Check heating / electrical systems?

Pepperoni

Is it standard practice to have the heating / electrical systems checked before buying a property? We have had our survey but obviously they don't look at these indepth. Who would we even hire to check them? Just ask someone to go in and check them over, or should we be looking for some form of certificate?

Sorry if I seem completely dim. :embarasse

Pepperoni

PS Should add that I know the boiler is regularly serviced, it's last one was done last month.

ProDave

An electrician will check the wiring and give you an Electrical Installation Condition Report that will also highlight any work needed to bring it up to standard.

For the heating, get an appropriate plumber (depending if it's oil / gas /something else) to check it and service the boiler.

ReadingTim

I'd suggest that evidence that the boiler's been recently/regularly serviced is probably as detailed as most people go, unless there's reason to doubt the safety of the set-up.

You can get an electrician to look at it, but it'll cost you, and I can almost guarantee that it won't meet current regulations. However, that doesn't mean it's dangerous any more than (say) a classic e-type jag is dangerous because it doesn't have an airbag. Furthermore, you're unlikely to get any money off the place because it's got a single plug socket per room mounted in the skirting board rather than a multitude of 2 gang sockets at least 45cm off the floor....

I dunno how practical you are, but I'd suggest that if the vendor's living there, and it looks ok, it probably is ok - you don't need to pay someone to tell you it's ok. If it doesn't look ok, you need to pay someone to provide the solution, not tell you the problem.

At the end of the day, it's your money, so spend it how you like. But if funds are limited, there are probably more useful things to spend it on.