In England and Wales, houses and bought and sold largely on first impressions. The potential new owner has quite a limited amount of information to go on, and that can create problems down the line.
If a buyer has a survey done after putting their offer in, they may discover faults that were not originally noticeable. From dodgy wiring to crumbling walls, an unexpected fault can throw a spanner in the works – and could cause a sale to fall through.
Checking Safety
When you market your house, you will probably get the estate agent’s advice on dressing it well and decluttering. This makes the property look much better in photos, and it can greatly improve your chances of getting a viewing.
Beyond that, sellers are rarely advised to work on the house or have it safety checked. Many estate agents suggest that vendors don’t work on the electrics since it’s a job the new owner will do anyway.
But many a sale has fallen through due to electrical problems. We’ve done safety checks for prospective buyers and found that the whole house needs rewiring. In some cases, wires have not been properly terminated, which is incredibly dangerous.
Hire the Experts
When a prospective buyer attends for a viewing, they will probably carry out a basic visual check. That might include:
- Looking for brown marks around sockets
- Estimating the age of the sockets, based on their design and shape
- Looking for old, braided light cords
- Spotting signs of electrical work or repair
Unless they’re formally trained, they will probably fail to spot more serious problems – including things you’re not aware of yourself.
Many homes that we consider to be modern are now starting to age. A property built in the 1970s will almost certainly need a safety check and maybe even a rewire, if it has not been done already. If you’re selling a home that’s older, all bets are off; your house may need significant investment to bring it up to scratch.
How to Get a House Checked
MD Bespoke Solutions can safety check any prospective property. If your buyer, or their surveyor, feel that a separate electrical survey is needed, we will carry this out with the minimum in fuss and delay.
Ordinarily, our representative will go to the estate agent with ID and collect the keys to the property. We will then visit each room to inspect the sockets, switches and wiring. We will pay special attention to the meter cupboard, since this can be the source of many electrical faults and warning signs.
Once the check is completed, we can drop the keys back in and issue a report. On the basis of that report, your prospective buyer may choose to drop their purchase, or reduce their offer price.
Wouldn’t it be better to organise the check yourself? That way, you can proceed through the sale and an accept an offer in confidence, knowing that there are no serious problems set to derail your sale.
Contact us today and find out how affordable an electrical safety check can be.
