No heating upstairs?

[sinkorsplash]

We've found a property we really like, rooms a good size, good location etc.

Kitchen / bathroom needed a bit of updating in the near future, and when we looked round there was stuff EVERYWHERE upstairs (very cluttered). Regardless we checked all the walls we couldn't find any sign of damp or mould (slightly on the windows but would be aleveated if it was aired every now and then).
But, we couldnt find any radiators or electric heaters upstairs, but the rooms weren't cold at all and we viewed at 6pm last week when it was really chilly.

Downstairs there are radiators from gas central heating and we half presumed there was some upstairs but covered in clutter.

After putting an offer in, the EA mentioned in passing that she isn't sure but doesn't think there are any 'as is typical of some of the houses in this street'. (mid 1980's build)

Does anyone know how easy it is to install radiators upstairs if there aren't any already and indicator of cost- it would be 3 bedrooms and a bathroom in South England

The boiler needs to be big enough too. If too small you will need a new one.

That does seem very strange, and I’ve not heard of it before. Maybe if it’s well insulated the heat rises and doesn’t go out the roof

I know about it from the 1960s (a friend had this) when it was done to save money but not in much newer house

I had this in a house I bought in the nineties. I didn’t bother to change it, upstairs was not too cold and heating bills were low.

How old is the boiler? Do you know what the loft insulation is like? I should think it will be at least 100mm, but current standard is 250mm

heat from downstairs rooms will rise into upstairs ones. If the upstairs rooms have good loft insulation and draughtproofing, they may be tolerable.

In the past, it was often considered that bedrooms did not to need to be as warm as living rooms.

If the house was built, say, 40 years ago, the original boiler might not have been as powerful as is usual today. however, if insulation and draughproofing has been upgraded since it was built, heat losses will also be less.

If you buy a modern boiler, it will very likely be 24kW or more power, which is more than enough for most houses (combi boilers will need more to run decent hot water taps). modern boilers modulate (turn down the flame size) when the radiators consume less heat than the boiler is capable of producing.

If you have an airing cupboard with a hot-water cylinder upstairs, you will probably be able to add upstairs radiators fairly easily by taking up upstairs floorboards, and the bathroom may be the easiest (and the most necessary). The best time to do this is shortly after purchase, before you put down new flooring and redecorate the house. It might or might not be necessary to buy a new boiler. A well insulated modern house and cylinder can be kept warm with a 12kW boiler.

Boiler i'd need to check - looks like a combi to me as no water tank we could see when we looked round.
Loft is fully felted but we need to board it and may add any additional insulation we can then
(this is all a huge learning curve but hey ho)

We didn't have quite the same when we bought our house but one bedroom had no radiator. That room was freezing and we put one in plus changed the boiler as the surveyor said it wasn't good enough to heat a caravan.

@sinkorsplash

Boiler i'd need to check - looks like a combi to me as no water tank we could see when we looked round. Loft is fully felted but we need to board it and may add any additional insulation we can then (this is all a huge learning curve but hey ho)

if you're putting in new rads upstairs, this is a good time to zone upstairs and downstairs heating separately, with a programmable thermostat for each. no need to heat the downstairs when you are tucked up in bed at night, nor the upstairs when you are not, and you can set the timings and the taget temperatures differently.

Separate zones are not yet very common except in large homes, but a good addition in your case.

I would factor in the cost of a new boiler and whole new heating system & radiators to your offer if you’re thinking of going that way. It’s unlikely they are going to have a great boiler etc if they are the type of owners to never install upstairs rads and cover the place in clutter….

@WhatAWasteOfOranges

I would factor in the cost of a new boiler and whole new heating system & radiators to your offer if you’re thinking of going that way. It’s unlikely they are going to have a great boiler etc if they are the type of owners to never install upstairs rads and cover the place in clutter….

I think we will have to - the more I find out about the more I feel will need to be done to it, but all are maneagable.

If the house is well insulated roof doors windows etc there is little need for heat upstairs, you spend most time downstairs, at night in bed you shouldn't need any heat. We moved into a Victorian house with no upstairs heat without any problem, now forty years later feel the cold more, but still manage with little heat upstairs.

I had storage heaters in my last house and didn’t have any heating upstairs. I was never cold. The heat just circled round the house. Now I’m in w house with central heating and I’m cold. Oddly I miss my storage heaters