Boiler broken down before exchange

[Overwhelmedseller]

Hello

Just looking for some advice and experience please?

I sstc in January, unfortunately my boiler has broken down and the hot water is barely working. I’ve had someone come and have a look and they’ve basically said I need a new boiler. I’m getting a second opinion this week as I was hoping to fix the problem.

I'm hoping I will move into the new house in about 2 months. Can anyone advise what I should do please? I’ve looking at quotes and the cheapest boiler is about 1700 which I can get. I’m fully prepared to pay for this as I’d feel awful knowing the buyers would deal with a broken boiler on day 1 of moving in.

I’m planning on emailing my solicitor tomorrow to inform them and then let the buyers know. If they wanted a more expensive boiler I would be happy to buy this if they paid the excess.

Thanks in advance!

You can't have no boiler for two months. Get a new boiler.

Don't contact the buyers and ask them if they want a more expensive one. Just replace the boiler in the house that is still your house.

There needs to be a working boiler on the day that they collect the keys to that house personally I would just put in the cheapest option and if the new owners want to upgrade they can do so at their leisure.

This happened to the house we were buying two weeks before we moved in. The vendor put in a new boiler. It's very annoying but a requirement of sale. We are very lucky to have a new boiler but I did feel sorry for her.

I actually think you're being very accommodating to the new owners, they may appreciate the option of paying a small amount more to get a better boiler. At least if you ask they can choose.

If I were the buyer and my seller told me this, I might wonder what else is about to break. It’s irrational but it might still be so.

Were I in your shoes, I think I would ask my solicitors: if I replace the boiler with a new one of similar standard, then are we required to disclose anything before exchange? If not, then I might just replace it and say nothing to the buyer. I would not be screwing them over by doing that, but I would be avoiding to provoke unnecessary and unfounded "cold feet" on their part. My boiler going does not actually increase the risk to the buyer that something else will break, but it might still feel that way to them.

This happened to the flat my brother was buying. There was an old boiler in the flat which could have a 'quick fix' which would likely only last a few months, but ultimately the flat needed a new boiler. They were about halfway through conveyancing. Seller contacted my brother who said she would only be willing to put in a new boiler rather than a repair if he was willing to go 50/50 on the cost. He declined on the basis that if the sale ended up falling through there was a good chance he wouldn't get his money back.

In your situation I'd just put a cheap replacement in I think.

I don’t think you even have to replace the boiler unless you’ve provided evidence it does actually work.
I moved into one house and the gas company had very kindly condemned the boiler between exchange and completion.

I would just replace it with a cheap boiler rather than adding in an extra complication

I would ask the plumber if their anyway they can get it working until exchange and keep quote to your buyers. We've just moved and wouldn't have expected a new boiler if it could have been fixed at all

-I don’t think you even have to replace the boiler unless you’ve provided evidence it does actually work.

Please don't do this