Would you get gas/electrics check?

[Hurraahhnaptime]

I just had my homebuyers report and it's suggesting getting an electric and gas safety test carried out before purchase. The boiler was checked two years ago and the electrics not for 15 years. However there doesn't appear to be any issues. Part of me just wants to buy the house and get on with it. But I could regret it if there are later expensive problems. I am a first time buyer so a bit clueless. What did you do?

I would always get the electtic checked. Its a cheap test and can save a lot. We ended paying 5k to rectify dodgy electrics. I really wish wed had the test!

Gas they should pay for a certificate, we had to provide that to the solicitor when we were selling.

We got this done before we bought this house and the gas was so dangerous that the inspection man put a notice on saying it couldn't be used!

providing a gas safe certificate is only compulsory for rentals (England/Wales). However there must be a building regs cert/notification for selling - this is not the same thing as gas safe. Any heat generating appliance must have building regs approval and your sellers need to provide that.

electrical inspection is down to you. Surveyors don't check gas and electrics so this clause comes up every time.

We had an electrician do a check and provide us with a safety certificate - cost 120 quid on a 3-bed semi.

Well worth it, in my mind. In our case he found only a couple of small items that need fixing, they weren't safety items and we've asked him to give us a quote so we can fix them once we move in. But there's always the chance they will pick up on something that's unsafe and a potential fire hazard, for example.

Don't you only need building control registration for gas appliances fitted after a certain date?

One reference I found says that date is 2005. Gas boilers don't last long now so anything predating that is probably knackered anyway.

In Scotland you need gas safety checks done yearly in rental properties. Electrics (as in appliances supplied by landlord and fixtures) need tested every 5 years and /or at start of tenancy I think.
It would make sense to get them checked.

As far as I know a homebuyer report will always say that. We got gas safety checks done on one house when we moved in as it had been empty a year but didn't bother on the others.

One reference I found says that date is 2005. Gas boilers don't last long now so anything predating that is probably knackered anyway.

An old top quality boiler will still be going strong! Something like a Vallient Turbo Max will do 20 years!

I know old oil boilers go on forever (although less efficient) but didn't realise it was the same for gas. I stand corrected!