House sale without Electrical Certificates...

Kenty7

Morning all!

I've got a house that i've now sold, however the buyer is asking for certification for the electrical work, which i don't have as it was done prior to my ownership and not supplied when i purchased.

I know the work is to a decent standard as my uncle was a qualified electrician in the past and looked over it for me at the time i bought it, there was a new RCD unit installed just before i bought (So i was told at the time) and it all appeared sound and as it was my first house i didn't know to query the lack of paperwork and my solicitor never mentioned it

So my question here is this, I think I just need a PIR (Periodic Inspection Report) to show that the wiring is safe, can anyone give me an estimation for the cost of this and/or recommend someone who does this? I'm based in Long Eaton, between Nottingham and Derby.

Many thanks!

Jaynne

I would say its not at all uncommon to not have these. Your buyer should really pay for any inspections but its up to you as to whether you do or not as it is a buyers market.

A survey in anything other than a house newly wired will bring up items that aren't to current code and no doubt a canny buyer will want to try to beat down prices with these "problems".

System

How long ago did you buy?

Kenty7

I bought the house in April 2007, no idea when the work was done but i suspect prior to 2006.

The buyer wants gas checking too on the same scenario, but he's gone halves on the cost (actually he's paid the gas and left me the electricity) so i'm not worried about coughing up as it is as stated above, a buyers market. However i'm not looking forward to any attempts to reduce the price, not going to make much as it is! :-(

System

If it was done prior to Part P coming in in 2005 then there was no requirement for certification (so I believe)

justjohn

we had same for fensa cert....told em to get lost and get it themselves....depends how desperate you are too sell.

theres a big difference between a buyer or solicitor or a mortgage company wanting these things.

Kenty7

Yup, i just paid for FENSA retrospectively, my uncle (a different one) did all the windows for me for family rates but isn't FENSA regulated so i had to have to council out, £193.50 and the guy wasn't there 120 seconds, at least he was apologetic, told me he thought it was scandalous but he was just a council employee!

Quite keen to sell, wedding just over the horizon and my tenants have now found themselves somewhere new so i need it to go through.

I put the job on the myworkman website (I'm not allowed to post links as i'm new!) and have had a quote back from that for £70 for the check up from a well rated electrician so i think i'll go with that, for the sake of a £93k sale i can go to £70!

Leif

Kenty7 wrote: »

I've got a house that i've now sold, however the buyer is asking for certification for the electrical work, which i don't have as it was done prior to my ownership and not supplied when i purchased.

This might be a silly question to you, but I assume you have accepted an offer on the house, but not sold it? Clearly once sold, that's that. I think!

I think you can determine the age of the wiring from the dates on the wires, so if you go to the consumer unit (fuse box), and into the loft, and examine the wires, you might find out if they are pre-2005. I was told unless they can prove the electrics were done post 2005, you don't need a certificate.

Also, if the wiring was originally certified, are not records stored centrally and hence accessible? Not that I know!

PZH

Jaynne wrote: »

I would say its not at all uncommon to not have these. Your buyer should really pay for any inspections but its up to you as to whether you do or not as it is a buyers market.

A survey in anything other than a house newly wired will bring up items that aren't to current code and no doubt a canny buyer will want to try to beat down prices with these "problems".

It certainly is a buyers market.

The house I've just bought had electrical work done in 2007 and my solicitor insisted that a certificate was presented - in the end the sellers had to get the distribution board changed to bring it up to current building regs (think the lighting circuits needed separating as the upstairs and downstairs were all on the same circuit?)

Also insisted on a gas safe cert (see previous posts by me) - and this included a building regs cert as well.

:T

Kenty7

Big wins if you're the buyer, not so good if you're selling!

I think that it's only the most recent wiring that's date stamped but i will have a look and see, but i think it's more the buyer wanting to see some certification rather than the solicitors, so (I don't think) the issue of legal requirement is being entereded into, just that of the buyer insisting he wants to see it.

The house is sale agreed subject to contract, nothing signed yet so it's not done, that would've made things easy! I could have just chosen to say "not my problem" from then on!

Ah well, fingers crossed it all goes through without a hitch, £70 won't kill me.

Though it'll leave me £70 poorer :-(

fluffpot

How big is the property? Even if it's a studio £70 won't touch the sides for a full test and inspect (Now called and EICR - electrical installation condition report)- I'd be very wary of this. If the paperwork is not good (ie falsified) , and there are subsequent problems the new owner might well come back to you... OR you could find that cheap sparks just 'fails' it without much investigation as he thinks he'll make up the £ on the remedial works


Find a decent sparks - https://www.competentperson.co.uk and get some more quotes