Earth bonding - do we need a certificate?

Francesanne

Originally posted on another board but think I might get the help I need on this board. Do hope it's OK posting twice. We're in the process of selling my old Mums bungalow and we're due to exchange and complete on the Friday 24th July. Due to a major gas leak slightly over 2 years ago, she had to have her gas meter moved from her kitchen to the outside front wall of the property. This work was done by Transco. She was then informed she needed to install Earth Bonding to gas meter and boiler pipe work. We had a neighbour who worked for a reputable electrical firm (NICEIC approved) and he did the work very satisfactorily. It wasn't cash in hand and we received a proper invoice which was duly paid.

Our buyers solictor is now insisting on a certficate for the work completed. My Mum didn't receive any certficate only the invoice. We have explained the situation and given them a copy of the invoice but that doesn't appeared to have satisfied them. I have tried calling NICEIC but being a weekend there's no one there. Can anyone please advise i) if are legally obliged to supply a certifcate & b) should we have received one at the time the work was completed. I'm beginning to panic and don't want to worry my Mum with this problem as she's frail and a terribler worrier. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

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silvercar

Depends how accommodating you want to be. You can tell your buyers that the work has been done and they can inspect it if they wish. Or you can pay for a certificate.

A gas safety certificate (the sort required for landlords letting property) would cost you about £45-60. Your buyers may be happy to see one of those and it could be a cheaper alternative. Though it would only comment if the earth bonding was missing, so the lack of a comment would have to be seen as an acceptance that everything is OK.

TBH I don't see the fuss, half the homes in the country haven't got the gas meter earth bonded. Even a gas safety certificate wouldn't be refuse because the earth bond is missing.

i) if are legally obliged to supply a certifcate

There is no legal obligation to supply anything.

b) should we have received one at the time the work was completed.

Possibly, but the council isn't going to take any action 2 years later.

I would be inclined to tell the buyers that you have supplied all you have and you can't do any more.

clutton_2

if you aint got it - you aint got it - apologise and let them decide what they are going to do. its actually only a small job anyway.

olias

To the OP,

You seem to be ignoring all the advice you are given and repeatedly posting in different forums in the hope that someone will eventually tell you what you want to hear:rolleyes:

I don't understand why you have such a problem paying out £50-£100 for a new certifcate to ensure the smooth sale of your mothers house as many have advised you. Surely the proceeds of the sale will run into many tens of thousands or even more and so the cash is well spent and can be recouped

Was there something dodgy about the original installation that you are trying to hide. Are you aware of other electrical problems and are worrying that if you get another sparky in they will be discovered?

As everyone is advising, just get another test and certificate!

Olias

waynehayes

There should have been a Minor Works certificate for the work, and your neighbour should have supplied one. Indeed, he is obliged to do so within 28 days of completing the job. You can either ask him for it, report the problem to the NICEIC, pay around £100 to building control, or get another electrician to re-test it.

Francesanne

olias wrote: »

To the OP,

You seem to be ignoring all the advice you are given and repeatedly posting in different forums in the hope that someone will eventually tell you what you want to hear:rolleyes:

I don't understand why you have such a problem paying out £50-£100 for a new certifcate to ensure the smooth sale of your mothers house as many have advised you. Surely the proceeds of the sale will run into many tens of thousands or even more and so the cash is well spent and can be recouped

Was there something dodgy about the original installation that you are trying to hide. Are you aware of other electrical problems and are worrying that if you get another sparky in they will be discovered?

As everyone is advising, just get another test and certificate!

Olias

What a mean and uncalled for response:mad:. For your information this is only my 2nd posting. I've appreciated the replies I received on my first post (even yours!) but wanted to hear from a proffesional if we LEGALLY needed a certificate and thought the new board might bring forward an expert.

For your information there is nothing 'dodgy' about the work that was carried out by the firm paid to do the earth bonding. They did a very good and thorough job and as I stated previously they are NICEIC approved. What a nasty mind you have. For your information our buyers had a survey and found nothing that caused any concern.

The cost of the certificate isn't our main concern. I'm handling everything for my Mother and I've got more than enough on my plate at the moment without having to chase around organising a certficate at short notice that might not be needed.

olias

But you are missing the point! It doesn't matter if it is legally needed, its irrelevant! You are the one who posted saying that it has been flagged by your solicitor as a problem that needs sorting, you are the one who mentioned you worrying, your mother worrying, you panicing. The point is with all house sales, it's not just about what legally needs doing, it's about appeasing everone to make as quick and hassle free a transaction as possible. The time you have spent posting about this is more then you would have spent on a quick phonecall to a sparky and a half hour visit for him to write a certificate.

I'm sorry if you found my post offensive (I cannot see anything there that would offend) The reason for my post is it's frustrating seeing someone making a mountain out of a molehill and getting wound up and overwhelmed by the minutiae, when it could be sorted so easily with no hassle

Olias

DVardysShadow

Francesanne wrote: »

What a mean and uncalled for response:mad:. For your information this is only my 2nd posting. I've appreciated the replies I received on my first post (even yours!) but wanted to hear from a proffesional if we LEGALLY needed a certificate and thought the new board might bring forward an expert.

For your information there is nothing 'dodgy' about the work that was carried out by the firm paid to do the earth bonding. They did a very good and thorough job and as I stated previously they are NICEIC approved. What a nasty mind you have. For your information our buyers had a survey and found nothing that caused any concern.

The cost of the certificate isn't our main concern. I'm handling everything for my Mother and I've got more than enough on my plate at the moment without having to chase around organising a certficate at short notice that might not be needed.

Chill?

This is too trivial. You can sell without and the buyer takes the risk. Or you can fix it by getting the work certificated.

But in either case, you or the buyer could have the job completely redone - and you know how much that would cost - for peanuts against the bigger picture of selling the house.

Go back to the guy who did the job, as he did it against an invoice and ask for the cert he should have given you and be done with it.

ILW

It seems that a quick call to the electicians would probably have taken less time and effort than posting here!

mlz1413

francesanne I'd be interested to know the outcome of this as neighbours have sold their house and now the buyers mortgage company is insisting on an electrical safety certificate because they had work done before and during an extention 5 years ago.

My fella recently took some of the new electrical tests but has never heard of this before, so I'm beginning to wonder if lenders are taking more precautions.

Francesanne

ILW wrote: »

It seems that a quick call to the electicians would probably have taken less time and effort than posting here!

Oh why didn't I think of that... silly old me.