who pays for safety checks, completions for electricity and heating?

[flownthecoopkiwi]

Currently buying and selling.

Selling issue: had new kitchen fitted and electrics done by registered electrician who was then not paid by builder so no completion certificate supplied to us. Buyer wants an electrics check done. Who would normally pay?

Buying issue: house is vacant probate sale with executors with no knowledge of property. They left out any info about electrics or oil heating in property form. Some light fittings are missing in living room and the study lights didn't switch on. Who should pay to get this tested?

Thanks!

To my knowledge electricians are not allowed to withhold certificates regardless of whether or not they have been paid. If you know who completed the work, find who they're registered with and log a complaint with them (napit, niceic etc etc). Most certificates are issued online now anyway so you should get it reasonably quickly

I'd look at making a deduction from the purchase price agreed to cover your costs in getting the electrics tested on the probate property. Get some quotes and take it from there.

Selling , you as it should be part and parcel of your building regs completion. Buying, probably split it in the circumstances. Presumably your offer reflected the condition.

In practice there dont seem to be any hard or fast rules on it. Negotiate hard, but some buyers/sellers are right pitas, so unless you're prepared to walk.........

Thanks for feedback. Interesting point about complaining about electrician but as I only know his first name and he threatened to come and rip out everything he had done unless we paid him I think it's unlikely we'll get anywhere with him.

None of this stuff is a deal breaker, just niggles hopefully.