldn't need sweeping.

HeddaGarbled · 04/03/2020 08:18

I have never done any of these things when selling a house, nor been asked to.

YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 04/03/2020 08:18

Standard for them to ask, standard for you to refuse. They might then decide to pull out if you refuse, but unlikely. All part of the dance.

xILikeJamx · 04/03/2020 08:21

The boiler I can sort of understand, as it's something I do every year anyway so would just have it already.

The other 2 I have never heard of before and would tell them to poke it. If they're spending (presumably) hundreds of thousands on a house they can afford the few hundred it would take to have these done.

Singlebutmarried · 04/03/2020 08:21

Never heard of a gas fire being swept.

A chimney for a log burner then yes I’d expect it as you’d then know moving in that it’s safe.

plunkplunkfizz · 04/03/2020 08:21

Totally standard judging by the last two houses I bought/sold. You can say no if you want.

AJPTaylor · 04/03/2020 09:00

Your buyers are not being c.f. it's standard for conveyancers to have a never ending list of requests.
Last time we moved I exchanged numbers with our buyers cos we were keen to move asap. Their conveyancers would, for example, ask "please send a copy of the service history and gas safe cert for the boiler" I would respond here is the invoice for the boiler service carried out 6 months ago, it's all the documentation I have. They came back and said, it's not good enough

Boiler was at least 12 years old. Quick text to buyer, is this an issue? Buyer said of course not! And got onto her conveyancer.

MaggieFS · 04/03/2020 09:12

Pretty standard but you can say no as pp have said.

Boiler - I would expect you to have serviced anyway and be very concerned as a buyer if you didn't

Electrics - not unreasonable for you not to have this unless the house has recently been rewired/ refurbed in which case again, as buyer I'd be concerned

Chimney - just show the receipt for when you last had it done. If never, up to the buyer to decide if they're bothered or see what survey throws up

Member345787 · 04/03/2020 09:32

When we purchased our house, our solicitor advised us to ask for boiler service history (v.v. old boiler). I don't remember anything about electrics.

There is a log burner in our new house. I asked the Estate Agent when the chimney had been swept (our solicitor didn't mention this) and was told that the log burner had rarely been used so it hadn't been swept.

My mistake because we let it go, and nothing was picked up in our survey report. We arranged a chimney sweep when we moved in - to be told that the chimney needs relining at a cost of £1500 before the log burner is safe to use. I really regret not insisting on this because at least we could have renegotiated the purchase price armed with this information (and we haven't yet been able to afford to get the chimney sorted as we had to replace the boiler first!)

Not sure how that applies to chimneys that have gas fires fitted to them - unless ventilation/safety?

Coffeethrowtrampbitch · 04/03/2020 09:42

I had my boiler serviced before moving and received a laundry list of complaints once they had moved in, including that 4 screws were missing from the boiler cover. They claimed it was a hazard to their toddler. The boiler was 5 feet off the ground and the cover clipped on, so unless they had a very tall toddler can't see how it was more dangerous than an unserviced boiler.
They also wanted compensation as the hall heater was electric, not gas, and they 'hadn't noticed'.
They were hours late completing and we had been charged £700 extra by our removal company for the delay, so we replied stating once they had paid that we would reply to their concerns. Never heard from them again.

Sugarplumfairy65 · 04/03/2020 09:43

Perfectly normal. If I were your buyer and you refused, I would pull out of the sale

BobbinThreadbare123 · 04/03/2020 09:46

You are under no obligation to do any of those things as a seller at all. However, I'd do a boiler service if it hasn't been done for a while. The elec cert is a landlord thing.

EmmaBridgewater20 · 04/03/2020 09:54

As per @YesThatsATurdOnTheRug and @TitusP we’ve never been asked but I worked I property for years previously and it does come up sometimes but the onus is on the buyer to sort - they can then come to you if it throws up any problems.

Serendipity79 · 04/03/2020 09:54

Boiler - totally normal and should be done anyway on an annual basis. They simply want to know that its safe and they wont need a new one just after moving in - I had to do this on the last house I sold. The exception is if you had it done within the last 12 months and have a valid cert already.

Electrics and chimneys - at your discretion - depends how old the electrics are and when the chimney was last swept tbh

EmmaBridgewater20 · 04/03/2020 09:57

And it’s not perfectly normal as others have said nor do buyers pull out they accept that it is up to them to arrange you would facilitate as the seller, then if work needs to be done they may ask you to do that before completion or negotiate money off the asking price.

The chimney thing is standard and normally required if you have chimneys and open fires.

redwoodmazza · 04/03/2020 10:05

When we sold my late parents bungalow, the buyers solicitor said that the loft ladder was unsafe as it didn't have a handrail and asked us to replace it. [It DID have a handrail, actually!]
Anyway, we solved the problem of an unsafe loft ladder - by removing it!!!
I got £20 for it on Gumtree Wink

Babytigerrr · 04/03/2020 10:09

i dont think its normal!

we have never done any of those things (though the boiler was serviced anyway when we sold) - i wouldn't do them on request,

i wouldnt pull out of a house sale either Hmm if the seller didnt do them. If i wanted the house i'd pay for them myself - just like the buyer pays for the survey of the house.

WhenDoesTheWashingEnd · 04/03/2020 10:12

We only got asked to service our boiler when we spoke of last year.
We had a home care package so free services and it was due anyway so we didn't really think it was a bother for us to do it.

If we'd been asked to pay for an electrical survey we'd have said the buyer was welcome to arrange one themselves but at their own expense as with any other survey.

WhenDoesTheWashingEnd · 04/03/2020 10:13

*when we sold last year

AutoCorrect Confused

DollyPomPoms · 04/03/2020 10:14

Conveyancer here. They may not have necessary have come directly from your Buyers as it is just standard for us to ask. It’s not a legal obligation and you can refuse.

xILikeJamx · 04/03/2020 10:21

@Sugarplumfairy65 Perfectly normal. If I were your buyer and you refused, I would pull out of the sale

Really?! Wow.

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