towel warmer install

[echoes]

Unless the work was unsafe, I doubt if anyone is going to jail or even to court to argue over whether the situation under discussion is notifiable or not. It would serve no useful purpose* and de minimus would be invoked.

* other than curtailing some discussions on our favourite forum!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Depending on the state of the market and the aggressiveness of any future buyer, there is always the possibility of court action if a vendor lies about not having done notifiable work, or price reduction if he 'fesses up, so from that POV it is important to know.

 

[JohnW2]

Unless the work was unsafe, I doubt if anyone is going to jail or even to court to argue over whether the situation under discussion is notifiable or not. It would serve no useful purpose* and de minimus would be invoked. * other than curtailing some discussions on our favourite forum!

Indeed, which is at least one of the reasons why, as I've said, I would personally not notify it. However, I imagine you would agree that it would not be appropriate for us to advise the OP (who has been asking about ways of installing his towel rail which would avoid the need for notification) to ignore the question of whether or not it is notifiable (and hence not notify) - wouldn't you?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I believe that the FCU is not notifiable, and because the implication of saying it isn't means that almost everything loses its exemption in Schedule 4 and virtually no work becomes non-notifiable, the case for saying that the FCU is non-notifiable is far stronger than the one for saying it is.

Schedule 4 clearly does not make the towel rail non-notifiable, but AD P claims it is.

 

[JohnW2]

Depending on the state of the market and the aggressiveness of any future buyer, there is always the possibility of court action if a vendor lies about not having done notifiable work, or price reduction if he 'fesses up, so from that POV it is important to know.

I certainly agree that a vendor is strongly advised not to lie about these matters (for the reason you give), but I don't think there's any need to lie, and I think that the potential consequences of telling the truth are probably somewhat over over-played.

The standard 'legal document' involved is the form TA6, which merely asks whether any electrical work has been undertaken since 1.1.2005 (Yes/No and, if yes, the year - no details). Other details would only be revealed in response to any subsequent questions from the buyer's lawyers.

However, the main point is that, from a potential buyer's viewpoint, being told that notifiable work has been undertaken without notification (i.e. 'illegally') is no different from being told that non-notifiable work had been undertaken ('legally')(particularly if DIY) - and, indeed, not much different from being told that no electrical work (and hence probably no I&T) had been undertaken for many years. In any of those cases, a buyer really can't be sure about the state/safety of the electrical installation without having an EICR undertaken. Some buyers will, of course, try to use anything as an excuse for trying to get a price reduction, but it would be irrational for them to try to argue that non-notification of notifiable work was, per se, a good reason for a price reduction - after all, legally-undertaken non-notifiable work could (particulatly if DIYed) have been undertaken just as incorrectly/dangerously as could non-notified notifiable work.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There is often little or no rationality in these matters, just the rationale of beating the price down. Those questions come late in the day, and at a point where the vendor will be reluctant to lose the sale and more compliant.

It's just business.

 

[JohnW2]

There is often little or no rationality in these matters, just the rationale of beating the price down.

Agreed - but only weak or desparate vendors will (or should) entertain irrational attempts at 'beating down'.

Those questions come late in the day, and at a point where the vendor will be reluctant to lose the sale and more compliant.

Also at a time when the purchaser has invested a lot of time and effort, and appreciable money (e.g. on surveys etc.) and is also reluctant to lose the purchase. A member of my family is selling houses all the time and she finds that vendors almost invariably back down from late attempts to reduce price if their attempts are firmly resisted.

Back on topic, as I said before, if a potential buyer is going to be concerned about anything, it should be that DIY electrical work has been undertaken without notification (hence, at least in their eyes, without formal 'supervision/approval'), per se - whether it was non-notifiable work undertaken legally or notifiable work undertaken illegally (without notification). In other words, whether or not it should have been notified is actually irrelevant to the purchaser.

Kind Regards, John