Stove just broke, almost at Complete. Whats our obligation?

[ElspethFlashman]

Oil stove in the kitchen broke this morning. Seems like its leaking out the back but who knows.

We're due to complete in May and DH is adamant he's not spending loads repairing a stove that effectively now belongs to someone else.

Also: stove is about 20 years old and hard to get serviced. We found one guy a few years back and I was going to leave his details with the new owners as a matter of courtesy anyway. But tbh I'm not sure he'd be able to get a part for it. All he did last time was clean it.

DH has a point, money is tight. But what would you do?

Is it included in what you’re selling?

You know you cannot walk away and leave it, presumably if it is oil it's not just a cooker?? You'd be happy to move into your new house and have to reinstall a central heating system

is it leaking water or oil?

You either have to get it fixed or get it condemned and renegotiate the price to reflect that the new buyers are going to have to sort out a new boiler or at a minimum a new cooker.

You need to complete with the house in the condition you accepted an offer on. Get it fixed.

Yes its included. No back boiler, so just provides local heat. Its not a cooker, its a small room stove, for clarity.

Have you exchanged?

Anyway, you need to get it made safe and then tell new owners it doesn't work.

Have you exchanged?

Yes we exchanged some time ago. Keys are due to be given in May.

Thanks everyone for answering - cheaper than asking the solicitor. Oh my god the fees........

That’s a very long time between exchange and completion. Whose idea was that?

May be worth talking to your buyers, if you think they're reasonable from your interactions so far. No point buying a whole new stove if they're planning to rip out the kitchen and replace everything.

Ours, we had no new house. But they were great and we got a house in the meantime so it worked out.

Good idea about asking them if they're keeping it. I know for a fact they're going to do extensive building work. But I suspect they won't change the kitchen as its a major selling point and people always love it, and its a feature in the sitting area of the kitchen.

But worth asking. Shit, I am going to have to go back to my solicitor, aren't I?

If it's included and u said it was a working stove then u will need to get it repaired. Put ureself in their shoes,if u moved into ure house and found sumthing not working when vendor said it was.

Frustrating

Our buyer did not tell us that the wood burning stove was dangerous, wrongly installed. We were not happy and it cost us £1800 to have replaced.
They used unclear wording to describe its condition.

You know what the right thing is. Get it fixed.

Your obligation at completion is everything in the condition it was at exchange, so if you've sold a working stove, it needs to be working. I'd get in touch first thing though tomorrow, and as long as you agree to cover the repair costs if they want it repaired, it shouldn't delay the completion.

Yeah That makes sense. I've told DH it has to be done, end of.

Fuuuuuuuck! I really hope its not hundreds.