Should I just sell the house as is?
 

Okay I had planned to put the house on the market in the next couple of months, we were just finalising the rest of the interior decoration. However last week our toilet broke down (started to leak), then the kettle and now the major one, the heating system! I called out the gas man and he has condemned our boiler (of sorts). He hasn't shut it down completely, but he has put a sticker with an exclamation mark on the thing and wrote it up as being unsafe. It is aged 25+ years and is a boiler they are not even allowed to fit anymore:ohmy:

So I have been advised by the gas board that I really need to get a new boiler and central heating system fitted, so I have a surveyor coming out on Monday to quote us for this new system. I have an estimate of over £3000:unsure:to get this fitted. In October we spent £4000 getting the kitchen completely refurbished and also got new doors. The thought of spending another £3000 just to sell it, sickens me!

However, as the new home reports have been introduced in December in Scotland, I assume there is no way we could sell it with a condemned boiler? The gas man fixed it, but said we really need to get a new one. So I guess my question is, what do I do? Do I install a whole new central heating system or attempt to put it on the market as is? To be honest, if we do install a new system, we couldn't afford to go to BC this year, we would have to defer again. However if we don't, it might not sell anyway and if it does, we may have to drop the price so far, we can't go!

This sux, we have had nothing but problems when it comes to this house. I really don't know what we should do...

Another year here just depresses me, but when I look at the situation realistically, I can't see a way out of it! Anyone know of a handy guy that could decorate my apartment for a fiver?

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

What rotten luck. I am so sorry to hear you are going through this. It never rains but it pours does it?

I don't know if the property market is better in Scotland than it is here but if not then I think you really have to bite the bullet and get the new boiler etc. Houses are hard enough to sell even in tip top condition and any major work like that will surely put people off. I would have it done and put the price up by that amount as a new system would have to be a selling point. That really is a bummer though.

Good luck to you

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

shop around for a plumber, I just had a new boilere supplied and fitted for £800

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

Hi there
just thought i'd let you know that my husband is a plumber and i have just read out your dillema to him and his advice is get a second opinion on your boiler as 'some' people tend to scare you into thinking the worst so you will give them your money! He also says that just because the boiler is old doesnt mean it needs replacing and it certainly doesnt mean you have to put in a whole new central heating system (reason for second opinion!). Also try to avoid the gas board doing the work as they tend to be higher priced than most plumbers and they only hold the same gas certficates so their standard of work is no better! Hope this helps you!!!
Amanda

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

I agree with Amanda - our boiler broke down in the UK and the first guy that came out said it was kaputt and wanted a couple of thousand for a new one.

We had a friend of a friend come out, (who was registered!) but told us honestly it just needed a new part. 45 quid later and it was still going strong when we moved to Canada two years later. And our boiler was at least 15 then!

Definitely get a second opinion
Good luck!

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

yes get a second opinion and a third,800 quid for fitting a boiler is extremely cheap, too cheap i would say a decent boiler costs around 900-1000 pounds plus fitting then powerflush system, it may invalidate warranty if not flushed and chemicals added to protect system.
but i would say you could get a cheapy band b boiler for 550-600 pounds + fitting say 250-300 depends on where new boiler is going could be more, but i know somebody out there will fit you one done legally for around 1500 quid.
But if it hasn't been condemmed ie shut off then it is not really a problem, just that a buyer of house may knock off cost of fitting new boiler, hope this helps andy.:)

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

Thanks for all your replies.

It has been deemed unsafe and I have been advised not to use it. When we got the kitchen refurbished, I asked them to make a cupboard for it, as it is a really ugly looking thing, now it just looks like part of the kitchen. However I have also been advised by the Gas Board that our kitchen needs a vent in both the wall and the cupboard, it is one of those open vented boilers, an Apollo 30 boiler!

I have been told I can use it as long as I don't use it when out and make sure the window and cupboard remain open when on. The big exclamation sticker on it makes me very wary about turning it on anyway:unsure:

I definitely intend to get a second opinion, but the Gas Board has payment plans, whereas no other plumbers do! I definitely don't have loads of cash spare as we just paid for the kitchen with the cash we saved! I think selling it as is, is probably out of the question. Chances are heatign is one fo the first things that people will want to know about. I guess I can always add the cost on to the house, hopefully a new system might help sell it:blink:

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

What a bummer.

Honest opinion - we spent a small fortune refurbishing our house ready for sale and at the end of the day it didn't make a jot of difference, the only offers we have had have been ridiculously low and I think they would have been just as ridiculously low had we done nothing to the house.

In this buyers market there is only one thing that makes a difference and that is price. I fear you could spend a lot of money on a new boiler and not see a penny for it.

Definately worth getting a second opinion on the cost of the boiler though, it could be that you just need to put ventilation slots into the cupboard that houses the boiler.

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

The reason he has condemned the boiler will probably be because it doesnt meet current legislation (corgi).If the boiler was a danger in any way they have to legaly disconect your gas supply until the problem has been made safe. I think there are 3 different grades of warning the 1 you have been given seems the least urgent being he has only warned you.

maybe the problem can be repaired after all

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

good lordy summer-catlin......this seems WELL OVER BOARD......we had a new combi fitted less than a year ago and it cost £780.....how many quotes did you get??????

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

I think the plumber having a laugh, i also had my boiler replaced not long ago and it cost me £800.

Can you not approach WarmFront to get a system replaced for free?

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

Like what the majority said I would like seek for a second opinion who knows it still can be fixed and if not I would also say that there cheaper boilers and I guess on average around £800 although ours was a bit dearer £1100 for bosch model.

IMHO I'll have it fixed and sell the house. Do you have a good job waiting for you in BC? I don't want to miss opportunities especially now that I would regret later.;)

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

BnQ are clearing combi boilers out for £300!! a good plumber will fit it for around £200. (if the combi can go in the same place as your existing boiler....i.e on an outside wall). Dont replace the radiators if not necessary, or remove the sticker and just sell ignorantly. otherwise confess and knock say £500 off the purchase price.

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

Hi Caitlin,

There is either a safe boiler or an unsafe boiler, so long as the boiler works OK there should not be a problem, the only problem with a 25 year old boiler would be obtaining spares. When the plumber stated that he is not allowed to fit those any more he is right as all new boilers have to be condensing boilers not the old balanced flue type, also the places that you can install a boiler in have changed in the last 25 years. However the regulations are not retrospective so if it was legal at the time then it is legal now. If the current boiler is in a cupboard and a new condensing boiler needs to be fitted the plumber might need to move it as new boiler equals new regulations so if you can just get it safe and working.

If you are going to sell the house and the boiler really needs changing I would not go for a combi boiler as you would not see the benefits of the extra cost as with a combi you have no hot water storage tank and the plumbing will need some major and expensive changes, a combi is really only for a new installation starting from scratch.

Hope this helps

Re: Should I just sell the house as is?
 

Again thanks so much for the replies.

I talked it over with the other half yesterday and I convinced him that we should just decorate around it just now and see where we are once we get it surveyed. I know I can play ignorant when the survey report comes through. Apparently I can do 3 things, fix it, not fix it, or not fix it and get quotes to get a new one installed and drop the house price by said amount.
I had a quick look at B & Q and the cheapest boiler I could see was £600:(

I dunno, I really want to just sell the house and go. I don't have a job waiting for me, but I do have a Paralegal course at Capilano University on the North Shore, which starts in the Fall. I have already deferred this course once and don't really want to again. My hubbie is worried about getting a job when we land and I think he would be more inclined to sell the house as is, if he has a good chance in securing employment. It just seems the longer we stay the more needs done to this house. My dream of a better life in Canada seems so far away at the moment.