Selling a house with a wood burning stove
Discussion
All,
My mother is in the process of selling her house and has had an offer accepted. There is a wood burning stove in place that was installed many years ago (2005/6) and this formed part of the listing. The stove was installed by a fireplace firm and the work included registration with HETAS and the associated certification.
However, it turns out that this certification never occurred, that HETAS have no record of it and presumably the local council was not informed either for building regulation purposes. She has spoken to HETAS and they have said that a) the house cannot be sold with an unregistered wood burning stove b) that no HETAS engineer would certify and existing installation and c) the only way forward would be to pay a HETAS engineer to decommission the wood burner and to install a new one. The buyers were keen on the wood burner and therefore she doesn't want to explore the option of just having it removed.
Can anyone more knowledgeable comment on the statements above? The costs involved are non-trivial and I am working on the assumption that we may not be able to recover them from the original firm so I just want to be sure that all viable options are being explored before she writes more cheques.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as this is causing my mother a great deal of additional stress and worry.
Thanks
My mother is in the process of selling her house and has had an offer accepted. There is a wood burning stove in place that was installed many years ago (2005/6) and this formed part of the listing. The stove was installed by a fireplace firm and the work included registration with HETAS and the associated certification.
However, it turns out that this certification never occurred, that HETAS have no record of it and presumably the local council was not informed either for building regulation purposes. She has spoken to HETAS and they have said that a) the house cannot be sold with an unregistered wood burning stove b) that no HETAS engineer would certify and existing installation and c) the only way forward would be to pay a HETAS engineer to decommission the wood burner and to install a new one. The buyers were keen on the wood burner and therefore she doesn't want to explore the option of just having it removed.
Can anyone more knowledgeable comment on the statements above? The costs involved are non-trivial and I am working on the assumption that we may not be able to recover them from the original firm so I just want to be sure that all viable options are being explored before she writes more cheques.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as this is causing my mother a great deal of additional stress and worry.
Thanks
Id say that it utter rubbish !
A) Firstly you can sell what you want if the buyer is willing to buy it.
b) Id ring round and get a HETAS guy to come and service it and provide a service certificate he would also check the installation at the same time, not like there is much servicing for a stove, visual check, ventilation, correct install, clean and spillage ?
c) Ridiculous
All these associations all b
ks I've been in heating for 30 years and yet I'm not qualified in install a wood burner that is basically caveman technologyGood Luck
SS
I installed our wood burning stove (the builder having built a suitable fireplace for it to go into and the chimney) and building control (not the council, a private org - Assent from memory) signed it off. This was 2014. Not sure if requirements have changed since? Pretty sure HETAS had nothing to do with anything...
From memory the most relevant issues were distance between the stove and flammable materials, and the size of the air vent.
From memory the most relevant issues were distance between the stove and flammable materials, and the size of the air vent.
Did you Google? Found this fairly quickly: https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/regu...
Surely the first step is to contact the company who installed the stove?
Where is the house - the regulations may be different in Scotland.
As far as I've been able to find out it's not a requirement that a woodburner be installed by a Hetas registerd installer or that it have a certificate from them - you can install a woodburner yourself. What is required is a sign off & certificate from Building Control at your local council.
https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/regu...
You have a few choices:
1) Advise the buyers it doesn't have BC signoff & do they still want the house - although you'll go through the same rigmarole with the next buyer. Maybe offer them a small discount if necessary.
2) Contact Building Control at the local council & see if they have a mechanism for inspecting & issuing a certificate.
3) Try & find an installer who will issue a certificate for a price. Look around for one of the smaller companies or someone who works on their own as they may be more willing to help. Given the liner (if there is one) was put in 14 years ago you might have to employ them to drop a new liner down which should put them in a position where they could justifiably issue a certificate. With a bit of luck it should only cost a few hundred pounds for a new liner.
Where is the house - the regulations may be different in Scotland.
As far as I've been able to find out it's not a requirement that a woodburner be installed by a Hetas registerd installer or that it have a certificate from them - you can install a woodburner yourself. What is required is a sign off & certificate from Building Control at your local council.
https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/regu...
You have a few choices:
1) Advise the buyers it doesn't have BC signoff & do they still want the house - although you'll go through the same rigmarole with the next buyer. Maybe offer them a small discount if necessary.
2) Contact Building Control at the local council & see if they have a mechanism for inspecting & issuing a certificate.
3) Try & find an installer who will issue a certificate for a price. Look around for one of the smaller companies or someone who works on their own as they may be more willing to help. Given the liner (if there is one) was put in 14 years ago you might have to employ them to drop a new liner down which should put them in a position where they could justifiably issue a certificate. With a bit of luck it should only cost a few hundred pounds for a new liner.
We have a wood burning stove.
It almost certainly doesn't have a certificate. Wasn't raised as an issue when we purchased.
If you are worried pay BC for a sign off, otherwise see if the buyers raise it as an issue. My friend has recently had a stove and flue installed and signed off for ~£600, so not a huge sum relative to a house purchase.
It almost certainly doesn't have a certificate. Wasn't raised as an issue when we purchased.
If you are worried pay BC for a sign off, otherwise see if the buyers raise it as an issue. My friend has recently had a stove and flue installed and signed off for ~£600, so not a huge sum relative to a house purchase.
johnpsanderson said:
Did you Google? Found this fairly quickly: https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/regu...
Yes, and found that site too. There's a lot of other sites that provide contradictory information but it was the "What if I do not get it signed off?" section that made me think there must be other options.4Q said:
I had the same issue when I sold my house with a log burner. I advised the purchaser that it was decorative only 
Somehow I doubt she'll want to follow this route!silversurfer1 said:
Id say that it utter rubbish !
A) Firstly you can sell what you want if the buyer is willing to buy it.
b) Id ring round and get a HETAS guy to come and service it and provide a service certificate he would also check the installation at the same time, not like there is much servicing for a stove, visual check, ventilation, correct install, clean and spillage ?
c) Ridiculous
All these associations all bks I've been in heating for 30 years and yet I'm not qualified in install a wood burner that is basically caveman technology
Good Luck
SS
Thanks. I did get that sense too. It seems like a lot of people self-install and get someone else to validate it but I think there's still a building regs hurdle to cross.A) Firstly you can sell what you want if the buyer is willing to buy it.
b) Id ring round and get a HETAS guy to come and service it and provide a service certificate he would also check the installation at the same time, not like there is much servicing for a stove, visual check, ventilation, correct install, clean and spillage ?
c) Ridiculous
All these associations all b
ks I've been in heating for 30 years and yet I'm not qualified in install a wood burner that is basically caveman technologyGood Luck
SS
johnpsanderson said:
I installed our wood burning stove (the builder having built a suitable fireplace for it to go into and the chimney) and building control (not the council, a private org - Assent from memory) signed it off. This was 2014. Not sure if requirements have changed since? Pretty sure HETAS had nothing to do with anything...
From memory the most relevant issues were distance between the stove and flammable materials, and the size of the air vent.
Yes, it seems like this is a pretty standard occurrence.From memory the most relevant issues were distance between the stove and flammable materials, and the size of the air vent.
Mr Pointy said:
Surely the first step is to contact the company who installed the stove?
Where is the house - the regulations may be different in Scotland.
As far as I've been able to find out it's not a requirement that a woodburner be installed by a Hetas registerd installer or that it have a certificate from them - you can install a woodburner yourself. What is required is a sign off & certificate from Building Control at your local council.
https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/regu...
You have a few choices:
1) Advise the buyers it doesn't have BC signoff & do they still want the house - although you'll go through the same rigmarole with the next buyer. Maybe offer them a small discount if necessary.
2) Contact Building Control at the local council & see if they have a mechanism for inspecting & issuing a certificate.
3) Try & find an installer who will issue a certificate for a price. Look around for one of the smaller companies or someone who works on their own as they may be more willing to help. Given the liner (if there is one) was put in 14 years ago you might have to employ them to drop a new liner down which should put them in a position where they could justifiably issue a certificate. With a bit of luck it should only cost a few hundred pounds for a new liner.
It's in England. The original installers have been contacted and they have said they don't fit fireplaces anymore and so cannot help, the guy that did the install retired and they don't keep paperwork from that far back. We're already exploring 1 and will look at 2 &3. Thanks.Where is the house - the regulations may be different in Scotland.
As far as I've been able to find out it's not a requirement that a woodburner be installed by a Hetas registerd installer or that it have a certificate from them - you can install a woodburner yourself. What is required is a sign off & certificate from Building Control at your local council.
https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/regu...
You have a few choices:
1) Advise the buyers it doesn't have BC signoff & do they still want the house - although you'll go through the same rigmarole with the next buyer. Maybe offer them a small discount if necessary.
2) Contact Building Control at the local council & see if they have a mechanism for inspecting & issuing a certificate.
3) Try & find an installer who will issue a certificate for a price. Look around for one of the smaller companies or someone who works on their own as they may be more willing to help. Given the liner (if there is one) was put in 14 years ago you might have to employ them to drop a new liner down which should put them in a position where they could justifiably issue a certificate. With a bit of luck it should only cost a few hundred pounds for a new liner.
paulwirral said:
You could always go on the 1 day course to become an approved hetas installer , as long as you pay hetas the fee obviously!
Ha! I may look into that anyway.Janluke said:
We've just sold MILs house as she's moved into a home. Due to dementia she'd lost some of the paperwork re log burner, central heating etc. Log burner working fine, all as it should be but no paperwork. We just took out a small insurance policy and the buyers where happy
I will speak to her about this as I have done similar in the past. Thanks.Appears not to have been a requirement till April 2006.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7785452....
So worth double checking the dates...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7785452....
So worth double checking the dates...
I fitted my own 20yrs ago back before we had all this nonsense.
1. Lay stone hearth.
2. Put fire in place and poke flue up chimney.
3.Cut some cement board around flue and fix up there.
Job done, light fire, enjoy.
House sale going through now, no questions asked.
House we're buying has one, haven't even bothered asking who fitted it etc.
1. Lay stone hearth.
2. Put fire in place and poke flue up chimney.
3.Cut some cement board around flue and fix up there.
Job done, light fire, enjoy.
House sale going through now, no questions asked.
House we're buying has one, haven't even bothered asking who fitted it etc.
Edited by Evoluzione on Saturday 12th September 23:21
it is bull shine
I bought a house with 2 wood burners with no hetas certificate for either. On the disclosures it said there were no certificates. I was happy to proceed (mind you they had only been in situ for 28 years, so I guess some teething troubles could still make themselves known, but that was a bridge that could be crossed if & when). Lender was happy to lend, surveyor mentioned it. Sale concluded. Both wood burners still in use some years later with no issue.
I bought a house with 2 wood burners with no hetas certificate for either. On the disclosures it said there were no certificates. I was happy to proceed (mind you they had only been in situ for 28 years, so I guess some teething troubles could still make themselves known, but that was a bridge that could be crossed if & when). Lender was happy to lend, surveyor mentioned it. Sale concluded. Both wood burners still in use some years later with no issue.
Surely you can ignore what Hetas say and ask your solicitor?
We bought somewhere last year with a number of fireplaces and a woodburner and certainly didn't get any certification. We are in Scotland but the only mention throughout the process was in the home report. The surveyor recommended getting the chimneys swept and checked over by a qualified professional.
If the buyers are happy then I don't think there's an issue.
We bought somewhere last year with a number of fireplaces and a woodburner and certainly didn't get any certification. We are in Scotland but the only mention throughout the process was in the home report. The surveyor recommended getting the chimneys swept and checked over by a qualified professional.
If the buyers are happy then I don't think there's an issue.
paulwirral said:
You could always go on the 1 day course to become an approved hetas installer , as long as you pay hetas the fee obviously!
Two interesting points in one sentence there. If it only takes one day to become approved you can't have learned much. Two, it's little more than a money-go round.Seems that claiming it was fitted before 2006, or buying an insurance policy, circumvents these paper tigers.
Simpo Two said:
paulwirral said:
You could always go on the 1 day course to become an approved hetas installer , as long as you pay hetas the fee obviously!
Two interesting points in one sentence there. If it only takes one day to become approved you can't have learned much. Two, it's little more than a money-go round.Seems that claiming it was fitted before 2006, or buying an insurance policy, circumvents these paper tigers.
Ironically the indemnity insurance to cover any problems costs less than the checks
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