Are you finding yourself asking: Can I Take my Boiler When I Move House? Moving house is usually stressful enough without introducing unnecessary complications into the equation. And deciding to take your old boiler with you when you leave for newer pastures would certainly be an unnecessary complication in our books.
Does your current boiler hold particular sentimental value? Is it possessed of magical properties? Does it grant three wishes every time you engage the boost programme? And liberally polish the LCD display with Mr Sheen?
If the answer to any of these is ‘yes’ then you’ve probably led a fuller life than most.
However, each to their own, no harm no foul etc… There are, of course, legitimate reasons why one might wish to move an existing boiler, and in this article, we shall endeavour to explore what that process entails.
Do I Need Permission to Move my Boiler?
Before determining the logistics and feasibility of moving a boiler, it is important to consider the legality of undertaking such a task. Red tape being what it is these days one might expect all manner of regulatory ropes to have to skip over.
Fortunately, moving a boiler is not, at least yet, something you need permission from the local authority to do. All else notwithstanding, you can move a boiler as often as you like and to whatever location you might desire.
The one possible exception for this is if you live in a listed building. In which case you must ensure that you check the specifics in your contract.
Or if you rent…
In all seriousness please do not remove the boiler from your rented property without express, written permission from the landlord.
How Hard is it to Relocate a Boiler?
As established above you have the absolute freedom to move an existing boiler without seeking permission from any external authority.
How hard it will be depends, naturally, on your own circumstances. And how you choose to go about it.
Are you a novice choosing to carry out the work yourself? Then even if the work isn’t too physically taxing, the complexity of the task could pose some awkward questions.
First of all, it is necessary to establish that the new location is suitably positioned for connection to the existing heating and plumbing systems.
After that comes the methodology. Simply disconnecting and reconnecting a boiler might seem like a simple enough gig. But it can take qualified experts up to six hours to perform a simple like-for-like combi-boiler swap. A conversion from a standard, heat-only boiler to a system can take up to four days for a seasoned professional.
Given all this, how many hours, days… or weeks, or months might it take for someone with little to no experience at all but a strong passion for wrenches and YouTube tutorials?
How much does it cost to move a boiler in the UK?
No, in our humble opinion, the only real option is to have professionals carry out the work.
How much that will cost depends on various factors such as the type of boiler, where it is being relocated to. Is it in the same room, on the same floor, in the same house?
Many of these considerations involve tiered labour costs that can vary quite significantly. But the typical range for moving a like-for-like or similar boiler within the same property is between £500-£1000.
For relocation to another property prices are usually quoted somewhere between £1000-£3000.
How long does it take to remove and fit a boiler?
Swapping out an old boiler for a similar or like-for-like replacement will typically take a professional service engineer between 4-6 hours on average.
Changing the type of boiler from a heat-only or a combi-boiler to a system boiler, for example, is a longer and more labour-intensive process. It’s usually completed within approximately three days.
Simply moving an existing boiler to a new property? Then you will be looking at somewhere between one to two days from the start of removal to the completion of the installation at the new property.
FAQs
Can you sell a house without a boiler service?
No. There is no legal obligation requiring the seller of a house to provide certification of a recent boiler service. Whether there is an ethical case for doing so might be a different question.
For a process as important as buying a house you should anticipate that the buyers will ask about the state and condition of the boiler in any case, so getting your boiler serviced once you have decided to put your home on the market is probably a prudent way to proceed.
Is Moving a Boiler Expensive?
“Expensive” is a relative term, but for the purposes of relocating an existing boiler within the same property one can expect a final bill totalling somewhere between £350-£850.
In situations involving moving a boiler from one property to another one should expect to pay somewhere between £1000-£3000 for the privilege.
Final Thoughts
You can take your boiler when you move house, but in many, or even most cases, it probably isn’t going to be the best option.
If you have a pressing need to relocate your boiler somewhere else in the house, that too can be done, but we strongly recommend seeking out the advice of professionals before you go storming up the attic stairs with your toolbox in hand.
As always, if you have any further questions relating to moving your boiler, please feel free to get in touch!
You might also be interested in our related posts:
Different types of boiler and how to choose one
Organise your life – choosing the right boiler for your home