Selling house, buyers solicitor wants a safety certificate for electric shower?

easy

Last year, in preparation for putting the house up for sale, we refurbished our downstairs toilet and shower room.  As part of that, the existing electric shower which was 20 years old, was replaced with a new one.  It's a bog-standard electric shower.  the work was done by an electrician, who also  fitted a new electricity consumer unit (replacing old fuse box).  He sent us the Building Regulations Certificate of Compliance for the consumer unit.

Now the house is sold, we filled in all the paperwork,  declaring that recent work included the shower room refurb.  as well as a new electricity consumer unit (replacing old fuse box).  We sent the Building Regulations Certificate of Compliance for the consumer unit.

Buyer's solicitor is asking for a similar certificate for the shower.  But the electrician didn't give us one in respect of the shower.

So they are wittering on about us buying indemnity insurance for the electrics. I have no idea how much this will cost,  nor how to get it.  

Any advice please?

EssexHebridean

As far as I know the fitting of an electric shower wouldn't fall under building regs - are you certain that what is being asked for isn't an NICEIC certificate for the entire electrical installation? 

easy

EssexHebridean said:

As far as I know the fitting of an electric shower wouldn't fall under building regs - are you certain that what is being asked for isn't an NICEIC certificate for the entire electrical installation? 

My solicitor told me over the phone that it's to do with the shower. 

FreeBear

EssexHebridean said: As far as I know the fitting of an electric shower wouldn't fall under building regs

A like for like replacement doesn't fall under BR (or at least I don't think it does). A shower on a new circuit would.

housebuyer143

Are you sure they don't want an electrical safety check on it, rather than building regs sign off?

ReadingTim

In terms of what you can do, your solicitor ought to be able to advise as to the cost of the necessary indemnity and sort it out should you decide to provide one.  Alternatively stand firm, say you don't have the requested certificate so can't provide it - if they want an indemnity they can pay for one themselves - their call.  The shower is no more or less dangerous just because a piece of paper does or does not exist.  


In terms of what you should do, depending on cost of indemnity vs finding another buyer if the current one pulls out, it might be a small price to pay to keep the transaction on track, irritating as it is to provide...

kinger101

As annoying as it is, indemnity policies are quite cheap and the easiest way to resolve this.

AskAsk

They are probably thinking it was a new shower install with new wiring, in which case you do need a buidling regs certificate or compliance certificate like you have for the consumer unit.

You can tell them that it is not a new circuit but just replacement of the old electric shower with a new one.

bobster2

kinger101 said:

As annoying as it is, indemnity policies are quite cheap and the easiest way to resolve this.

Cheaper than a new electric shower??

MysteryMe

A shower room would be classed as a special location but if the new shower uses the same circuit as the old one then it is not notifiable work. I guess you can send a copy of the invoice to show the installer is a member of NICEIC or NAPIT so a competent person (although they should have that information from the consumer unit certificate) but I wouldn't be getting involved in buying indemnity policies. 

ThisIsWeird

As said above, it's not a new circuit, but a like-for-like replacement of a component on that circuit, so doesn't require certification even if it had been DIYed. Someone must have their wires crossed over this.
Do you have the invoice that shows the work, as MMe suggests? That might calm them.
Otherwise how to handle it? Perhaps by asking their solicitor to show yours the reg that says it should be cert'd? They can't - it won't exist.
Indemnity policies have become quite a big thing in property sales, and in many cases they are actually pretty useful - just to keep things moving and stop concerns and arguments. But, they should be indemnifying against something tangible. I cannot think of what a policy would actually indemnify for in this situation? Who or what could take action over that shower, when there is nothing to take action against? Weird. Unless, perhaps, it's against it not having been fitted properly, so needs, er, reconnecting? A policy to guard against a £50 call-out charge?
Seems quite silly. I suspect someone has misinterpreted the 'new' shower part.
Perhaps ask, "what is it you actually want to indemnify against?"