Should I have a Part P cert for new wiring?

[Paul46]

Hi all,

I've just bought a house which has he'd some re-wiring work done , it was a repossession and it looks like the work has been done recently .
since completing the sale I've started to wonder if I should have any certification to back up the work and by looking on the net I see that it would possibly of needed to be done by a part P certified electrician , it's basically just all the sockets in the house .
I've asked the estate agent a few times since the sale but they don't seem to be interested , should the electrician have been Part P trained?
Thanks

 

[JohnW2]

I've just bought a house which has he'd some re-wiring work done , it was a repossession and it looks like the work has been done recently . since completing the sale I've started to wonder if I should have any certification to back up the work and by looking on the net I see that it would possibly of needed to be done by a part P certified electrician , it's basically just all the sockets in the house .
I've asked the estate agent a few times since the sale but they don't seem to be interested , should the electrician have been Part P trained?

Since it was a repossession, I would think that your chances of getting any paperwork from the previous owner would be close to zero, and to enquire of the Local Authority as to whether the work was notified to or certified by them could just open up a can of worms for you. I think you probably just have to accept that you are now the owner of the house, and electrical installation' 'as is' and, if you have any concerns about the quality/safety of the electrical installation, get an electrician to undertake an inspection and provide an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) - but that would obviously cost you.

Kind Regards, John

 

[riveralt]

Your solicitors should have asked standard questions about the state of the utilities in the property - this will include has any electrical work been completed in the last xx years?
A standard response for lenders who repossess property is 'Don't know'.
So either speak to your solicitor or accept the Caveat emptor principle.

 

[JohnW2]

Your solicitors should have asked standard questions about the state of the utilities in the property - this will include has any electrical work been completed in the last xx years?
A standard response for lenders who repossess property is 'Don't know'.
So either speak to your solicitor or accept the Caveat emptor principle.

I actually started typing almost exactly the same reply, but then saw the word 'repossession'. Under those circumstances, I presume that the previous owner's answers would not have been available for completion of the standard enquiry form (which does, indeed, ask for details of any electrical work since 1st Jan 2005), so I suspect that the buyer's solicitor will have received forms with a whole series of "not known" answers!

Kind Regards, John

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Are you in a position to find out who the electrician was?
I doubt there is really anything that could be done, if you have bought a repossession house as seen.
In the ideal world, any new work, would/should have some form of documentation. That does not mean it required, notification or a domestic scheme registered electrician ("Part P", if you wish!) to install it

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Probably the person who'd been unable to keep up the mortgage payments.

 

[stillp]

Does it really matter? A completion certificate will only state that the work was completed to sombody's satisfaction some time ago, and since then it might have been modified by a DIYer, or, given that it is a repo, possibly modified with malicious intent.
If you'd bought a reposessed car at auction, would you be happy to rely on a previous MOT certificate to tell you it was safe?
Just get an EICR done, it will cost only a small proportion of the cost of the house, and will tell you what needs doing now.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

if you have any concerns about the quality/safety of the electrical installation, get an electrician to undertake an inspection and provide an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

Might be a wise move - it's not unknown for people who know they are going to be repossessed to do a bit of sabotage before they leave.