Home report and electricity

[ALittleBitOfHalloweenMagic]

When the electricity is described as "mixed vintage" is that code for "needs rewiring" or is it more "will need rewired in the near future" ?

I would assume it meant some rewiring has been done but some is pretty old.

Didn't it have an advisory code re: upgrading needed? IIRC 3 means needs done immediately, 2 means will need done in the future, 1 is ok.

Yeah it's at a 2 but it says at the bottom if left unattended 2s can quickly become 3s .

We're selling and we got one "2" which was for the external stonework which shows some wear. It's been the same for the 20 years I've lived here though and when I queried the surveyor he reckoned it'll probably be ok for another 10, but I guess he wouldn't stake his reputation on it.

If it needed doing straight away I guess they'd put a 3, but the 2 means that they saw something that could result in a maintenance cost in the future - who knows how soon? Could rely on multiple factors.

mixed vintage suggests to me that it has been patched up and extended over the years. It may still be safe but I'd have an eye towards a comprehensive rewire to modern standards in the next few years. The best time to do such a thing is when ther house is empty before you move in, and certainly before you do any decorating, flooring, or kitchen refitting. You will not want to hack about your home after you have remodelled it to your taste, to say nothing of the dust, grit and disruption.

Mixed vintage sounds like a wine. If i saw this on a description i would at worst assume it needs a rewire. Good advice from pigman. Check your home insurance will cover whilst you deal with the work. If you're looking at buying and want more info for decision making, ask for a qualified electrical contractor to do a 'periodic test'. This will ultimately give you a bit of paper setting out what is wrong with the electrics in terms of where they fall short of normal modern standards and will include recommendations, with priority timings, for appropriate repairs. It will cost money to get this bit of paper but worth it if electrics look dodgy.

A PIR (now called Electrical Condition Report) might cost around £150 - £250, and is only worth it if you think the installation is pretty good. An experienced electrician will know within 30 seconds of walking through the door if you need a rewire, so try to get recommendations for a good local firm, and maybe agree £50 for a quick opinion, or the full rate if it warrants a detailed report.

You can often get free "visual inpections" but they are free because the contractor expects to get the cost back from you in remedial work. They will also need to get the back from you the cost of the inspections done for other people who decide not to have the work done.

Hi, can anyone recommend a good electrician for the PIR / Electrical Condition Report for SE London postcodes?