Martyn Bridges, director of technical communication and project management at Worcester Bosch, explains why choosing quality and reliability is more important than a cheaper price
Winter is truly upon us, and boilers up and down the nation are being put to the test. It’s important to ensure that all your tenants will not face a winter without heating or hot water.
An unsuitable or unreliable brand of boiler put into a property can cause a lot of maintenance and discomfort for the resident. Plus, it can leave you with financial issues later down the line. It can even lead, in extreme circumstances, to cause potential health issues to people when weather turns bad.
Boiler maintenance should be a priority for landlords – since the landlord is responsible for servicing the boiler, one wrong move and you could end up on the wrong side of the law. It is worth saying, too, that in terms of gas boilers, all have to be a minimum of 92% efficiency since the introduction of Boiler Plus legislation, but efficiency isn’t the only consideration.
The busiest time for installers due to boiler breakdowns is the coldest months in the year. If you have multiple properties, this could result in a lot of maintenance for you at what can already be a busy time. It’s important to ensure that the boiler you choose is of top quality, keeping your tenants safe and comfortable.
However, saving money may not be the way you would imagine. Going cheap on a boiler for a rental property can result in bigger pay-outs in the long term. Whilst it’s easy to think about the short-term benefits of saving some money on a cheaper model, it won’t pay off in the long run.
Opting for bigger costs in the short term can bring long-term saving. We have constant conversations with many installers who all agree that choosing a reputable brand is essential. However, as much as you should consider your boiler to be a worthwhile investment, low cost doesn’t always mean low quality.
The new Worcester 2000 model from Worcester Bosch has set out to solve the dilemma of quality or cost for landlords. This boiler offers the same high-quality product associated with the brand, without all the additional features, to keep the price down.
What’s more, a quality boiler will increase the appeal of your property to potential tenants. According to a recent survey by Worcester Bosch, reliability is the most important factor for Brits when choosing an installer. The population care about reliability, so having a great quality boiler will boost your property’s image.
Whilst it is important to have a high-quality boiler, professional heating engineers won’t be looking to upsell, and neither should you. For example, they won’t opt for the higher cost boiler without reason – they will instead help choose the solution that will help save on energy and maintenance costs in the long term. With a Worcester Bosch boiler now available at an accessible price, it’s possible to have great quality across all your residencies.
So, if you take one thing away from this, its that quality matters, but it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are great options out there for landlords, and the more you can rely on your boiler, the less your tenants will have to rely on you.
