BUYING A HOMEBuying a home can be a traumatic thing to do and it is easy to be ruled by your heart and not by your head. A brand new home is usually covered by some sort of guarantee. The tips that follow are if you are going to buy a second-hand home and what to look out for. A boiler will usually last about 20 years and to change one will cost over £1,000. Combi boilers tend to last about 10 years and then they can give trouble and need to be changed. As you can see already, it is easy to loose £1,000 just by forgetting to ask how old the boiler is. Have a look at the flue. Modern boilers have a flue which goes through the wall. Have a look at the hot water cylinder. Yes-go on! Get the clothes out of the airing cupboard! Is it insulated with its own foam jacket? Are there any leaks? Does the pump sound noisy? Is it accessible? A new cylinder could set you back £500. Are there thermostatic radiator valves in the bedrooms? When you fit a new boiler or a new cylinder the engineers are supposed to fit new radiator valves under new regulations. Try this test. Set the timer/room stat to bring on HEATING ONLY. Will the system respond without having to put the hot water on as well? If it does not work there may be a problem. Get all the radiators REALLY HOT! I know it’s a pain, but so is spending money on getting it right if it does not work properly. Ask the OWNERS to get the boiler serviced and ask for a copy of the receipt. It is very difficult for an engineer you have employed to check out the system. I once heard of a situation where a guy went in on the prospective purchasers request and found that the boiler was dangerous and had to turn it off for the owners’ safety. They went ballistic. I am not a lawyer, but I suppose if you do not want to go to these lengths then you may be able to get a statement from the owners to give you some sort of guarantee. PRINT OUT THIS CHECK LIST CLICK HERE
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