Selling my house - no NICEIC

[topcat1976]

Can anyone help - I'm in a panic!

We moved into our house in 2006 and had some electrical work done by a friend who's an electrician but we didnt have it certified (we didn't know about all the regulations). He:

- replaced the fuse box in the house,
- replaced the wires going from the house to the external garage
- added(replaced maybe?) the fuse box in the garage
- Replaced a strip light in the garage

The problem is that we're now selling the house and have said that we've had the work done. It's obviously come to light that we don't have it certified.

What are my options?

1. Get the work re-done in it's entirety (I understand it can't retrospectively be certified)
2. Get a periodic inspection report done. Will this satisfy them?
3. Get indemnity insurance - Do they do it for electrical work?

Help!
Tracy

 

[ricicle]

Get a PIR done on the property or just take the hit on the price haggle if they try and drop you for not having the certification. Or ask your electrician 'friend' to return and certify as he was obliged to do under BS7671

 

[sherlockholmes]

Just say you had it was done before you moved in, lost the paperwork, something of that nature. A PIR might satisfy 'them' but it depends who 'they' are. If it's the estate agents and buyers, it probably will. If it's building control it might not.

Getting a PIR is a good idea anyway when you want to sell, you should do that. I reckon your best course with the uncertified work is not to draw attention to it to be honest. Or dishonest as I should say.

edit: or as ricicle points out, get the guy who should have certified back. Assuming he was actually able to certify?

 

[flameport]

When buying houses, only two words really apply.

Caveat emptor.

 

[topcat1976]

Thanks for your replies.
We've already told the buyers and solicitors that we had the work done.

We'll check if he can come back but from what I can gather he can't certify it? Maybe because he did it as a favour and not through the company he works for. I'm not really sure so I'll get my other half to check.

 

[topcat1976]

No he can't certify it.

 

[big-all]

just remember buying and selling is a game
sometimes its childish and unfair sometimes its reasonable and fair

all you can do is reduce the things for them to throw at you
if they want to "screw you down " they will find fault with anything
if the want to play fair they will be open and not move the goals but rightly ask about important issues

hopefully they will be fair

just remember if they keep coming with petty faults you just say the house was priced accordingly especially when it gets to level you cant shift below or could be a deal breaker

 

[sherlockholmes]

There's really no need to panic, a PIR puts you at the same level (or better) of paperwork as most houses in the country and may well satisfy all involved. You could contact your council's building control department for an opinion, but in your place i'd make as little noise about it as possible and just see where the PIR gets me.


I'd be very interested to know how much you saved on the work initially and how much you lose on the sale because of it (if anything) if you don't mind sharing that when you eventually find out.

 

[taycast]

What exactly have the buyers solicitors requested? That their clients are not buying it unless you get it certified? That they want to renegotiate the price? Or something else?[/quote]

 

[topcat1976]

At this stage all thats happened is that the buyers solicitor has asked for an NICEIC certificate for the work. Our solicitor has responded saying we can't find it, if we ever had one in the first place (I didn't want to get our electrician friend in trouble so didn't mention him at all).

I'm worrying that this would be a deal breaker but solicitors must see this all the time. I'll just have to wait for their response and see.

A PIR is a good idea but would highlight a probable problem with the wiring in the loft which runs off a plug socket in the bedroom too though..... We'd be prepared to have it rewired (although I've no idea how much that would cost - any ideas?). We had a PIR done when we were in the process of buying the house in the first place but they obviously didn't spot it.

As for how much the uncertified work cost us - We had a quote (from the person who did the PIR) for £600 but our friend did it for £300. It will end up costing us loads more than what we've saved I'm sure. I'll happily let you know....

Thanks
Tracy

 

[sherlockholmes]

'Can't find it' is a good response. They'll ask for a PIR, you'll suggest they commission it themselves or just provide it, they'll ask for money off to rectify any problems found, you'll tell them another buyer is interested, etc etc. Standard sale.

As for the lights in the loft being run off a plug, I'd suggest you just unplug it and let the buyers wire the loft properly if they want to, or plug it back in. Coil it up and leave it in the loft. (Assuming it's just storage space up there.)

Selling a house is very stressful, I think you may be blowing things out of proportion a bit here. It may end up costing you nothing at all.

 

[topcat1976]

Boiler is in the loft so can't really just unplug it.

Anyway, you're almost certainly right about me blowing things out of proportion! I'm a worrier! Thanks for your help. I do feel a bit less stressed.

Fingers crossed.

 

[sherlockholmes]

Sounds like you don't have a loft lighting circuit, just a plug-in light with a long lead. That would explain why no mention on your original pir.

 

[Stoday]

the buyers solicitor has asked for an NICEIC certificate for the work.

A NICEIC cartificate can only be issued by a NICEIC electrician. There is no requirement that an electrician should be registered with NICEIC and that's why you have no NICEIC certificate. The buyer's solicitor is getting mixed up with a Building Control certificate.

In any case you (or your electrician) could disconnect the new work so that you no longer have an uncertified installation.

 

[Chri5]

In any case you (or your electrician) could disconnect the new work so that you no longer have an uncertified installation.

Keep up

replaced the fuse box in the house,
- replaced the wires going from the house to the external garage
- added(replaced maybe?) the fuse box in the garage
- Replaced a strip light in the garage

So how would you discon a CU and keep working service