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pixiepeep
Posts: 82 Forumite
On a bit of a whim based on an old fuse box we decided to have a full electrical survey carried out on the property we're trying to buy.
The electrician has come back today saying that the electrics are ancient and unsafe - light sockets not earthed, backed with wood... he went as far as to say that if the house was tennanted it would be illegal - the property is a now empty rental so that's rather worrying.
We're waiting for our full homebuyers survey to come back, but this is a call for asking for money off the property, right?
It's not obvious from looking at the house that this would need doing, and the owner accepted an offer 3k under the asking price on the understanding that we were chain free (we are living with family after completing the sale of our home). The full rewire is going to cost around 3-3.5k.
We're seeing our solicitors in the morning about it, but has anyone had any success at this stage asking to reduce the price on the back of surveys? And will this cause a problem in terms of getting our mortgage?! We've just had a mortgage offer approved.
The electrician has come back today saying that the electrics are ancient and unsafe - light sockets not earthed, backed with wood... he went as far as to say that if the house was tennanted it would be illegal - the property is a now empty rental so that's rather worrying.
We're waiting for our full homebuyers survey to come back, but this is a call for asking for money off the property, right?
It's not obvious from looking at the house that this would need doing, and the owner accepted an offer 3k under the asking price on the understanding that we were chain free (we are living with family after completing the sale of our home). The full rewire is going to cost around 3-3.5k.
We're seeing our solicitors in the morning about it, but has anyone had any success at this stage asking to reduce the price on the back of surveys? And will this cause a problem in terms of getting our mortgage?! We've just had a mortgage offer approved.
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Comments
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Get a second opinion, and price.
Keep quiet.I am a LandLord,(under review) so there!:p0 -
We're the ones buying, so surely it's in our interest to look at making sure our investment is sound? We don't want to have an unexpected 3k bill just as we move in to make the property livable.0
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Did he give a price for (I asume) re-wiring?
Yes, ask for a reductuon in price and give the EA a copy of the report to pass to the seller.
But wait for the survey - there may be more. You don't want to be feeding back in dribs and drabs.
And be prepared for the seller to say no to a reduction - what will you do then? Pull out? Or suck up the re-wiring cost yourself later?0 -
Did he give a price for (I asume) re-wiring?
Yes, ask for a reductuon in price and give the EA a copy of the report to pass to the seller.
But wait for the survey - there may be more. You don't want to be feeding back in dribs and drabs.
And be prepared for the seller to say no to a reduction - what will you do then? Pull out? Or suck up the re-wiring cost yourself later?
Not an offical quote yet - he gave us his initial reaction and said we should get a full report off them in the next week with everything in writing.
I don't know what we'd do if they wouldn't accept a reduction. We know she's very keen to sell, the property has been up for good while. I suppose we'd have to suck it up really, but there are other works that need doing to the house that we had budgeted for with our initial offer. This would mean that other works, like the boiler being replaced would have to wait. It's not really a livable situation for us.0 -
Did you ask for a signed Periodic Inspection Certificate? Did he provide one? Was it signed? What did it say?0
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The light switches not being earthed is not "illegal" in a rented property, but the degree of risk depends on whether the light fittings are plastic or metal. If metal, then it's more risky but still not illegal.
It is highly likely that modern installation techniques will make the installation much safer but this is your choice as the householder whether you go to the expense of updating it or not.
Ideally offer should have been even lower to start with as an old fuse box is an immediate indication that the electric installation is old. Your best option is to wait until you get the homebuyers survey and revise your offer on the basis of the sum of the issues found.The comments I post are my personal opinion. While I try to check everything is correct before posting, I can and do make mistakes, so always try to check official information sources before relying on my posts.0 -
It seems like you're buying an old house, so what did you expect? Budget for a re-wire if that's what you want.0
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Just out of interest what did you pay for this to be done? We're looking into needing it done on a property we're buying0
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We don't want to have an unexpected 3k bill just as we move in to make the property livable.
Why isn't the property liveable at the moment? Do the electrics not work?
Electrical regulations change every few years; probably 99% of UK properties are not fully compliant with the latest regulations, that does not mean they are inherently unsafe. (As an aside, if you are the worrying type, then fitting RCDs in the fusebox can eliminate most dangers.)
If you wanted a brand new electrical system perhaps you should look at buying a new build instead? Why should the seller pay out for a complete rewire that will only benefit the buyer? You may be lucky and the seller might agree to a contribution towards a rewire, you may be unlucky and the seller tells you where to go and starts looking for another buyer who understands they are buying an older property...Every generation blames the one before...
Mike + The Mechanics - The Living Years0 -
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