Surveyors flag electrical installations for further investigation as a matter of routine, because testing is outside their scope. If the wiring's condition affects your offer, the only way to know is a proper inspection before exchange.
What to look at on a viewing
You can learn a surprising amount in five minutes without touching anything.
- The consumer unit: rewireable fuses, or modern protective devices?
- Socket count and whether extension leads are everywhere
- Round-pin sockets, braided flex or brown bakelite accessories
- Any certificates the vendor can produce, and their dates
- Evidence of DIY additions in garages, lofts and gardens
Commissioning a pre-purchase inspection
A pre-purchase electrical inspection gives you a condition report with test results. If it comes back unsatisfactory, you have a costed basis for renegotiation instead of a vague worry. If it comes back satisfactory, you have removed an unknown.
Budgeting for the first year
Common first-year items are a consumer unit change, additional sockets so the house suits how you live, and lighting updates. Knowing which of these are safety-driven and which are preference is exactly what a report gives you.
Common questions
- Can you inspect before exchange?
- Yes, subject to the vendor granting access and the supply being on.
- Will the report help renegotiate?
- It gives you documented, costed findings, which is a far stronger position than an estimate.
- Is a rewire always needed in an older house?
- No. Plenty of older properties have been partially rewired and test well.
- How long does the inspection take?
- Typically half a day for a family home, subject to access.
Booking before exchange is tight but usually possible — tell us your timeline.
Related guides
- EICR Codes C1, C2, C3 and FI ExplainedFour codes decide whether your report is satisfactory and what you must do next.
- Rewiring Period and Character PropertiesIn a period property the wiring is the easy part; getting to it without damage is the job.
- What Affects the Cost of a Consumer Unit UpgradeTwo identical-looking boards can be very different jobs once the cover comes off.