'Urgent remedial action' estimates

[Alfred Broderick]

Hi

I recently had an electrical test done on my flat prior to a sale. The flat won't have had much work done in many many years so i was expecting there to be work needed to be done.

The report has identified, amongst other observations, for 3 'Urgent remedial action required' items. I have no experience whatsoever of electrics, so this is gobbledegook to me! I am awaiting a quote, but i don't know how long that will take and i'm keen to understand the potential costs now in order to handle the purchaser of my property.

I don't know if the tests are 'standard' and therefore readable by others... but i thought i would ask if anyone can decipher the below and advise on how serious these are and if possible put a cost estimate to them?



Inspection Schedule Item 6.7: Suitability of accessories and controlgear etc. for a particular
zone (701.512.3) is in a potentially dangerous condition. Urgent remedial action is required.


Inspection Schedule Item 6.6: Suitability of equipment for external influences for installed
location in terms of IP rating (701.512.2) is in a potentially dangerous condition. Urgent
remedial action is required.

Inspection Schedule Item 6.8: Suitability of current-using equipment for particular position
within the location (701.55) is in a potentially dangerous condition. Urgent remedial action is
required

Many thanks!

 

[i=p/u]

Tester obviously doesn't like what you have in bathroom or something

 

[littlespark]

The words "potentially dangerous condition. Urgent remedial action is required" is fairly generic with these reports, and be somewhat misleading.
Are these all possibly referring to items within a bathroom by any chance?

If you can photograph these "potentially dangerous" items and post up here, we can help advise better, but at the moment, im thinking its a basic pendant in bathroom instead of an IP rated fitting.

 

[i=p/u]

And remove any details of contractors or personal info.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Again just highlights why I hate electrical paperwork , the only people who can make head or tail of it are electricians themseleves and even then I sometimes get passed an EICR and I can barely make any sense of it

 

[westward10]

Why did you have a test done if you are selling?

 

[i=p/u]

Just a guy fishing to the unknown, we all do it.. mr tester maybe should of explained in simple terms

 

[Alfred Broderick]

Thanks all. I'll upload a copy of the report with detail obfuscated.. Does anyone know how i can edit a PDF doc to do this!?
Thanks

 

[littlespark]

Any PDF i open comes up in Microsoft Edge, the web browser.
There's a tool bar which has a "draw" option... Pick a thick black line and draw over the details. Resave pdf with a new name and upload here as a file attachment.

 

[Alfred Broderick]

Thanks Littlespark. now attached

 

[littlespark]

To save other people downloading the file:

Existing 4 gang fuse box with rewirable fuses.

The C2’s listed include, a radial to sockets wired in 2.5, on a 30A fuse….. Bathroom light not enclosed, so as we thought, a pendant or baton lampholder…..
And a few others.

Some things are marked as a FAIL… which is incorrect. An EICR is a report. There is no pass or fail… it’s either a C1, C2 or C3 for grades of faults.(or FI, NV)

As mentioned on #6, why get the test done? Most houses are sold as seen…. Any problems are the buyers responsibility.
Maybe good that any faults have been brought up now, and you can fix a selling price accordingly, but I don’t think you should be expected to do all the remedial works before selling.

 

[FatAlan]

Spot on LS. Just say that the state of the electrics are factored in to the price of the sale. Older fuse board, buyer can do any remedial work to their required spec.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Houses are 'sold as seen'

A potential buyer can 'ask' for a report on the electrics , plumbing , roof , windows etc etc but ultimately the seller should set the price according to the age and condition of the property from the get go...

The only time I would pay for a report is if something looks suspect or the seller is saying the house has been rewired but there might be signs that this is not quite true

 

[Alfred Broderick]

To save other people downloading the file:

Existing 4 gang fuse box with rewirable fuses.

The C2’s listed include, a radial to sockets wired in 2.5, on a 30A fuse….. Bathroom light not enclosed, so as we thought, a pendant or baton lampholder…..
And a few others.

Some things are marked as a FAIL… which is incorrect. An EICR is a report. There is no pass or fail… it’s either a C1, C2 or C3 for grades of faults.(or FI, NV)

As mentioned on #6, why get the test done? Most houses are sold as seen…. Any problems are the buyers responsibility.
Maybe good that any faults have been brought up now, and you can fix a selling price accordingly, but I don’t think you should be expected to do all the remedial works before selling.

Thanks for looking into this.

So the buyers solictor asked us if we would be willing to get a test done. We were not sure what to do… we debated and spoke to people and advice was mixed including they’ll probably say they’ll need it before exchanging as the buyer is buying to rent.. so they’ll get it done anyway.

Yes “sold as seen - buyers responsibility” was always where my head has been at.. maybe we should have declined… but we thought we were “doing the right thing” and as said… they may think we had something to hide and got it done themselves anyway

We thought we would be open and collaborative and get it done knowing it would need some updating but hoping it was still reasonably safe… and that’s exactly what the tester told us after.. that it needs updating but is safe….

Then we get the report and I’m alarmed by the number of items listed… but not knowing anything about how serious this is I posted here…

So we are in the final stages of the sale and yes I fully expect the buyer to negotiate on this.. the question comes down to will it cost £200 or £2000+ to make safe!?

My proposal would be to split it or for us to get the “urgent” done… but not sure how that will play out.

 

[FatAlan]

At the end of the day it’s down to how much you want the sale. Some of the remedial fixes like correcting the fuse on the radial and replacing a light fitting could be corrected very cheaply and on your terms. I wouldn’t get involved in the expense of correcting stuff to meet buyers buy to let standards.

 

[westward10]

It is a poorly worded Report. BS3036 fuses I am failing to see why this is Code 2, still recognised by BS7671. The schedule does not indicate this two gang socket radial on a 30A fuse so I am assuming a spur from the ring final so does it need a Code at all.
The Report does not comment on the continuity readings of r2 for the ring final in comparison to r1. Giving the likely age of the installation are the cpcs 1.0 but r2 is still a bit high.

 

[Vortigern]

The cost of repair would not be reflected in the uplift on the value/sale price of the house on an actuarial calculation. Whereas one buyer will use the poor wiring condition as a bargaining point to see off £2-3k on the price, another will snap it up and just do what they want to do when they get the property. House prices now make it a sellers market, unless you are desperate to move just sell as is. The phrase Caveat Emptor applies, Buyer Beware!

 

[brianmoooore]

C2 for BS3036 fuses? Unless I've missed something, there's no reason why they can't be used for a new installation, although it would be a strange thing to do.

 

[Alfred Broderick]

Thanks for all of the comments - really appreciated.
I am asking for a quote of the entire works and a quote for the 'urgent action' items - just to be prepared for if the buyer does try to negotiate.
I'd be really keen to know any views on what the cost could roughly be.
Thanks again

 

[Vortigern]

For what appears to be a few remedials nothings;£200-300 For a box change not much change from £1000. Rewire £4-6k

 

[Alfred Broderick]

For what appears to be a few remedials nothings;£200-300 For a box change not much change from £1000. Rewire £4-6k

Thank you and for the rewire which are those items on the report? Ie is the rework an “urgent” item?

 

[Vortigern]

BPG4 on the electrical safety .org site remarks on the type of box you have, it is not "unsatisfactory" or a failure there is no actual need to change it just because it is old and rewirable fuses. So the small items mentioned on abstract by @littlespark indicates a few small items that are easily rectified such as bath light, 30a fuse on 2.5 cable (fused spur is the answer. these amount to the £2-300 I mentioned. If you change the fuse box it could cost up to £1k, if you ripped it allout and rewired then anything from £4-6k depending on how many rooms and the spec of the wiring. And you can change the fuses for modern BS60898 fuses that dont need rewiring around £30 ish each.

 

[Lister1987]

BS60898 fuses that dont need rewiring around £30 ish each.

Surely you mean MCBs old chap?

 

[pc1966]

Some issues appear justifiable (e.g. lack of gas bonding perhaps), some not (e.g. rewirable fuses are not intrinsically unsatisfactory), others we can't comment on without seeing the situation (e.g. bathroom light).

But as the seller you can just let the potential buyer know this is the result and decide what you are happy to do. In your position I would accept maybe a £1k drop in price for rectifying known issues.

If they want to rewire it fully (for example to have sufficient sockets in locations they want), which if I were the buyer I would be considering, and/or make significant changes (such as style of lights in the bathroom, etc) then leave that to the buyer to deal with after the sale. It would be expensive (as above, £5k-ish) and almost certainly would need redecorating afterwards.

 

[Alfred Broderick]

Thank you all- really appreciated

 

[Vortigern]

Surely you mean MCBs old chap?

Indood I de. Just testing, checking if anyone is awake In fact I often call them fuses for the client as they will not understand MCB.

 

[Doomed]

Houses are 'sold as seen'

A potential buyer can 'ask' for a report on the electrics , plumbing , roof , windows etc etc but ultimately the seller should set the price according to the age and condition of the property from the get go...

The only time I would pay for a report is if something looks suspect or the seller is saying the house has been rewired but there might be signs that this is not quite true

We are starting to get EICR requests from the soliciters of house purchasers whos mortgage lenders will not lend without a satisfactory EICR

 

[brianmoooore]

In fact I often call them fuses for the client as they will not understand MCB.

The same as I still say fusebox instead of consumer unit and distribution board when talking with customers.

 

[Dustydazzler]

We are starting to get EICR requests from the soliciters of house purchasers whos mortgage lenders will not lend without a satisfactory EICR

Possibly because a full rewire now costs £10K+ which means buyers already mortgaged up to their eyeballs won't be able to afford a full rewire ?