Electrical Installation Report/Certificate

DollyDee_2

Hello

Just wondered if anyone could put my mind at rest.

Mom passed away in October and my sister and I are joint executors of her will/estate. The house is sold subject to contract to a cash buyer (buy to let). 2 months after we took the Law Society Property Forms to our solicitor, the buyer has been in touch with the estate agent and asked if there is an Electrical Installation Report/Certificate. There isn't. The estate agent gave us the number of an electrical company (probably haven't phrased that very well).

An electrician came out a week ago Thursday (5/3/15) and tested the whole house. We got the report and quote last Thursday. I had to scan and email everything to my sister who has moved away from the area.

Some work needs doing as the house was rewired by the council in approx 1980 before Mom & Dad bought the house. There's nothing drastic but a new consumer unit is required because the existing one hasn't got an RCD.

Sis & I decided to ask this electrician to undertake the work.

This morning I phoned the estate agent first, told him the above and he said he would let the buyer know. I then phoned the electrician and they should be able to get the work done this week. Phoned Sis to let her know.

About 10 minutes later the estate agent phoned and asked if I can let him have a copy of the report for the buyer.

Can I just point out that I haven't sold a property since 1979 and Sis hasn't sold one since early 1990's so we are both out of touch to say the least.

I said to the estate agent "I can't see why you/the buyer needs the report. Some work needs doing, we are getting it done and then we will have the certificate".

Is it right that the buyer wants the report when we are getting the work done?

Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you.

Dollydee

martinsurrey

hmmmm, you dont NEED the work doing.

99% of houses in the UK are not up to current standards, but few are unsafe.

I wouldnt get the work done.

My guess is the buyer wants the report, to point out the flaws and try and renegotiate the price (they are a BTL buyer, its all about profit for them).

If the price is fair for the condition of the house, dont do the work and stay firm on your price.

baldelectrician

Just tell them you will have a satisfactory EICR (use a registered electrician) when the house sale goes through

theartfullodger

What martin said:

Indeed, if he comes back & says he wants a reduction in price say, "Oh, didn't realise the price was flexible: In that case it just went up £1k" (or whatever you see fit..).

fishpond

Personally, I would inform the buyers there is no serious electrical problems, but they may want a new consumer unit fitted (when they purchase the property) as the one already installed does not have an RCD.

Note:- I think the vendors are taking the p.

DollyDee_2

Estate agent has just phoned again. The buyer wants her own electrician to "look round" the property.

I said he can go next week after the work has been done.

Estate agent said (something like) there's no point getting the work done until her electrician has had a look.

I said there's no point him going and having "a look", all he will be able to see from "a look" is the consumer unit is out of date compared to today's standards and the bathroom light fitting needs changing (exposed bulbs - 3 spotlight fitting). Our electrician which you put me in touch with was there 3 hours and tested every light switch, every socket, cable, etc. He can't do that if he is only having a look.

He said it's quite normal for the buyer to get their own report and her electrician might be cheaper. I said "but he won't have done a proper inspection by having a look will he?

Told him I would ring back after to speaking to my sister.

G_M

I'm afraid you have been taken for a ride by the buyer.

When the issue first arose you should have invited the buyer to send in, and pay for, his own electrician to do an inspection.

There is no requirement for houses to have a report. It is up to the buyer to inspect.

Since the buyer now wants to inspect - let him. Do NOT get the work done. If buyer wants to reduce the price after inspecting, refuse, then negotiate (ie 50% of the cost your sparkie quoted), then stand firm.

Bear in mind few houses except brand new ones 'meet current Building regs requirements' and nor do they have to. They have to meet the current regs at the time they were built, or upgraded

bebewoo

It's up to you but you really shouldn't be wasting your time and money "doing up" the house for your buyer.
You have done way too much already, I wouldn't have done anything, it was obvious from the initial viewings and a general survey what the state of your electricals were.

DollyDee_2

Cross posted again.

Thanks for your comments.

When the estate agent phoned the first time (to ask if we had got an up to date report) I asked why it had taken the buyer 2 months to ask for it. He blamed it on her solicitor being a bit dozy. I said she's running a business and has been for years, she knows what is required, why leave it this long?

Our suspicions were that she had delayed asking (or her solicitor had) so that we would panic and say will the buyer get the work done and we will drop the price and then she would get her own people to do the work for considerably less than the price reduction. I think we were right.

If we get the work done and get the certificate surely the buyer only needs the certificate? As far as we are concerned she can have it after the work has been done but not before but why would she need it? We are not obliged to let her electrician in we if we are having the work done are we?

Something doesn't seem quite right to us.

I also asked why the buyer was talking to the estate agent instead of her solicitor talking to our solicitor (which the estate agent recommended to us but I did know of them already from years ago when OH & I bought our house in 1984. They acted for the vendor we were buying from).

DollyDee_2

G_M wrote: »

I'm afraid you have been taken for a ride by the buyer.

When the issue first arose you should have invited the buyer to send in, and pay for, his own electrician to do an inspection.

There is no requirement for houses to have a report. It is up to the buyer to inspect.

Since the buyer now wants to inspect - let him. Do NOT get the work done. If buyer wants to reduce the price after inspecting, refuse, then negotiate (ie 50% of the cost your sparkie quoted), then stand firm.

Bear in mind few houses except brand new ones 'meet current Building regs requirements' and nor do they have to. They have to meet the current regs at the time they were built, or upgraded

As I said earlier neither my sister or I have sold a property for years so we are out of touch.

I don't think we have been taken for a complete ride - yet. We will have to pay for the inspection report but I can cancel our electrician and she can use her own. At least we know how much the work will cost and she can't try to knock £000's off the price.

Sister was ringing the estate agent back as she can get stroppier than me!

Thanks - Dolly

theartfullodger

It sounds as though the agent is more on the side of the buyer than you, their client.

Buyer may be someone who often deals through that agent: Any nonsense, fire the agent!!