Does everyone get an electrician and gas safety person to check their purchase before proceeding?

[HairyPorter]

Ftb here so am a bit clueless about it all. The house is a period property which is in good condition and was last rewired about 7 years ago. The survey has recommended getting an electrician in (and in fact suggests it should be done every 3 years!)... Is this what everyone does anyway? I hadn't even factored this as a job to be done when moving house!

No. Most people don't get the electrics done that often because regs change every 5 minutes.

No. Plenty of stuff in surveys is them covering their backs.

Thanks!! Suddenly got concerned that we should get them checked and that this would delay our move even further. The place appears to be in good condition and it was done up 7 years ago- is it coming up to a stage where we need to do an inspection anyway for electrics / gas?

Rewiring 7 years ago is practically new rewiring - unless the survey mentions a specific concern about the electrics then ignore it.

It's usual to ask vendors for a Gas Safety Check certificate/service dated within the last year.

Most people don't. But most people spend less time checking a house they're buying 'works' than they do a second-hand car. 7 year old wiring is practically new. However if there's no paperwork there's nothing to say that wiring job isn't a deathtrap.

I'm being a little over the top there but a Periodic Inspection Report (PRI) costs around £100 which, to me at least, is peanuts when buying a house.

PIR even!

unless the boiler is under warranty, get a corgi reg'd gas person out to look it over. Safety check won't tell you how long it's got left to live. Voice of bitter experience here - three times I failed to do it, and three times I've replaced the boiler within a year of buying a house.

(the last place I bought was only a 4 year old property. I assumed the boiler would therefore be fine. The people who built it had put an 11 yr old boiler into their new build...)

Depends if the results would put you off buying. We knew that the wiring was probably old and the boiler was ancient when we were buying. We got an electric and gas safe check carried when we completed before moving in for our own piece of mind.

We've had electrical surveys on old houses and have turned up dangerous botches etc which we were able to negotiate over, including one splicing runs of new wiring into old circuits which weren't earthed. For peace of mind I'd get an electrician to take a quick look, and consider commissioning a survey if that throws up any concerns. But I am on the risk averse end of the spectrum....

We've just decided not to do this as we couldn't get someone to do the test soon and we really just want to get going. I don't think they would have been open to much negotiation anyway, but we will get them checked when it's ours anyway for our peace of mind and just take it on the chin if we end up paying out.

There wasn't gas in when we bought. We suspected the wiring was old and bought assuming it would need replacing soon. If a boiler is fairly new, then I'd expect a gas certificate to be available.

The electrics in the house we're hoping to buy were done four years ago and our survey still recommends they're checked. Think they do it to cover themselves as they can't check themselves. There will be an electrical certificate available and you have every right to ask for a copy. If not, the vendor can obtain one (which our vendors did for us). Also, if you look on the trip switch box there's probably a label with a date on which confirms that something was done on that date - in our case the date accords with when the electrics were rewired.

Forgot to say, re: gas - you are entitled to ask for proof the boiler has been serviced every year. That way you know it's been looked after and someone has tested for carbon emissions.

We didnt and nor have our buyers. I think all surveyors suggest getting gas and electrics checked because they are not qualified and cover their own backs a bit.

We knew our boiler was getting old and not great when we put our house up for sale so we had it replaced before we sold as it hadnt been serviced for years and years. I would never be able to forgive myself if we sold the house with a dodgy boiler and their was a carbon monoxide leak... that said I supose it is for the buyers to check. We have asked for a copy of the gas boiler service history for our purchase.

For the electrics we havent worried - the house we are buying is 10 years old and the regs change all the time. In our current house the electrics are older so wouldn't meet the regulations if tested now but they work absolutely fine and I have no guilty conscious about not replacing them like I did with the boiler!

No to gas and electricity unless there is a reason to have them but YES to a drain survey, especially in a period house.

I always have a drainage survey when I buy a new house. It's not expensive. I have videos of all my drains

We're FTBs and the vendors have already said the price is fixed after dropping it for a quick sale. We know we're getting a bargain so will get the electrics and gas checked after we exchange just for safety.

Never.

I'd only get the elecs checked if the house had the really old fashioned light switches which would indicate the electrics were about 50yo. And to be honest if it was that old I'd be factoring in a rewire no matter what any report says.

I honestly don't understand the complacency. Or I've just bumped into more than my fair share of dodgy diy electrics...

No never, same as VivaLeBeaver, if it that old you are going to replace the lot