Electrics and Home Buyer Reports
In most cases, surveyors are not electricians that are indeed the case at Home Heroes. We are there to look at every aspect of the property to see if the price you’ve offered is appropriate and to identify any issues or suspected issues to the prospective buyer. If they spot something unusual with the electrics in the property, they will ask you to organise a separate electrical inspection.
This is particularly the case if there is no recent proof of an in date Electrical Installation Condition Report in an RICS branded or SAVA Branded survey this is going to get you a RED warning this doesn’t indicate that there is something wrong it merely indicates this requires further investigation as the condition is unknown. This is also going to be the case when extensive works have been carried out and there is no minor work certificate or when a Consumer unit (Fuse Box) has been recently replaced but hasn’t been notified to building control.
The recommendation will be to get them checked or ask for further documentation via your solicitor if this can’t be found the next thing to do is either to arrange as the buyer or ask the vendor to commission an electrical inspection.
A Periodic Inspection (Electrical Installation Condition Report) and the test will give you the confidence a trained professional will be able to
- Give you a detailed report of exactly what needs doing and tell you if it’s safe in its current position.
- You get a clear picture of the cost involved in putting problems right. This could put you in a better negotiating position for the purchase, so you could negotiate the price of the purchase down or ask the seller to contribute towards the work or even undertake them before a purchase.
A Building surveyor can’t be an expert on every aspect of a property, although they will understand the implications and what to look out for when inspecting and asking limited questions of the occupants if they are on site. If it is recommended in your survey that you get an inspection of the electrical installation or ask the vendor additional questions it is for genuine need.
All electrical installations deteriorate with age and use. They should, therefore, be inspected and tested at regular intervals to check whether they are in a satisfactory condition for continued use. Such safety checks are commonly referred to as 'periodic inspection and testing'.
A periodic inspection will:
- Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded.
- Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards.
- Identify any defective electrical work.
- Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding.
Tests are also carried out on wiring and fixed electrical equipment to check that they are safe. A schedule of circuits is also provided, which is invaluable for a property.
Periodic inspection and testing should be carried out only by electrically competent persons, such as registered electricians. They will check the condition of the electrics against the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671 – Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations).
You can find a competent local electrician who is approved by a suitable body here: http://www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk/Search
If you wish to book a Home Buyer Report Canterbury do contact us
Home Heroes Limited are a Construction Consultancy based in Canterbury, Kent Specialising as Party Wall Surveyors, Building Surveyors Canterbury and Historic Building Consultants you can contact us by filling in the contact form, emailing info@home-heroes.co.uk or calling 01227 806334
We cover Canterbury, Margate, Ramsgate, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Folkestone, Dover, Deal, Ash, Sandwich, Faversham, Sittingbourne and Other Kent Locations for all Our Party Wall, Building Surveys, Home Buyer Reports.
