Electrical inspection

[Bones2017]

Hello,

I’m 7-8 weeks into my house sale. Survey has been done and my buyers have big plans. Walls are coming out etc so a lot of changes. After the survey, they were recommended to get an electrical inspection done. He came and as he was leaving, he said the house had ‘failed’ the inspection. He asked if we had a 2nd circuit board (we don’t) and said something along the lines of not being able to follow the circuit around the house? He didn’t mention any danger or anything so do you think this will impact my house sale at all? Like I’ve said, the buyers do have big changes and plans. We’ve had builders and structural engineers also visit the house. I’m just so worried this will impact the sale.
many advice or thought appreciated.

Was it an EICR? Did he spend a lot of time filling in a load of small boxes on a set of forms?

https://hexoelectricaltesting.co.uk/what-happens-if-your-eicr-report-returns-an-unsatisfactory-result/

I believe it was an EICR because it was recommended by the surveyor. Or at least that’s what the estate agent told me when they asked if he could visit

I've had a few of these done recently and they often fail, just to the regulations changing.

One house sale, I did the mandatory work and the buyer agreed to do the rest (it was her suggestion) and in my current sale, I've instructed the work as it's a FTB and it's only fair.

If they're doing a lot of work, I'd expect them to take a sensible view.

We already reduced the house heavily also and they got it for £20k under asking.
If they’re doing a lot of work I’m hoping this may have just been a clarity exercise for them.
Anyway, hoping for news early next week so I know what I’m dealing with. Doesn’t help that I’m going through a divorce and really don’t want to lose the house I’ve offered on.

A new edition of the IET Wiring Regulations is published every three years. Existing properties are not required, or even expected, to update; only new installations need comply.

Some buyers have difficulty with this distinction. I hope yours is not among them, OP. Best wishes for a relatively easy sale.

Ask them to provide you with a copy of the EICR report and then pay an independent electrician to review it for you and advise. Make sure the electrician knows there won't be any work off the back of it because you're selling, otherwise they'll just say everything is wrong to get more work from you.

I would ask 'what causes imminent danger and needs changing.' As in, what could burn the house down if I don't change?

Get him to price up that job. Then you can go back to your seller.

20k is a good discount, but really it depends on just how bad it is. Quotes I've seen on here and other places over the last year for a full rewire have been for 8-12k plus replastering, redecorating costs, and I think people also often move out because the work is so intrusive? So a full rewire is very big money these days. Those numbers are usually 3 bed houses.

BUT, VERY few properties need anything like that amount of work doing.

Yep, the work I've had done has only been a few hundred usually.

I live in a house I suspect needs a full rewire but having stayed during one once, I'm not rushing to find out...