New home, getting electrics checked

moneylover

My daughter is buying a 4 bed house built in 1974. All very 'up together' and has a modern consumer unit we are fairly sure. Of course the surveyor doesnt check the electrics so she is getting someone in to do this before exchange of contracts.
Can anyone tell me what exactly the electrician checks and roughly how much the check should cost?
Many thanks

budgetdiyer

They'll do a periodic inspection on the whole installation.

I get these done for clients down south for £150 - £200.

Be prepared for the property to 'fail' on things, because the elec regs are continually changing even modern houses will have non compliant 'faults'.

The report grades any problems (if i recall correctly) 1 - 4, 1 being dangerous and urgent down to 4 a minor issue.

Justicia

The electrician will complete, as budgetdiyer wrote above, a Periodic Inspection and Test. This may take a few hours, so be prepared to be patient if it's to be done properly.

On completion, he/she will provide an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and associated documentation (including test results) that details any items that are either not safe (need remedial action) or not to the current version of the Wiring Regulations; BS 7671 (these will include recommendations to have altered but as the Regulations are not retrospective, the choice to change will be up to the client, your daughter).

Don't think, however, that budgetdiyer has had a Periodic for a while though as only three codes exist now;

o C1: Danger present. Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required.
o C2: Potentially dangerous – urgent remedial action required.
o C3: Improvement recommended.

If the property has any items that are deemed to be a code C1 or C2, then the property will be "unsatisfactory" (due to the presence of danger) and recommendations will be provided. C3 will normally be the items that are not to the current Regulations, but not necessarily life-threatening.

The electrician, on completion, should discuss these with your daughter and answer any questions that she may have.

Hope that this helps

moneylover

thank you both so much, my daughter now booked and its great as she now knowswhat to expect, I will report back.
The cost of the report is £140 which seems very reasonable.

Justicia

moneylover wrote: »

thank you both so much, my daughter now booked and its great as she now knowswhat to expect, I will report back.
The cost of the report is £140 which seems very reasonable.

You are both very welcome

macman

But don't expect to use this to seek a price reduction if the report comes up that the install complied at the time it was done. It won't meet the current regs anyway.