Selling property with uncertified electrical circuit
Discussion
Hopefully not too big a deal, long story short I am currently selling my property, an induction hob was installed about 4 years ago but wasn't certified by the installer.
The sales questionnaire asks whether-
1) Have there been any electrical installations, and do you have a certificate?
2) Do you have an EICR?
Answer to q1 is obviously Yes, and No.
Spoken with an electrician and he says that the best approach is to now have an EICR carried out on the entire property and then I can answer yes to question 2.
In the vast experience of the PH hive mind, will this likely resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the purchaser's solicitor? I have suggested re-installation (and certification) of the circuit in question but the electrician doesn't think that would be required if the house as a whole passes an EICR.
The sales questionnaire asks whether-
1) Have there been any electrical installations, and do you have a certificate?
2) Do you have an EICR?
Answer to q1 is obviously Yes, and No.
Spoken with an electrician and he says that the best approach is to now have an EICR carried out on the entire property and then I can answer yes to question 2.
In the vast experience of the PH hive mind, will this likely resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the purchaser's solicitor? I have suggested re-installation (and certification) of the circuit in question but the electrician doesn't think that would be required if the house as a whole passes an EICR.
Yes, but don’t phone around and go with the person offering the cheapest EICR - some use it as a loss-leader to then sell work (especially consumer unit changes).
Be ready, if you have a plastic consumer unit, for it to be noted as not to current standards. It doesn’t need to be replaced if safe. Buyer (or spark wanting more work) may well suggest otherwise.
Be ready, if you have a plastic consumer unit, for it to be noted as not to current standards. It doesn’t need to be replaced if safe. Buyer (or spark wanting more work) may well suggest otherwise.
LooneyTunes said:
Yes, but don t phone around and go with the person offering the cheapest EICR - some use it as a loss-leader to then sell work (especially consumer unit changes).
Be ready, if you have a plastic consumer unit, for it to be noted as not to current standards. It doesn t need to be replaced if safe. Buyer (or spark wanting more work) may well suggest otherwise.
Great thanks! We have a sparkie who does the electrical work on the apartment block so I've just gone with him as I trust him as much as anyone I can find on google I guess!Be ready, if you have a plastic consumer unit, for it to be noted as not to current standards. It doesn t need to be replaced if safe. Buyer (or spark wanting more work) may well suggest otherwise.
CU is plastic. I would certainly dispute it with them if they wanted a new CU, but sadly it's a buyers market so if that's what it ends up needing to avoid any issues then that's what it will take I guess. Perhaps they'd meet in the middle.
Blue Oval84 said:
The sales questionnaire asks whether-
1) Have there been any electrical installations, and do you have a certificate?
2) Do you have an EICR?
Answer to q1 is obviously Yes, and No.
If you don't have any certificates, you don't have any certificates. It'd be nice to regularise it, but bear in mind that any inspection on any other than a brand new house is going to flag something that could be different compared to modern regulations. Will you be addressing any of those items? Are you just handing an invitation to your buyer to knock you down?1) Have there been any electrical installations, and do you have a certificate?
2) Do you have an EICR?
Answer to q1 is obviously Yes, and No.
There's no requirement to have an EICR, or even have all work certified when selling. It may make the sale easier or remove some of the buyer's haggle room, though.
Might be worth checking here too? https://www.checkmynotification.com/
If the hob was bought/installed by someone like AO they should have records...
Might be worth checking here too? https://www.checkmynotification.com/
If the hob was bought/installed by someone like AO they should have records...
Edited by silentbrown on Thursday 9th April 14:48
Jakg said:
Blue Oval84 said:
The sales questionnaire asks whether-
1) Have there been any electrical installations, and do you have a certificate?
2) Do you have an EICR?
Answer to q1 is obviously Yes, and No.
If you don't have any certificates, you don't have any certificates. It'd be nice to regularise it, but bear in mind that any inspection on any other than a brand new house is going to flag something that could be different compared to modern regulations. Will you be addressing any of those items? Are you just handing an invitation to your buyer to knock you down?1) Have there been any electrical installations, and do you have a certificate?
2) Do you have an EICR?
Answer to q1 is obviously Yes, and No.
silentbrown said:
There's no requirement to have an EICR, or even have all work certified when selling. It may make the sale easier or remove some of the buyer's haggle room, though.
Might be worth checking here too? https://www.checkmynotification.com/
If the hob was bought/installed by someone like AO they should have records...
I know for a fact no certificate exists in the database I'm afraid... Might be worth checking here too? https://www.checkmynotification.com/
If the hob was bought/installed by someone like AO they should have records...
Edited by silentbrown on Thursday 9th April 14:48
I've just sold a house with no EICR. Granted i've lived there since before such checks existed but i've not moved for 25 years and am staggered at the amount of regulation with Fensa this and Certass that. There is no official requirement to have an EICR but our buyer commissioned their own before exchange (which thankfully found no major issue). On the house we just bought, the vendors had an EICR done for us without asking, which was nice 
We sold MILs bungalow without any certificate, difference being there were 5 queuing to buy.
The first selected started with 'Have you certificates for the uPvc' well no it's all over 20 years old and works quite well and any thing now wouldn't be worth the paper it printed on.
Then something with the gas boiler, it's been serviced every year by the man who fitted it 4 years ago.
Lastly ' have you a certificate for the electrics', ' no'
.
At this point I told my estate agent to pull the sale from them and offer it to the next people.
Suddenly the buyer decided they would take it as is was no more questions.
It became more apparent afterwards, these people were buying it as a but to let, trying to make it simple for themselves to get everything in order before letting it out.
The first selected started with 'Have you certificates for the uPvc' well no it's all over 20 years old and works quite well and any thing now wouldn't be worth the paper it printed on.
Then something with the gas boiler, it's been serviced every year by the man who fitted it 4 years ago.
Lastly ' have you a certificate for the electrics', ' no'
.
At this point I told my estate agent to pull the sale from them and offer it to the next people.
Suddenly the buyer decided they would take it as is was no more questions.
It became more apparent afterwards, these people were buying it as a but to let, trying to make it simple for themselves to get everything in order before letting it out.
netherfield said:
We sold MILs bungalow without any certificate, difference being there were 5 queuing to buy.
Yeah I have absolutely no queue waiting to buy, hence very keen to do everything I can to raise as few flags as possible.Gary29 said:
They are just routine questions, you could just say no to both if you wanted to.
For the price of an EICR I'd get one done before selling any property now, and have any 'red/amber' items rectified before going to market.
Yeah, I suppose so.For the price of an EICR I'd get one done before selling any property now, and have any 'red/amber' items rectified before going to market.
I wouldn't lie about the "Have you had any installation done?" question but could say no to the other two, it's bloody obvious from looking at the CU that it's had a new circuit added and once I'm gone I want a clean break with absolutely no nagging doubt that someone will come asking questions later.
You could just suggest the buyer arranges an electrical inspection to their satisfaction.
Everything is negotiable, the buyer might need all the i's dotted etc, or they might be thinking they'll make changes anyway, like maybe an EV charge point or heat pump.
It's just a standard question.
If you can't put your hands on the paperwork, it doesn't make much difference if the paperwork ever existed.
A modern house that has had one circuit added is much less risk of cost than an older house where wiring might need replacing.
Every house needs money spending on it, buyers have to weigh that up.
Mortgage companies may put their oar in of course.
Everything is negotiable, the buyer might need all the i's dotted etc, or they might be thinking they'll make changes anyway, like maybe an EV charge point or heat pump.
It's just a standard question.
If you can't put your hands on the paperwork, it doesn't make much difference if the paperwork ever existed.
A modern house that has had one circuit added is much less risk of cost than an older house where wiring might need replacing.
Every house needs money spending on it, buyers have to weigh that up.
Mortgage companies may put their oar in of course.
When we sold our previous house we were asked if we had certificates for the septic tank. We just answered no and waited to see what happened.
The buyer asked us about it, we told them about it and that was that.
You aren’t being asked to provide certificates you are being asked if you have them. Personally I wouldn’t do anything other than answer the question right now.
The buyer asked us about it, we told them about it and that was that.
You aren’t being asked to provide certificates you are being asked if you have them. Personally I wouldn’t do anything other than answer the question right now.
Thanks guys, spoke with the sparkie last night and he said he's more than happy to certify just the new circuit on it's own and therefore avoid any chance of raising questions about the rest of the install so that's the route I'll go down, feel like this is much simpler and minimises the risk of any questions.
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