Tell me about central heating surveys (and how to avoid them)

[InescapableDeath]

We are close to exchanging on a house and selling ours.

Our buyer has only just asked for a central heating survey.

Our boiler is old (we said so during viewings) and we have not had it serviced recently (I only have excuses here).

I don't want to do a survey now for a few reasons:
*It's not just a boiler service but central heating survey they've asked for. The previous owners put all the radiators behind radiator covers and we've left them there. It's an arse to access them but also the buyers should already know this. I'm worried the survey will open a very expensive can of worms. The house was priced lower than our neighbours for a reason!

*Covid - I don't really want someone in the house for an extended period of time.

*Stamp duty - we have six weeks to get to completion.

Have you had a survey done and what was it like?

Do you think it's possible to say to the buyer that we will give them some money for getting one done when they move in?

Otherwise we're going to end up needing a load of work done and making choices they might not make!

Has anyone else just said no to doing a survey? Yes in hindsight we could've had one done months ago but we're beyond that point now.

I would say they can get the survey but no access only to the boiler and easily accessible stuff. No disassembly allowed.

Out of interest, why would you pay for it or arrange it? Unless you're not in England it's up to the buyers to pay for any surveys they want done.

I don't want to do the survey at all - but I'm thinking if they won't accept a blanket no, maybe they would take the money to do it themselves later?

Is it better just to say no?

they can have a survey, which they arrange and pay for. That's how it works.

pain for you but wrap up warm and wait outside.

I'm worried if they have the survey, it will throw up lots of issues. Plus I want to complete in the next six weeks, and maybe exchange in the next four. I think boiler people are pretty busy at the moment - I'm sure I could get a service in time, but not whatever fixes might be suggested.

So ideally looking for anecdotes from people who pushed back when asked for a central heating report!

So basically you think there might be expensive issues with your heating system that you would rather they didn't find out about until it is too late!
I cant see how offering the money for after completion will help them. The point in the survey is to find out before as you well know.
If I was your buyer, I would be very suspicious if you pushed back as it would be telling me that there was an issue you wanted to conceal.

I would say something like "we are prepared to facilitate access for a central heating survey but we expect an undertaking that no damage will be caused to the existing fittings and as the price of the house was set taking into consideration the age of the boiler system this will not be open to further negotiation"

See if they're so keen then...

@cansu more like they already took off loads of money when offering - we said at the time we hope this means they understand that condition is taken into account before we accepted the offer. We showed them the boiler on both viewings (said it was an older model), and they have left it suspiciously late to ask about this!

For me it's the timing. If there are expensive issues (nothing to say there is, boiler works fine), am I going to be able to arrange a survey, get the results, fix it and exchange in the next four weeks? We are only moving at all because of the stamp duty deadline. We might have to walk away if we can't complete in time.

They offered at the beginning of November...

That could work LBO. I've been trying to get through to the solicitor all day but she hasn't returned my calls. I am also happy to take some money off the house if it became an issue. I'm just so worried about the timings.

If this sale falls through I think I'd get everything serviced before going back on the market, and hope for a slightly higher offer so we can afford stamp duty after all, but there's a lot of ifs and buts in that.