boiler is one of the most expensive things in a house that nobody thinks to check properly before buying. Buyers assume the survey has it covered. It's worth knowing exactly what that assumption actually gets you - and where it stops.
A RICS Home Survey does look at the boiler - but not the way a Gas Safe engineer would. Here's exactly what we assess, what we flag, and what you still need to sort out for yourself.
What We Actually Look At
A RICS survey is a visual, non-invasive inspection. We don't fire the boiler up, run it under load, or take it apart - that's not what we're there for, and it isn't what the report is for either. What we do is note its age and type, where it's located, whether it looks properly maintained, and whether anything visible points to a problem worth investigating further.
Common Combi Boiler Issues We Flag
These are the ones that come up again and again:
- An old boiler with no service history - once a combi gets past 10-15 years with no records, we'll flag it regardless of how it looks, because you've no way to know its real condition.
- An uninsulated condensate pipe run externally - a common cause of winter breakdowns when it freezes and shuts the boiler down, and a cheap fix if caught early.
- Staining or corrosion around pipework and fittings - a sign of a past or ongoing leak, even where the boiler itself looks fine.
- A flue in the wrong place, or too close to a window or boundary - a compliance issue that can be expensive to put right and isn't always obvious to a buyer walking round.
- No benchmark logbook or servicing stamps - not a fault in itself, but it means we can't confirm the boiler has ever been serviced, which affects both condition and warranty.
Why We Don't Test It - and What You Should Do Instead
RICS surveyors aren't Gas Safe registered, and testing a boiler under operation falls well outside what a Home Survey is designed to do. Our job is to tell you what we can see and what it implies, not to service or certify the appliance - that distinction matters, because it's easy to assume a clean-looking survey means a clean bill of health for the boiler specifically.
If the boiler is older, has no service history, or we've flagged anything in the report, get a Gas Safe engineer to inspect and service it before or shortly after you complete. It's a small cost against a boiler replacement, and it gives you a proper baseline - and something to fall back on if a problem turns up later.
Get a Survey That Flags What Matters
Every RICS Home Survey we carry out across Newport and South Wales notes the boiler's age, condition and any visible red flags, in plain language rather than a tick-box. If we spot something that needs a specialist's eye, we'll say so directly - not bury it in a rating with no context.
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