Want to sell house - issue with rewire

[wilsonson]

I bought my house (a old stone terrace) 3 years ago. I have never touched the wiring in the house, and I wouldn't. However, I am now wishing to sell the house and I believe the previous owner had the house re-wired. (new wire and CU).

I didn't have any certificates or anything when I purchased the house in relation to the rewire, but its deffo been done fairly recently (blue and brown 2.5 mm ring mains). What position does this put me in now? I have never had any problems with the electrics, just wondering if i'll run into any problems when i sell it.

Dont know if i'm being clear or not here - I hope you get what I mean

 

[accordfire]

I bought my house (a old stone terrace) 3 years ago. I have never touched the wiring in the house, and I wouldn't. However, I am now wishing to sell the house and I believe the previous owner had the house re-wired. (new wire and CU).

I didn't have any certificates or anything when I purchased the house in relation to the rewire, but its deffo been done fairly recently (blue and brown 2.5 mm ring mains). What position does this put me in now? I have never had any problems with the electrics, just wondering if i'll run into any problems when i sell it.

Dont know if i'm being clear or not here - I hope you get what I mean

Yup.

Get a Periodic inspection done by a competent, qualified electrician - that will cover you, and highlight any surprises, if any.

At least that way you're covered.

Ballpark, 8 way CU you're looking at around £200 - £300 for the inspection, plus any remedial work needed (unless you take the remedial off the cost of the sale and let the new owner worry about it).

Potentially cheaper than someone else finding out about any issues and stopping your sale though

Hope this helps.

 

[Phil]

good advice from Bill, also if you pop your location on i am sure one of the members on here will be happy to give you a definite price for it doing. btw the ones some mortgage companies offer for £80 are not worth the paper they are written on

 

[wilsonson]

Thanks for replies guys. I spoke to a local electrician on the phone on Friday and asked - he said no electrician will certify someone else's work, and that i'd have to have the house fully rewired. Sounded a bit spurious to me, plus the fact that when I purchased the house nothing was asked about the electrics - at least no certificates were asked for, so I wondered why it would be any different for me selling the house.

I've been trying to get my head round the mindfield that is wiring regs, building regs etc. and it's all confusing. I dont understand how wiring regs/building regs are enforced. I want to do things right and get the electrics certified, but for people less concerend than me, how can it possibly be enforced.

 

[accordfire]

Thanks for replies guys. I spoke to a local electrician on the phone on Friday and asked - he said no electrician will certify someone else's work, and that i'd have to have the house fully rewired. Sounded a bit spurious to me, plus the fact that when I purchased the house nothing was asked about the electrics - at least no certificates were asked for, so I wondered why it would be any different for me selling the house.

I've been trying to get my head round the mindfield that is wiring regs, building regs etc. and it's all confusing. I dont understand how wiring regs/building regs are enforced. I want to do things right and get the electrics certified, but for people less concerend than me, how can it possibly be enforced.

That's absolute rubbish. On pretty well all counts.

No electrician worth the name would refuse to carry out a Periodic Inspection, unless the installation was obviously visually so bad as to present a threat to safety.

Whoever you called is a chancer looking for work where it isn't needed.

Give at least three local guys a ring and ask them for a price for a Periodic Inspection Report - that's all you need at this stage.

As Phil says, if you can stick up a location - e.g. what area/county you're in, there's bound to be a guy on here close to you, who may help.

 

[Phil]

also i would not even try to get your head around the regs or building regs it gets the best electricians in knots jumping through hoops sometimes

you may also not need a pir but a lot of the mortgage companies will be more than happy to enforce one and if you have already had one done and any faults (if any) rectified it gives the vender something less to barter with and also the piece of mind that it is in a good state and fit for purpose.

 

[accordfire]

Thanks for replies guys. I spoke to a local electrician on the phone on Friday and asked - he said no electrician will certify someone else's work, and that i'd have to have the house fully rewired. Sounded a bit spurious to me, plus the fact that when I purchased the house nothing was asked about the electrics - at least no certificates were asked for, so I wondered why it would be any different for me selling the house.

I've been trying to get my head round the mindfield that is wiring regs, building regs etc. and it's all confusing. I dont understand how wiring regs/building regs are enforced. I want to do things right and get the electrics certified, but for people less concerend than me, how can it possibly be enforced.

On the matter of the regs, etc... the real problem is two fold. One, they have to be necessarily complex to cover as many eventualities as there are variables in any electrical installation.

Two, they're really NOT enforceable until something (often bad) happens. Which is a big shame, and there's many of us here, who would like to see some form of licencing along the lines of Gas Safe, or something, to limit the shoddy work being done out there.

For customers, such as yourself, it is a sad fact that without some kind of help, you're as likely to get suckered by a cowboy, as you are to get a good one. I think pretty well everyone here like to believe this forum helps people avoid some of the cowboys, and find a decent sparks to do a good job.

It's like all things though - the minute someone starts talking you up on the phone, they're either after work that isn't probably needed, or they don't want the work. Often, the former.

As Phil rightly says, though - regs are best left to those trained to understand them. The regs cannot alone teach someone to be an electrician.

If anyone ever tells you again that you'll need a full rewire, yada yada, ask them why, and just to throw them a little, ask them which reg makes that the case. Get them to quote chapter line and verse, and then post it here for us please....we like a good laugh too.

Cheers!

 

[malcolmsanford]

If I were you I would put the house on the market and do nothing. With the government abolishing the HIP's which everyone hoped would lead to the need of a Periodic Inspection Certificate for Electrical Installations, then PIR's are only ever really requested if the surveyor finds something that he highlights.

With the housing market so flat no industry involved with it wants to create further problems, so unless the surveyor, who isn't electrical, finds something drastic the mortgage company will not insist on a report.

I'm obviously not sayingh that there is no chance of them asking for a PIR, but why get one done unless they do. If one is requested then you have to get one and as the other guys say most sparks will do you one, just shop around.

 

[accordfire]

If I were you I would put the house on the market and do nothing. With the government abolishing the HIP's which everyone hoped would lead to the need of a Periodic Inspection Certificate for Electrical Installations, then PIR's are only ever really requested if the surveyor finds something that he highlights.

With the housing market so flat no industry involved with it wants to create further problems, so unless the surveyor, who isn't electrical, finds something drastic the mortgage company will not insist on a report.

I'm obviously not sayingh that there is no chance of them asking for a PIR, but why get one done unless they do. If one is requested then you have to get one and as the other guys say most sparks will do you one, just shop around.

Valid points, Malcolm.

And it highlights something I think is a real shame too - I think every house should be sold with fresh PIR, gas safety, and water quality reports, as well as your typical surveyor junk too.

I guess like anything, it comes down to integrity as it stands - on principle, if I sold this place, I'd get another sparks in to do a PIR for the sale - not because I can't do it, I can, but it would look sus in my book for the guy selling the house also to have signed off on the PIR.....and I look guilty over the silliest things.

It won't be long until they come up with some other bright idea to replace HIPS though. Just the same way they re-invented poll tax, and binned it for re-invented council tax.

 

[SDELEC]

Have you checked with the labc, the rewire may ( should) have been notified under part p ( due to blue/ brown cables). Also GN3 table 3.2 recomends an inspection for domestic installations every 10years or on change of occupancy.
The 'electrician' you spoke to may have been refering to part p, as you cannot self certify ( through a scheme) someone elses work.
the surveyor will probably recommend an inspection just to cover himself. If there is no building cert for the rewire you may be asked to pay an imdenmity. I had to when I sold my last house as there was not a building reg cert for an extn ( that was there when we bought the place).It cost about £150, that was 9 years ago.
The main thing is, dont worry about it until someone asks you to

 

[mogga]

Thanks for replies guys. I spoke to a local electrician on the phone on Friday and asked - he said no electrician will certify someone else's work, and that i'd have to have the house fully rewired. Sounded a bit spurious to me, plus the fact that when I purchased the house nothing was asked about the electrics - at least no certificates were asked for, so I wondered why it would be any different for me selling the house.

I've been trying to get my head round the mindfield that is wiring regs, building regs etc. and it's all confusing. I dont understand how wiring regs/building regs are enforced. I want to do things right and get the electrics certified, but for people less concerend than me, how can it possibly be enforced.

WTF as previously mentioned put your location in forum and possibly one of the members may be able to assist you Although if your in durham it may take a while

 

[accordfire]

WTF as previously mentioned put your location in forum and possibly one of the members may be able to assist you Although if your in durham it may take a while

Lol - unable to test as meter burnt out......some limitation that one!!!!

Sorry Steve!

 

[mogga]

Y sorry he would be first to take the PISh out of anyone (after makin sure they were all ok) I still recon it was a "Well done Steak" on the BBQ done it