Can You Sell a House with Old Wiring?
Estimated reading time 7 minutes
Selling a house often comes with a huge list of things you need to ensure are in place before you can even consider it being listed. Still, all too often, homeowners bog themselves down in box-ticking exercises that may not even be necessary, slowing down the sell house fast process that was being hoped for. One such issue is that of the wiring in the home. Homeowners are concerned that old wiring will stop the house from being sold and hire expensive electricians to rewire the property. This isn’t a requirement though, you can sell a house with old wiring, there is no law to say the home must be rewired before it is sold. However, old wiring could pose problems that see the house either sell for much less than your desired price or not sell at all.
In this blog edition, we look at whether you can sell a house with old wiring and what should be done should the home have questionable electrics.
Do you need to rewire your house to sell it?
No, you’ll not need to rewire your house before selling it. There is currently no legal requirement in place for you to ensure electrical safety is at its optimal levels for the transfer of home ownership. However, faulty wiring, old wiring, or poor-quality electrical installations could see buyers put off from making offers due to the costly repairs they may have to consider.
Buyers who recognize the home may have old wiring are entitled to ask for an EICR. The EICR is the Electrical Installation Condition Report. This report clarifies the current state of the wiring within the property to see if it meets UK standards. If it does, there is no problem. If it does not, you could need to book an electrician. You are not legally required to provide the EICR, but any interested party may think again about the property if it appears you have something to hide.
How do I know if the house needs rewiring?
You may have lived in the house for years not noticing any specific issues or ignored the occasional flickering light as an intermittent fault that isn’t causing any problems, but this could be a sign of old wiring that’s on its way out.
In many cases, the wiring of a house is built to last, but if your home has not had new wiring installed in over thirty years, it would be recommended an electrician is booked. This is largely due to changes in electrical safety legislation and the more economical standards that are now in use.
That being said, an old home is not a faulty home and there is every chance the wiring will function perfectly. This isn’t always the case though and in terms of safety and hoping for a swift sale, in cases where the home is over 30 years old, it would certainly pay off to have a wiring refurb.
If your home has relatively new wiring you can opt for periodic inspections. These can be as often as every ten years and will allow an electrician to inform you of the current state of your wiring and whether any issues are present.
Before booking anyone in though, you may notice a few things that indicate all is not well with the wiring.
Common signs your home needs rewiring
- Your fuse box is old (30 years+)
- Your lights flicker or dim often
- You can see damaged or exposed wires
- You get slight shocks when using appliances or switches
- Power in the home often cuts out
- The wiring is not uPVC coated and twin-earthed
If any of the above are noticed or occur, book an electrician. You’ll not only benefit from demonstrating the electrical safety of your home to potential buyers, but you’ll give them added peace of mind that there aren’t costly rewiring jobs awaiting them if they were to buy the home. With the EICR in hand, you can now show buyers your home meets safe electricity standards.
How much does it cost to rewire a home?
Much will, of course, depend on the size of the home, how old the home is, and the layout of the building, but you could be looking at £1,000 to £10,000 quite easily. According to Checkatrade, a one-bed flat could set you back £3,000-£4,800, and take anything from 4-7 days to complete. A 3-bed house on the other hand could cost anything from £4,450 up to £8,000 and take as long as ten days to complete.
Such costs include the removal of your old wiring, the installation of the new wiring, testing it is safe and operational, and issuing the installation certificate to show the property meets the required standards. In addition, the electricians will plaster over any minor holes where necessary.
Does rewiring a house help add value?
Unlike a new kitchen or a new bathroom, the value fresh wiring can add is a little harder to define. A new kitchen for example could be seen as a luxury, an electricity supply is seen as expected regardless of the wires it passes through. Perhaps the best way to look at it, is that you won’t suffer from being offered way under the asking price and miss out on the sale you hoped for if your home has been rewired. If you choose not to rewire it and the wiring is old, the survey may flag issues that lead to a buyer offering you less or pulling out.
Can you rewire a house yourself?
It is certainly not recommended. A qualified electrician will be able to find problems much better than somebody with no experience and can also work with complete safety in mind. That being said, some small jobs can be done if you feel confident in your abilities. Just be aware that such work is regulated under Part P Building Regulations so it would be safer to have an electrician complete the task.
What is part p of the building regulations??
All electrical installation work in a home must meet part P regulations. This means that anyone carrying out electrical work in the home must make sure that the work is designed and installed to protect people from the risk of fire or shocks. Work must be carried out by a registered electrician or reported to the local authority building control before it is carried out. By law, all homeowners must be able to prove that all electrical installation work meets Part P. If it does not, they could face prosecution.
The authorities can also force the removal of installations that do not meet Part P. This could prove extremely costly, especially if you tried a rewiring to expedite the sale of your home.
If you believe your home has wiring that’s seen better days and a full rewiring is likely to be too costly, you can opt for a fast sale where the buyer won’t back out. Bettermove can ensure your home sells fast, regardless of the wiring situation. We can purchase your home ourselves or promote it to a team of cash house buyers. No matter which option you choose with Bettermove, your home will sell in as little as seven days if necessary. What’s more, we cover your legal fees allowing you to sell your house for free! To get the fast house sale process started, call our property experts today.
