Electrical issue

mininoel

I’m due to sell my property, the exchange was due any day. The buyer is now saying the homebuyer report raises an urgent and immediate action electrical issue which meant the price needed to be negotiated based on this. I asked to see the relevant part of the report but he has not provided that to the agent just a quote “it needs more sockets to avoid overloading” which is apparently in relation to the consumer unit. He says he has been quoted over £1000 to do the work. I’ve looked and spoken to an electrician who says installing a new consumer unit is around £300 could go to £500 if issues arose from the installation. I also had a surveyor look at my property just last week and report there were no immediate works needed or issues to address. I offered the buyer an allowance of £300 as a gesture of goodwill however he has not agreed to this stating the work is over £1000 which I don’t agree with. I’ve also read consumer units don’t have to be replaced to meet current regulations unless work is done, which is hasn’t been. Any advice? I’ve included a picture of my consumer unit in case that helps anyone with any advice. Thanks

FreeBear

Now't wrong with the consumer unit. A little dated, but there are two spare slots should extra circuits be needed. You have made a very generous offer, if he doesn't like it, plenty more houses he can take a punt on. Unless you are desperate to sell to him, just say no.

Davesnave

A homebuyers' report should not comment to a detailed extent on the electrics, as a surveyor almost certainly wouldn't be a qualified electrician as well. It might have said something like "The consumer unit is an older model and you might consider having the adequacy of the electrical system checked," but that's not saying there is anything wrong or giving any new information. It's called 'covering your rear end.' No wonder the report hasn't been shared.

The purchaser could see the number of sockets on viewing, so nothing has changed .

 It's up to you how to react. We can only give you the ammunition!

AdrianC

"Needs more sockets" is a convenience thing. If anything, it'll increase the load that can be put on the wiring and the consumer unit...

You are now in a situation where exchange is being delayed over £700. Who will blink first? Will you or the other person cave in first? Or will you both stand firm and the sale will fall through?

mininoel

I’m not in a chain, I have no great urgency to sell...it is already £8,000 off the asking price and I’ve included free standing white goods at his request within that offer because they weren’t originally. I will let it fall through if that needs to happen because in all honesty I feel like I’m being made a mug of and I don’t need the constant stress of is it or isn’t it happening. 

Robin9

AdrianC said:

"Needs more sockets" is a convenience thing. If anything, it'll increase the load that can be put on the wiring and the consumer unit...

Agree with "convenience" but not with the loading comment - it can be a safety issue.  The use of double and triple plug in sockets can lead to overloading and heating - extension leads become a tripping hazard.

My parents house which got the electric in the 1950's met a minimum requirement of one socket upstairs and one down plus a cooker point. Now my lounge has over a dozen doubles.

mrluke

mininoel said:

I’m not in a chain, I have no great urgency to sell...it is already £8,000 off the asking price and I’ve included free standing white goods at his request within that offer because they weren’t originally. I will let it fall through if that needs to happen because in all honesty I feel like I’m being made a mug of and I don’t need the constant stress of is it or isn’t it happening. 

If hes after more sockets, remove the free white goods you are offering him as a gesture of goodwill.

That consumer unit looks good and unmodified which is fine, Requiring more sockets is a personal preference and should be done after purchase.

Chandler85

It isn't a safety issue unless someone plugs loads of plugs into one socket.

If the buyer wants to plug 20 things in behind the TV and there is currently only a double socket, then he is creating a safety issue.  That isn't the OPs fault nor is it currently a safety issue.

I would tell him to do one, more because on the day of a planned exchange there is suddenly another problem, that isn't really a problem at all.  Something he overlooked.  It will be about £1000 for him to get new sockets in though probably, a lot of sparkies won't do a new ring as minor works (which I believe it can be) and will instead want to change the consumer unit and add the ring.  SO probably £300-500 and another £300-600 for the sockets (depending on your house layout and number of sockets).  Bungalow with 4 rooms and suspended floor, would be cheap.  5 bed 3 storey home with concrete floors, not so much.

Still it is his problem.

ProDave

I would say there is not much wrong with that.  There are only 2 socket circuits one for the kitchen and one for the rest of the house.  So I am guessing it is not a large house?

You do NOT need extra sockets to prevent anything overloading.  You might feel you would like more sockets than there are in the house but that is not a safety issue.

The consumer unit does NOT need changing.  A lot of electricians would like to tell you it does but I am not one of them.

The only way you will settle this with they buyer is get an EICR (Electrical Instalation Condition Report)  The buyer might only believe it if they commission the report not you.  The danger is you pick by random and get one of the electricians that believes it has to have a new consumer unit and over charges. 

By the time you have paid for an EICR and then negotiated any items the EICR says needs doing, I feel you would be just as well off saying to the buyer okay you can have £1000 off to sort the electrics as you feel fit.

princeofpounds

The buyer is lying. As pointed out, the homebuyer's report will say nothing more on the electrics than (I paraphrase) 'may be out of date and not meeting current regulations, suggest you get an electrical inspection'. That is why he won't produce the report. Never mind the fact that the specific complaint is somewhat nonsensical.

'Everyone' knows this about surveys and almost everyone is happy to buy unless the electrics are ancient or obviously unsafe, as regulations change every 5 minutes so 95% of houses do not meet them. So I'm surprised your agent did not advise a hard pushback, if you are using one. Or not surprised, as they just want the transaction to go over the line.

This is just the buyer asking for some money off. Up to you how your respond. Personally I too would tell them to do one, but I don't know how important the sale is to you over £1000.

Davesnave

The problem in accepting another £1k off is that it gives the purchaser an increased sense of power and might encourage a further 'wobble' at a more critical point in the sale process.

Yes it's only £1k but sometimes its best to draw a line in the sand.