FTB - advice on homebuyers report for electrics.

BusyBargainz

Hello, we have just had our survey back and we are looking for advice on something that popped up on the report.

Amongst other things, the wording of this one has worried me slightly. We had a red flag on the smoke alarms as they were not wired in just battery, and there is glass above the doors upstairs that doesn't comply with British safety standards. Things we can easily resolve.

We were told to expect the boiler and heating to come back as red as they can't test it and it just says they recommend we get a recent certificate but the electricity has further wording attached to the bottom as follows:

"The meter is in a cupboard in the kitchen. The consumer unit contains older type wire fuses. Where visible, the installation has been wired in plastic covered cable.
We do not know if there is a current test certificate for the electrical installation. The electrical system has been altered/extended but there is no test certificate for the work.
The consumer unit contains no modern cut-off devices.

Condition Rating 3. Further Investigation. You should ask an appropriate person to investigate and test the electrical installation and report before exchange of contracts as there is no current test certificate for the system, as some changes have been made to the installation and as no modern safety cut-off devices are present.

Your legal adviser should check the validity of any test certification for the installation and whether the electrical alteration/extension work has Building Regulation approval or has been certified by an approved electrical contractor.

Until the installation has been tested and certified as safe, it should not be used. "

I have spoken to an electrician who says it is worth getting it tested and a certificate which costs about £160 for him to do. How do I go about getting this done? Do I go through my solicitor or estate agent. I assume as buyers we are the ones to pay this?

Has anyone had anything similar come up? If it's faulty he said a rewire would be £2000, if it does come back bad is this when we renegotiate prices and things? I'm so confused!

I am a FTB so this is all very new to me! Thanks in advance for any responses.

AnotherJoe

Sounds like the usual cover-their-*** BS to me. Very few owned homes (eg not rentals) will have electrical certificates. Practically no homes will have wired in smoke detectors.only ones bought very recently.
If you are concerned the house might need a rewire, have an electrician inspect on that basis, not on the basis of of some BS certificate that practically no home owner will have.

Years ago, when I was looking at my old electric supply box which was wire fuses, those could be replaced easily with plug in little switch units , however once I looked at the cost of that compared with getting a new box with built in RCD plus switches it was better to do the latter. More expensive but not wildly so,and safer. And that wasn't a huge amount of money, a few hundred £.

So, summary, in your position I'd get a quote for replacing the consumer unit with a modern one with RCD and an opinion if a rewire is needed. Only if the latter opinion was "yes" would I think it worthwhile negotiating on price, and I wouldn't care about a certificate, maybe you'll get one as a side effect of an inspection of the need for a rewire.

hw1409

That is very similar to what came back on our report for a 1970s house. We paid for an electrical test and found the house didn't need a rewire but did need some upgrading. We had a new consumer board fitted, the water bonding replaced and a few other bits. It really wasn't a big or massively expensive job. Just because it doesn't meet today's standards doesn't mean it isn't okay - just get it tested.

As the previous poster has said, I would only be concerned if it needed a full rewire.

lewishardwick

My parents house had a wire type fuse consumer unit... We all lived and it was only replaced in 2010.

Beware the survey and take anything the electrician says with a kilo of salt.

If the consumer unit need replacing, then probably so would the wiring, just because it's not 'current'.... Doesn't mean it's dangerous.

BusyBargainz

Thanks everyone for the really helpful replies. Is this something I need to discuss with the solicitor to arrange tests?

Dan-Dan

book them via the estate agent, dont do it through the solicitor, will just slow it down

googler

lewishardwick wrote: »

My parents house had a wire type fuse consumer unit... We all lived and it was only replaced in 2010 .......just because it's not 'current'.... Doesn't mean it's dangerous.

Exactly.

A few years ago, I sold parents' house, which had been purchased new in 1971. It had wire fuses in the consumer unit. Didn't do them any harm over the 40 years or so they were there. Was still working fine when sold, and didn't impede the sale.

Again; just because it's not 'current' or doesn't conform to today's installation standards ... doesn't mean it's dangerous.

G_M

Dan-Dan wrote: »

book them via the estate agent, dont do it through the solicitor, will just slow it down

The estate agent works for the seller. Do not use the EA to arrange inspections.

Find your own electrician, boiler engineer etc.

G_M

BusyBargainz wrote: »

... We had a red flag on the smoke alarms as they were not wired in just battery,
sort out a CO and smoke alarm yourselfonce you own. Not an issue
and there is glass above the doors upstairs that doesn't comply with British safety standards.
the standards change constantly. Many aspects of any building (other than brand new build) will notcomply with current british standards.
Things we can easily resolve.
Indeed. If you choose to.

We were told to expect the boiler and heating to come back as red as they can't test it and it just says they recommend we get a recent certificate
surveyors are not boiler engineers. Up to you if you want the boiler inspected.
but the electricity has further wording attached to the bottom as follows:

"The meter is in a cupboard in the kitchen. The consumer unit contains older type wire fuses.
Indicates a pretty old installation. Probobly worth updating to include proper modern trip switches. If doing this, it's likely you'll need to re-wire as well.
Get an electrician to inspect, but make sure you understand the difference between electrics that are dangerous, and electrics that don't meetcurrent standards (see above). Speak to the electrician about this before instructing the inspection.
Where visible, the installation has been wired in plastic covered cable.
We do not know if there is a current test certificate for the electrical installation. The electrical system has been altered/extended but there is no test certificate for the work.
The consumer unit contains no modern cut-off devices.
see above


Until the installation has been tested and certified as safe, it should not be used. "
That really is covering his backside in case there's a fire and you blame him.....

I have spoken to an electrician who says it is worth getting it tested and a certificate which costs about £160 for him to do. How do I go about getting this done? Do I go through my solicitor or estate agent. I assume as buyers we are the ones to pay this?
Get 3 quotes from different electricians.
Discuss with them exactly what you want done (see above).
Instruct the electrician yourself (not via solicior or EA).
Give the electrician the EA details so access can be arranged.

Has anyone had anything similar come up? If it's faulty he said a rewire would be £2000, if it does come back bad is this when we renegotiate prices and things? I'm so confused!
A new Consumer Unit costs £30 - £60 + labour.
A complete re-wire including CU could be £1500 upwards depending on the property.

Again - discuss prices with each of the 3 electricians you approach before deciding who to instruct.

I am a FTB so this is all very new to me! Thanks in advance for any responses.

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BusyBargainz

G_M wrote: »

The estate agent works for the seller. Do not use the EA to arrange inspections.

Find your own electrician, boiler engineer etc.

I have my own electrician but didn't know how I go about booking it with the vendor as I don't have her direct details.

BusyBargainz

Thanks G_M that's really helpful.