EICR Report (seller asking for advice)

Weathergirl_76

fiveacre said:

Three C1s and he told you not to bother getting them done? I'd be half tempted to follow your suggestion of paying for another EICR with a new company and hope for a different result, it can hardly get worse now.

Any half-decent electrician will be giving a quote for remedial works alongside the report. You could ask around locally for recommendations of good tradespeople, show one this report and ask them to quote for the specific fixes required.

I asked for a quote to remedy the red things, and he told me he would not provide one based on not knowing what other things the works would throw up (ie aggro) and the most reliable option was to have a re-wire. I got the impression he didn’t want the job. He told me very clearly if he was in my shoes, he would lower the price to accommodate part of (or all) the re-wire. 

Weathergirl_76

AdrianC said:

5 and 6 are trivially easy to resolve.
Simply strap one of these around each of the pipes, and then put an earth wire to somewhere handy.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/greenbrook-ec14-internal-earth-clamp-12-32mm-20-pack/65778

12 - extra-low-voltage, so something 12v... Did he give you any more detail? Is that the kitchen lighting? Just a lack of earth to the transformers?

16 sounds like something in the wrong place - did he tell you what? It could well be the shaver socket (13) isn't a proper bathroom one.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-2-gang-dual-voltage-shaver-socket-115-230v-white/63953

The rest are trivial, as suggested by the green colour for the C3 label.

He said this to me (and I wrote it down word for word). ‘It’s not unsafe, but due a re-wire’. The three things he mentioned were the shaver socket, the kitchen light and an overloaded circuit.  Earlier on, he said the earth wasn’t secured. The switch in the kitchen for the cooker is too near the cooker and he said should be slightly more further away, but we are talking 10 cms. Might be that.

I will get another electrician and see if I can get the work done that’s needed to remove the red. 

the shaver socket is definitely not a bathroom one, it’s a two pin plug, and an old one at that, but it works 

AdrianC

Weathergirl_76 said:

AdrianC said:

5 and 6 are trivially easy to resolve.
Simply strap one of these around each of the pipes, and then put an earth wire to somewhere handy.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/greenbrook-ec14-internal-earth-clamp-12-32mm-20-pack/65778

12 - extra-low-voltage, so something 12v... Did he give you any more detail? Is that the kitchen lighting? Just a lack of earth to the transformers?

16 sounds like something in the wrong place - did he tell you what? It could well be the shaver socket (13) isn't a proper bathroom one.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-2-gang-dual-voltage-shaver-socket-115-230v-white/63953

The rest are trivial, as suggested by the green colour for the C3 label.

He said this to me (and I wrote it down word for word). ‘It’s not unsafe, but due a re-wire’.

That's all the C3s.

The three things he mentioned were the shaver socket, the kitchen light and an overloaded circuit.  Earlier on, he said the earth wasn’t secured.

That's probably 5 and 6.

The switch in the kitchen for the cooker is too near the cooker and he said should be slightly more further away, but we are talking 10 cms. Might be that.

That's probably 16.

the shaver socket is definitely not a bathroom one, it’s a two pin plug, and an old one at that, but it works

A vaguely competent DIYer could be down to Screwfix and back, and have that - and the earthing - sorted today without breaking a sweat.

Weathergirl_76

AdrianC said:

Weathergirl_76 said:

AdrianC said:

5 and 6 are trivially easy to resolve.
Simply strap one of these around each of the pipes, and then put an earth wire to somewhere handy.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/greenbrook-ec14-internal-earth-clamp-12-32mm-20-pack/65778

12 - extra-low-voltage, so something 12v... Did he give you any more detail? Is that the kitchen lighting? Just a lack of earth to the transformers?

16 sounds like something in the wrong place - did he tell you what? It could well be the shaver socket (13) isn't a proper bathroom one.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-2-gang-dual-voltage-shaver-socket-115-230v-white/63953

The rest are trivial, as suggested by the green colour for the C3 label.

He said this to me (and I wrote it down word for word). ‘It’s not unsafe, but due a re-wire’.

That's all the C3s.

The three things he mentioned were the shaver socket, the kitchen light and an overloaded circuit.  Earlier on, he said the earth wasn’t secured.

That's probably 5 and 6.

The switch in the kitchen for the cooker is too near the cooker and he said should be slightly more further away, but we are talking 10 cms. Might be that.

That's probably 16.

the shaver socket is definitely not a bathroom one, it’s a two pin plug, and an old one at that, but it works

A vaguely competent DIYer could be down to Screwfix and back, and have that - and the earthing - sorted today without breaking a sweat.

Thank you for this. I am going to see if I can get another electrician to complete this.  I’ve been worrying all evening and night over this, and the prospect of having to drop the price or lose buyers. I appreciate your time and honesty and everyone else who has responded to this post.  This forum is such a help.  I will let you all know the outcome after electrician number 2 comes out. 

anselld

Weathergirl_76 said:

fiveacre said:

Three C1s and he told you not to bother getting them done? I'd be half tempted to follow your suggestion of paying for another EICR with a new company and hope for a different result, it can hardly get worse now.

Any half-decent electrician will be giving a quote for remedial works alongside the report. You could ask around locally for recommendations of good tradespeople, show one this report and ask them to quote for the specific fixes required.

I asked for a quote to remedy the red things, and he told me he would not provide one based on not knowing what other things the works would throw up (ie aggro) and the most reliable option was to have a re-wire. I got the impression he didn’t want the job. He told me very clearly if he was in my shoes, he would lower the price to accommodate part of (or all) the re-wire. 

You need all the c1 (red) and c2 (amber) things fixed to get a "satisfactory" result.  Not just the c1.

But yes, if he clearly doesnt want the work get someone else on the understanding that is all you need doing.

The selling price negotiation (if any) is none of his business.

user1977

Weathergirl_76 said:

fiveacre said:

Three C1s and he told you not to bother getting them done? I'd be half tempted to follow your suggestion of paying for another EICR with a new company and hope for a different result, it can hardly get worse now.

Any half-decent electrician will be giving a quote for remedial works alongside the report. You could ask around locally for recommendations of good tradespeople, show one this report and ask them to quote for the specific fixes required.

He told me very clearly if he was in my shoes, he would lower the price to accommodate part of (or all) the re-wire. 

This doesn't really make sense, unless you had been marketing it as a newly-rewired house. This all sounds like the electrics one might expect from a property of its age.

Similarly, the other points in the survey don't sound like surprises. Any non-newbuild property is going to have some sort of maintenance needing done, or things which don't match modern regulations etc. That's already reflected in the market price. Renegotiations should be for significant surprises.

Weathergirl_76

If I get the things done, that are needed to bring a ‘satisfactory’ result, am I then expected to make good whatever has been damaged with the decor getting it to that stage? Is this something I need to tell the agent now? I don’t really want to have to decorate. I have another electrician booked for Tuesday. 

The buyers said they wanted me to test the electrics to make sure they are safe and complete works needed if they are not, and pay for them, 

lonibra

Unfortunately, you've made what is the buyer's problem your problem. "Needs a rewire" is a catch-all recommendation that is liberally used. It's rarely down to anything that actually unsafe.

Electrical regulations change quite often and no one in their right minds can be expected to keep up with them for standard residential properties and domestic wiring.

Now that you have got this far, just hand the report over the buyer and see what they come back with. If they're so worried about safety, they're hardly going to trust a soon to be ex owner to do a good job 

AdrianC

Weathergirl_76 said:

The buyers said they wanted me to test the electrics to make sure they are safe and complete works needed if they are not, and pay for them, 

You could have said no. Would they have walked away?

Weathergirl_76

AdrianC said:

Weathergirl_76 said:

The buyers said they wanted me to test the electrics to make sure they are safe and complete works needed if they are not, and pay for them, 

You could have said no. Would they have walked away?

I could have, I know. I was expecting a list of demands or renegotiation once they had their survey in hand, but they didn’t. They said they accept its an old property and that it’s to be expected. Their only request was to get electrics tested to ensure its safe for them to move in, and if it wasn’t to do what was needed. It seemed to me like a minor thing, as I already was thinking I’d have to drop. I said I would get a report done. This was completed yesterday and not been sent anywhere yet, I’m getting a second opinion Tuesday.