Electrical Test on house I'm buying

purpleparrotuk

Hello. I'm nearly at the stage where I want to get an electrician in to carry out electric testing on a property I am purchasing. It takes 1 and half hours for the testing and another 1 and half hours for the writing up (which he can do at home). Problem is the estate agent has to be there every time we visit the house, I have never seen the owner and there is no way they will want to wait around why the guy does his tests.

How do other prospective buyers get around this problem or should I just wait until I move in?

Thanks

Browntoa

By not getting a pointless electrical check done

I've never had one done on any property I've bought , you can almost guarantee that unless it's a new house it will "fail" current standards , it means nothing

00ec25

Has the vendor given permission for the test?

have you already exchanged contracts? yes? then its too late to pull out so get it done after you move in

no? are you going to pull out if it fails (as it will for the reasons above) yes - then talk to the EA and come to an arrangement. No - then do it when you live there

the test will identify that the installation is not to current standards. It may identify some meaningful serious issues, but it probably wont.

purpleparrotuk

Hi. Not exchanged yet. I know it won't meet current standards as it's a 70s build but I want to check that I won't get electrocuted if there's something serious before I move in.

Why wouldn't the vendor give permission? If he doesn't then I would assume he is hiding something.

davidmcn

purpleparrotuk wrote: »

Hello. I'm nearly at the stage where I want to get an electrician in to carry out electric testing on a property I am purchasing. It takes 1 and half hours for the testing and another 1 and half hours for the writing up (which he can do at home). Problem is the estate agent has to be there every time we visit the house, I have never seen the owner and there is no way they will want to wait around why the guy does his tests.

How do other prospective buyers get around this problem or should I just wait until I move in?

Thanks

Are you sure your electrician has to be accompanied by the agent? I would have said it's more common for EAs to lend the keys to trusted parties like surveyors etc, rather than sit and watch what they're doing.

Red-Squirrel_2

purpleparrotuk wrote: »

Hi. Not exchanged yet. I know it won't meet current standards as it's a 70s build but I want to check that I won't get electrocuted if there's something serious before I move in.

Why wouldn't the vendor give permission? If he doesn't then I would assume he is hiding something.

Is there somebody living there now? Are they behaving normally, turning lights on, boiling kettles, running washing machines etc. without getting electrocuted? If so, relax, the electrics will be safe enough.

When you viewed, did you notice how old the sockets and light switches looked? Did you see the consumer unit at all? If they haven't been changed since the house was built budget for a rewire. Its a few grand and is best done when you first move in and before you decorate because it wrecks the walls.

stator

There's no way around it. Some estate agents/vendors will accept an electrician and give him the keys. Some will want to be there.
Try asking the estate agent if they will accept a different electrician ?

SuzieSue

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Is there somebody living there now? Are they behaving normally, turning lights on, boiling kettles, running washing machines etc. without getting electrocuted? If so, relax, the electrics will be safe enough.

No necessarily. My son bought a house built in 1990 a year ago from someone who had lived there for over a decade. He didn't get an electrical check done but has now got one done as he had a couple of minor electrical problems. The report showed a few C2s and the remedial work will cost £450. He thought getting a survey was overkill but he now wishes he had got it done before he moved in as he has a young family.

The electrician said that a previous occupier had messed around with the electrics.

G_M

Whether the EA has to wait, or can give the electrican the keys, depends entirely on the owner/vendor.

But as the vendor wants to sell, it's in his interests to faciitate the electrician in one way or another. Give the elecrician the EA's contact details and leave it to them to sort out.

Is it worth doing? Maybe.

Make sure the electrician knows that whilst interesting, whether the electrics are 'to current standards' is not your primary purpose, and you want a clear indication on safety, not standards.

Have you done any lookig yourself?

* did you see the fuse box/consumer unit? Was it an old style with fuse wire, or more recent with either pull-out fuses, or newers till, trip switches?

* what did the sockets and switches look like? 1950s? Or modern?

* the major question is what the wiring is made of - rubber, plastic etc and this would involve unscrewing switches etc to look.

* oh - and dodgy DIY electrics by the owner........

SuzieSue

Browntoa wrote: »

By not getting a pointless electrical check done

I've never had one done on any property I've bought , you can almost guarantee that unless it's a new house it will "fail" current standards , it means nothing

You have no idea what previous occupants have done to the electrics so this is dangerous advice.

Red-Squirrel_2

SuzieSue wrote: »

No necessarily. My son bought a house built in 1990 a year ago from someone who had lived there for over a decade. He didn't get an electrical check done but has now got one done as he had a couple of minor electrical problems. The report showed a few C2s and the remedial work will cost £450. He thought getting a survey was overkill but he now wishes he had got it done before he moved in as he has a young family.

The electrician said that a previous occupier had messed around with the electrics.

I don't see how that contradicts my advice at all, I assume nobody was electrocuted?