If you're buying
A homebuyer's survey will usually say something along the lines of "the electrical installation appears dated, we recommend inspection by a qualified electrician". That sentence is not a diagnosis. It is the surveyor telling you they did not look, because looking is not their job.
An EICR is the thing that actually answers it. On a house you have never lived in, it is the only reliable way to find out what is behind the walls before you are committed to it.
What tends to turn up
- Extensions and loft conversions wired by whoever was cheapest, never certified
- Consumer units with no RCD protection, or with circuits added over the years
- Kitchens and bathrooms rewired during a refurbishment with no paperwork
- Outbuildings and garden supplies run in unsuitable cable
- Occasionally, genuinely dangerous DIY — one customer found the previous owner had wired a house with no earth
Knowing before exchange gives you a number to negotiate with. Knowing afterwards just gives you a bill.
If you're selling
Having a current certificate ready does two things. It stops the buyer's surveyor turning a routine caveat into a bargaining chip, and it removes a fortnight of back-and-forth through solicitors at exactly the point when everyone is trying to exchange.
If it comes back unsatisfactory you still gain, because you find out on your own terms and can either fix it or price it in, rather than having it discovered by someone with an incentive to inflate it.
Working to a sale timetable
These jobs are almost always urgent, and that changes how we handle them.
- We tell you straight away whether we can fit you in — we would rather lose the job than hold up your sale
- The report goes out as a PDF the same week, not whenever it gets typed up
- Where remedial work is needed we price it immediately so you can put a figure in front of the other side
- If the property is empty we only need key access, which usually makes it quicker
One customer moved in, discovered the previous owner's DIY wiring had no earth, and had the whole house rewired inside a week. That is not typical, but it is the sort of thing that turns up.
Common questions
How quickly can you do one?
Usually within a week, and often sooner if the property is empty. Ring and we'll tell you honestly — we won't promise a date we can't hold.
Is this different from a landlord certificate?
It's the same inspection and the same document. The difference is the deadline and what you do with it afterwards.
The survey mentioned the electrics. Is that serious?
Usually it means the surveyor noticed the installation looked dated and passed it on rather than assessing it. It might be nothing, or it might be a rewire. The inspection is what tells you which.
Can you give the buyer a price for the remedial work?
Yes. We itemise it so both sides can see what each item costs, which tends to shorten the argument considerably.
What does it cost?
As a guide, around £180 for a one-bedroom flat and around £240 for a typical three or four bedroom house, depending on the number of circuits and how accessible the installation is. We'll give you a firm figure before we start.
Do I need one to sell a house?
No, there's no legal requirement for an owner-occupier selling a home. It's a commercial decision — many sellers find it saves more than it costs.
What if the house is empty?
That's easier. We only need key access and we can usually get in sooner.
