Help please.....

[blue]

Hello folks,

Can anyone help please.

I am in the process of buying a new house, and have had a inspection report done which came back a unsatisfactory.

could someone give me a rough price on the costs to make good the following please.

- No RCD protection on all circuits
- Require new 17th edition consumer boards
- No circuit protective conductor in lighting circuit
- Outside porch light wired incorrectly from bedroom socket
- Ring final circuit no continuity on all cables
- Main earth cable not too current regs
- Earth cable to water and gas mains not to current regs
- Outside socket not RDD protected
- Garden lighting supply not correctly wired
- Garage consumer board requires changing

I understand that this a detailed list and giving me an idea of costs would be difficult, but a best guess would help.

The house is a three bed house with detached garage.

Many thanks

Blue

 

[Octopus]

How long is a piece of string? Without visiting site we would be guessing.

 

[alanl]

A quick guess - a days work, so anything from £300 to £750.
A new consumer unit, new bonding cable to the gas and water, new CU tails and earthing conductor. A fused spur for the porch light. No idea about the garage unit -if it is a fuse box fed from the internal fusebox, then it may not need changing if a new CU is put in.Testing the ring circuit will be done, and either it will be split into 2 radial circuits, or the fault would be found.Lighting, a quick fix is to make sure all switches and fittings are plastic, that will save on rewiring that circuit.
I'd do the above in a day, in fact I did virtually the same 2 weeks ago for a friend.

 

[Octopus]

A quick guess - a days work, so anything from £300 to £750.
A new consumer unit, new bonding cable to the gas and water, new CU tails and earthing conductor. A fused spur for the porch light. No idea about the garage unit -if it is a fuse box fed from the internal fusebox, then it may not need changing if a new CU is put in.Testing the ring circuit will be done, and either it will be split into 2 radial circuits, or the fault would be found.Lighting, a quick fix is to make sure all switches and fittings are plastic, that will save on rewiring that circuit.
I'd do the above in a day, in fact I did virtually the same 2 weeks ago for a friend.

Really? 1 day? Way to low

 

[Andy78]

I'd want to see the report, the codes applied to these issues, and the house itself before giving an estimate on price or time.
The best placed person at the moment to give you a quote is the report inspector.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Hello folks,

Can anyone help please.

I am in the process of buying a new house, and have had a inspection report done which came back a unsatisfactory.

could someone give me a rough price on the costs to make good the following please.

- No RCD protection on all circuits
£450.00
- Require new 17th edition consumer boards.
Ties in with above
- No circuit protective conductor in lighting circuit.
Get another opinion for best course of action.
- Outside porch light wired incorrectly from bedroom socket. £100.00
- Ring final circuit no continuity on all cables.
There may be an easy fix. Needs investigating further.
- Main earth cable not too current regs
- Earth cable to water and gas mains not to current regs. These two, if they do need addressing, around £250.00.
- Outside socket not RDD protected. Ties in with your first query.
- Garden lighting supply not correctly wired.
£150.00
- Garage consumer board requires changing.
£200.00

I understand that this a detailed list and giving me an idea of costs would be difficult, but a best guess would help.

The house is a three bed house with detached garage.

Many thanks



Blue

These are all very very very rough guesses above. Get two or three quotes. Although some of the points you raise really are slightly unquotable, and can only be investigated and remedied on the basis that it takes as long as it takes.

Can you post the test results sheet from the report on here.

You really need some quotes if you wish to negotiate the cost of the house. Saying you read on the internet it would cost x amount is not the best approach to negotiating.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Really? 1 day? Way to low

Yep agree. Board and bonding may take a full day or longer. Could be 2-5 days without knowing more.

 

[Midwest]

The house wiring installation sounds a bit old & tired and in need of some TLC. Sounds as if the fuse box needs replacing, as does some of the wiring does.

If you had already bought the house, you could consider rectifying individual faults.

However, some may find this a bit controversial, but as your buying the house, I would negotiate the price to allow for a full rewire, via your estate agent. Why don't you ask the company/electrician who did the report, for advice, as they have seen the property?

 

[Octopus]

And OP if the lighting needs a full rewire then there will be plastering and decorating and relaying of carpets to consider!

 

[SJD]

To add to Owl's post above (which I think is pretty fair, on the information available), the lighting wiring is the biggest unknown. As mentioned, it is possible to only use plastic switches, pendants or class II (double insulated) light fittings, and keep the existing wiring - if it is in good condition. Sometimes, even if rubber cable, it is in excellent condition; sometimes it is deteriorating and needs replacing anyway, irrespective of what fittings & switches are to be used.

Sometimes it is possible to rewire the lighting with pretty much no disturbance to the walls - the new cables can be pulled through existing channels or conduit. Sometimes it is not, the new cables need chasing into the walls and making good. So - assuming you go ahead with this house purchase - don't have any decorating done until this is resolved.

If I was buying the house, I'd be looking to have something like £1k deducted from the price to cover the cost of the lighting rewiring (in additional to the other costs mentioned).

 

[stevethesparks]

The electrical system looks to be a mess. The first impression I got was It may need a rewire, but as others have said, its difficult to gauge accurately with the info given. You would be best off approaching the person who complied the report.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Estate agents are not going to recommend to the vendor to reduce the accepted offer by £3-4K to allow for a full rewire. They would be failing their client if they did in my view.

 

[Midwest]

Estate agents are not going to recommend to the vendor to reduce the accepted offer by £3-4K to allow for a full rewire. They would be failing their client if they did in my view.

Well whoever does it, someone's gotta pay, and it wouldn't be me. If the OP really wants the house, and the vendor won't drop the price, then he'll need to consider the cost of repairs or rewire.

Come on, negotiations like this happen all the time with house sales, haven't you seen 'Home under the Hammer'!

PS. OP, get Kirstie or Phil round

 

[stevethesparks]

He could always buy another house

 

[NDG Elecs]

Well whoever does it, someone's gotta pay, and it wouldn't be me. If the OP really wants the house, and the vendor won't drop the price, then he'll need to consider the cost of repairs or rewire.

Come on, negotiations like this happen all the time with house sales, haven't you seen 'Home under the Hammer'!

My wife is an estate agent and her primary aim is always to get the very best price she can for the vendor. She would never say to a client yeah you pay for a full rewire that is unnecessary. When getting quotes my wife would get them (if requested) from the cheaper electricians/plumbers/builders she knows to ensure the best price for the vendor. It does depend on the the vendor and purchaser and how much either party want the deal to go through. I know of £500K house sales that have fallen apart over arguments whether a fridge is part of the fixtures and fittings. Commonly negotiaters will try to get both parties to meet in the middle.

You did say your point was potentially controversial Mid!