Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

[Anthony72]

I have decided to tidy up my flat with a view to sell in a couple of years or so. I have some decisions to make and not sure what will be best for the value, I had two plumbers out today who gave different views.

It is a 2 bed 1st floor flat /maisonette 3 miles from a major city centre
The boiler is a very old gas boiler with a hot water tank
The hot water tank is in the airing cupboard but it also contains the soil pipes and ventilation pipes for my flat and downstairs- this means that I can not make extra space

So my questions are
1) is a combi boiler a good investment, will it affect the value of the property
2) Will not having a bath have a negative impact on the value
3) Is a good compromise having a bath with an over bath shower and should that shower be electric or via the combi boiler - my fear is that the water pressure might not be enough or the boiler might not be good enough to have a powerful hot shower

With regard to 3 above , does that mean a lot more electrical work as well - i.e a separate circuit for the shower

Sorry to ask but i am sure people on here will have had works done and experience and I have no family to speak of who I can ask.

[seduraed]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

Not having a bath will affect the value as some people like baths. Get a new combi boiler with a pump to ensure that it provides sufficient water pressure. Make sure that there is an inline water conditioner and filter. Also make sure that you have a reliable service contract or you could end up with a huge bill for a gas boiler just after the warranty has expired.

[Crazy council]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

hi

1 Electric is worth considering as well, i converted over a year or so ago. Modern elecy CH is efficient . I use inline elecy HW thats instant when you turn tap on.

2. if theres space for a bath then i would put one in when considering selling

3. depends on the boiler really and the distance between them

[Anthony72]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

Thanks for the advice
Had the first of a couple of quotes who recommended a vaillant eco tec pro24
The cost included 7 years annual servicing parts and labour a magna clean filter and a power flush of the radiators

The company was northerngas heating but not been a techy I am not sure if the qualifications they have are relevant

Tomorrow STL heating are coming out who are Which recommended

Any comments would be appreciated as £2500 is a lot of money to be spending ( I have had higher quotes)

[meellis]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

So many factors to consider but do you prefer a shower or bath seen as you are going to have to live with it until you decide to sell. Is the area an area that attracts young buyers or more traditional ? How would the bathroom look without a bath or with the sort of shower you are considering ? Being a plumber/heating engineer I have been to places where people have spent too much making a place saleable but have just wasted there money because the purchaser has looked past the costly alterations because it isn't to their tastes. In essence I feel people have to ask themselves a realistic view of what they are hoping to achieve a good location with prospects will sell regardless of condition and I have been to places where £20,000 has been spent to get an extra £20,000 on the asking price so you have to ask yourself whether that is worthwhile. One thing I will say though is a bad job will certainly have a knock-on affect to saleability.
To get technical though gas combi boilers are more suited to flats than they are to houses and are certainly the best option for decent showers in flats, tanks in flats are generally too small to run a decent modern pumped shower. You need to make sure that the gas supply pipe from the meter to the boiler is correctly sized though which isn't always straight forward in flats. Tanks are generally better for baths though in my opinion because you can generally get a better flow of water all be it at lower pressure. I would be surprised that anybody is offering 7 years of parts and labour though because that could be £700 without any major parts or breakdowns so I would really look into the small print on that and see how the financial side of it is backed up maybe is it insurance backed?

[ostell]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

Vailant are offering 7 year warranties on their boilers. I was surprised but that's what it said on my documentation.

My own opinion is that I would retain the hot water cylinder (properly lagged), especially as you can't realistically free up the space. As a backup in case of problems with the boiler (my old one!) and using the immersion heater as backup.

[meellis]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

Most manufactures are offering long warranties but they only are valid if strict terms are adhered to. One of the major terms is correct and regular maintenance which is a cost bourn by someone either the owner or the maintenance company. Also some of the warranties are only valid if the install was carried out by an affiliated partner so beware the small print.

[ostell]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

I have a letter from Vaillant confirming the warranty. Makes sense to have a yearly check anyway does it not?

[meellis]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

It does make sense to have a yearly check but the warranty will be subject to the benchmark book being completed properly. With boilers (probably for the last 14yrs) there is a form which is usually part of the manual which is like a log book for the boiler. The installer should have completed this on installation and you will see there are also other sections to complete on every service. The warranty could be null and void if this hasn't been completed, this is checked sometimes by the company involved in the event of a warranty call because they obviously do not want to repair something for free if it hasn't been installed or used properly. Some companies are more stringent than others and it would also take into account any known weaknesses.

[Anthony72]

Re: Bath or Shower? Do I replace an old boiler

Well have now pretty much decided on the vaillant that comes with 10 years warranty , the package comes with 7 years servicing including parts and labour.
There is also a full flush and a magnaclean filter

the warranty is Vaillant because the supplier is a Vaillant registered and approved installer

Now just got to finalise the deal