Electrical Installation Report/Certificate

ikorodu

I'm with G_M on this one.

You do not need any Elec cert to sell. The buyer can ask for what they like but you do not have to provide. Its up to the buyer to find out if the property is suitable for them.

I'd tell the buyer that you don't know when the electrical system was last inspected and that its up to them if they want to pay for an inspection.

I'm surprised that this type of thing is coming via the agent, in my experience this should be being handled via the two conveyancing solicitors.

My experience of estate agents is that they speak a lot of rubbish and often dress up much of it as 'fact' which it very rarely is. By way of example, I recently offered full asking price on a house, which was accepted. Later the same day in the evening the agent rang to say that another offer had been made a bit higher than mine, but the seller was keen to go with me as I had simpler mortgage arrangements, so could I increase my offer. I said no. Next day the seller had decided that they'd stick with me after all. I doubt if there was a higher offer, or even that the seller knew what the agent was doing. Was probably just a ruse to push up the price so they got a bigger fee.

DollyDee_2

We agree. Or they are incompetent. Orrrrr, best not go there. Either way the buyer/estate agent have cost us £120 + VAT for inspection/report we didn't have to get.

The buyer is now threatening to pull out unless she gets the report.

Sis has spoken to estate agent and our solicitor who knew nothing about this and she has basically said what everyone else on here has said.

I've cancelled the work with our electrician.

Sis is speaking to our solicitor again and I am going to email the report to her. Our solicitor is going to speak to the buyer's solicitor.

DollyDee_2

ikorodu wrote: »

I'm with G_M on this one.



I'm surprised that this type of thing is coming via the agent, in my experience this should be being handled via the two conveyancing solicitors.

I agree and queried it with the EA this morning. I may have done it previously as well but can't remember now.

He should have told her to speak to her solicitor and get them to speak to our solicitor who would then contact us. Perhaps it was part of the buyer's tactics?

Not pleased at all. Hindsight is wonderful.

I've just emailed the report to our solicitor who will forward it to the buyer's and then our solicitor will phone them.

Hoploz

Oh dear this is a mess isn't it! What a shame you did 'the right thing' and got the report done. I can understand, though, that now they know you've had a report and it has identified some issues (which are not your problem of course) they want to see it. If you were not the nice people you are, the report could have said all sorts was wrong and you are only going to fix one thing and leave the rest.

Definitely don't have the work done. TBH in your shoes I wonder whether the best course of action might be to share the report, if only to prove that it is only the one thing that needs updating and the rest is fine. Perhaps your solicitor could be the one to pass it along. Nthey are good at providing summaries ... I envisage your solicitor passing on the report with an accompanying letter saying 'the report identifies that the consumer unit may benefit from an upgrade in the short term future' They pass it to the buyers solicitor, who will then report it back to the buyer in the same terms.

Shame they didn't do the report, but I think they would then be sharing it with you trying to renegotiate.

Ignore threats from the buyer. If they pull out then you'll get another. Spring is here and people are coming out to buy from now onwards - you might even get a better price ... From a nicer buyer. It's not as if they were buying a house perfectly presented in A1 condition when they viewed, I bet. They knew the situation from the outset, they are trying it on.

DollyDee_2

Thank you for your comments, we are sharing the report. I've emailed it to our solicitor and she is forwarding it to their solicitor.

It is a mess and we haven't made it.

Thinking about this, it's the buyer's solicitor's fault to start with. They should have asked our solicitor if there was a recent electrical installation condition report (EICR). If he had done that our solicitor would have asked us and advised us we didn't have to get one etc.

Then it becomes the buyer's fault because she should not have contacted the EA about it.

The EA should not have contacted me. He should have told her to ask her Solicitor to contact our Solicitor. Or, when I told him we didn't have one, he should have just reported that back. She should then have contacted her solicitor. EA should have known that we don't actually NEED one and should have told me that, not "lead" me to believe we had got to get one and recommend an electrician.

We will see what happens.

This was supposed to be a quick sale, no upward chain, cash buyer.

The house was actually very nicely presented, the EA's and the viewers commented on it. Very clean, not old-fashioned, not full of junk etc, lovely garden, conservatory, refitted kitchen. It sold in the first week - 3 viewings and they all put offers in. And we accepted hers. Sigh.

DRP

Unfortunately as you are finding out, you can't just rely on what the 'professionals' tell you. In that sense the current mess is entirely your responsibility, and can't really be blamed on anyone else.

I'm amazed you've sent the buyer the report tbh. As far as I'm concerned all surveys are the responsibility of the buyer. You are handing them ammunition.

martinsurrey

DollyDee wrote: »

3 viewings and they all put offers in. And we accepted hers. Sigh.

Use that to your advantage.

"price stands or the property will be back on the market tomorrow, we had 3 offers from 3 viewings. If your client doesnt want the house, we'll find someone who does."

DRP

martinsurrey wrote: »

Use that to your advantage.

"price stands or the property will be back on the market tomorrow, we had 3 offers from 3 viewings. If your client doesnt want the house, we'll find someone who does."

Definitely.

The buyer seems to be trying to slow things right down, so would have no qualms issuing an ultimatum if it were me.

DollyDee_2

DRP wrote: »

Unfortunately as you are finding out, you can't just rely on what the 'professionals' tell you. In that sense the current mess is entirely your responsibility, and can't really be blamed on anyone else.

I'm amazed you've sent the buyer the report tbh. As far as I'm concerned all surveys are the responsibility of the buyer. You are handing them ammunition.

We have emailed the report to OUR Solicitor. She will forward it to the buyer's solicitor. Can't do much else as she is threatening to pull out of the sale. It's not very pleasant selling your dead mother's house.

I stated in my first post that neither my sister nor I had sold a property for years, 1979 in my case.

I can't see what we have done wrong. We had 4 estate agents in to value the property and went with a well established independent one. We appointed a solicitor. We have provided all information in a timely manner - Law Society Property Forms etc.

I don't know what else to say.

DollyDee_2

DRP wrote: »

Definitely.

The buyer seems to be trying to slow things right down, so would have no qualms issuing an ultimatum if it were me.

I agree or she is trying to get price reduced. The latter in my opinion. Definitely seems to be an ulterior motive.

House doesn't look so "nicely presented" now as it's virtually empty. Just a few things left to dispose of and some stuff in the shed.