Electrics - certificate/testing required?

lion-o

I have received the sellers property information form and they have indicated that the whole or any part of the electrical installation has NOT been tested by a qualified and registered electrician.

Above this is a printed note on the form, from the legal society, it states that if the seller does not have the certificate requested below, it can be obtained from the relevant Competent Persons Scheme.

Where do I stand with this? Should I get the electrics signed off? Is this up to me and should I pay for it, or is it down to the seller? The form says that the seller can obtain it?

Do I need a certificate? Will it effect things when i come to sell the property? Should I just forget about the testing and just chance it (house is 5 years old).

Thanks

System

Any reason why it should have been tested? How old is the house? Has it been rewired?

Werdnal

Do they specify that it has NEVER been tested/certified from new, or are they just flagging that it has not been tested prior to sale?

I assume if property is only 5 years old, and constructed to building regs, it doesn't need testing. Is it part of a development or a self-build/one-off property?

moneymort

If the house is only 5 years old then I doubt anybody would have modified the wiring yet, 30 year old houses with extensions and additions then i would think about getting the wiring checked out but would sort it myself after iv moved in and got a feel for the house.
I think its part of a surveyor s standard report to advise about getting the wiring checked if it has not been inspected within the last 12 months.

G_M

Why on earth would an owner-occupier of a 5 year old house get the electrics tested...!!!!??

You worried about the electrics? Get them tested yourself.

Waste of money, but then it's your money.

witchy1066

if its a condition of your mortgage then its likely to be a problem for other buyers so would be in the sellers interest to get the required certificate if they want to sell ,

personally I would have a word with your vender or their EA and tell them you feel that as its not your house and if you or the vender decide to pull out of the sale for any reason then its would be in vender interest to get required certs,

but if its only a suggestion on the valuation report then what is the problem once the house is yours it would be in your interest to have the electrics checked

Yorkie1

I can't believe it will be a condition of the mortgage for the electrics simply to be checked, unless the problem is actually with the original sale documentation.

And if it just gets subsequently included as the usual surveyor text about getting the electrics tested then that only gets included because they do not have the specialist expertise to guarantee it's OK.

lion-o

I do not believe it to be a condition of the mortgage.

Our solicitor has recommend we get an electrician to check things out before me move in.

I was just wondering if it was going to be an issue upon re-sale or if I should really push for the seller to sort out some sort of certification?

The property was signed off for building regs about 5 years ago. It was a new build from a large developer on an estate.

I'm not worried that the electric's work or not - im confident that they do. I just want to know that not having a specific certificate saying this is going to cause issues in the future?

Yorkie1

No it won't cause difficulties. There is no legal obligation for an electrical certificate at point of sale. Surveyors will always recommend an inspection because they are not in a position to say whether the electrics are a) safe, or b) compliant with current regs [this is rarely the case but doesn't mean the electrics are unsafe].

If you really want this inspection solely for your own peace of mind then arrange and pay for it yourself; your seller is under no obligation to do this, and I think it's completely unnecessary in this case given the property had B Regs sign off when completed.

harrys_dad

lion-o wrote: »

I do not believe it to be a condition of the mortgage.

Our solicitor has recommend we get an electrician to check things out before me move in.

Solicitors, Estate Agents, Electricians, Gasmen, Contractors, Insurance Indemnity Providers etc etc etc ..are all in this process to generate income for each other, take their commission and profit, and not to help you. Why on earth would a solicitor suggest checking the electrics on a five year old house? Let us see if we can generate yet more pointless expenditure for our friends at the expense of the hard pressed buyer and vendor. I bet they could even recommend an electrician for you to use who they happen to know from the Lodge or the golf club, and who pays themcommission too.

Werdnal

Surveyor is covering their !!!!! as they cannot check the electrics and verify them safe, they will just advise that they have not been checked. People live in their houses for whole generations and never have their electrics checked!

If they said electrics were fine, and something later came to light, you could feasibly sue them to negligence in not making you aware of it, so they are advising that if you feel a check is necessary, you should get it done. Choice is yours, but on a 5yo professionally built property, any "snags" should have been dealt with at the time of construction and it will be signed off up to current specs when house was completed, so IMO its unnecessary.