When to Repair vs. Replace A Boiler Before Selling Your Home

 

Your home boiler is a central and vital part of your household. By keeping the water hot for those long afternoon baths and heating your home on cold winter days, your boiler ensures that everyone is living in comfort. Because it plays such an important role in your home, however, a boiler can be expensive to replace if anything goes wrong.

 

When you’re looking to sell your home, the boiler has to be checked before you can go through with the sale. But how do you know when it’s time to replace your home boiler, or when repairs will do the job? This article will give you some guidance.

 

How Old is the Boiler?

This is the first question you should be asking yourself when trying to determine whether to repair or replace your boiler. If the boiler is relatively new — only a couple of years old — it's highly unlikely that it will need to be replaced and you should get a repairman out to check it over. Anything coming close to ten years or outside of its warranty, it's usually a better idea to replace it rather than go through all the hassle.

 

Not only this, but older boilers often no longer meet safety guidelines. They are also at a higher risk of producing carbon monoxide. When you get the boiler assessor out, ask their honest opinion whether you should have it fixed or whether it's safer to just install a new one.

 

Energy Efficiency

Older boilers tend to use a lot more energy than new ones, and this can lead to higher energy bills. While it might not be to your benefit if you're moving, having higher levels of energy efficiency can increase the value of your home. Buyers are forever searching for homes that are kinder to the environment — so why not add to their list of options?

 

Cost and Frequency

How much are the repairs going to cost? Depends on the type. Many can be quite quick and simple, and they won’t put you back much. However, there are others that cost the same as (or more) than replacing the boiler. In these cases, it's better to just get a new one.

 

On top of this, remember there are labour costs as well when you are having repairs done. These can drive the price up pretty high, so when you are looking at the cost of replacement parts, don’t forget to factor in the additional hours for labour.

 

But you also need to take the frequency of the breakdowns into account. How often is the boiler malfunctioning and in need of repair? If this is the first time and you believe that it's highly unlikely to break down again any time soon, get the repairs done and carry on. If you do annual maintenance, it is unlikely to need a replacement. However, if this is the fourth time and it’s going to keep breaking, a replacement combi boiler saves you money, time, stress and hassle.

 

Furthermore, you just know it will break down in the winter when you need it most and the repairmen are at their busiest. Carefully assess the situation and determine what the best course of action is for you in the long run — as well as those you are selling the house to.

 

Future Residents

When you're selling your home, you want to make sure the parts that make it run smoothly are in good shape. This will increase the value of your home and also make you a reliable homeseller if you ever want to do the same thing in the future. And after all, you would hate to move into a home that had a boiler that was on its last legs. When you’re debating repairing or replacing, think about that side of the coin as well.

 

To Conclude

The repair or replace debate is one that will always have two answers. A lot of it comes down to the age, price and whether or not you feel it is time for a new model to be installed. Just remember to be thoughtful when carrying out this task as you want the new residents of your home to be as happy as you were. Not to mention a healthy boiler can boost that home value!