if a house is for sale but needs re-wired and i want to buy it. is it up to me as the buyer to get it done??

Question

im buying a house and had a survey done on it.
the survey said it needs re-wired, is it up to the seller of the house to get it done before completion or is it up to the buyer to get it done??

this house is in northern ireland.

Answer 1

I'm not sure about NI laws/surveys etc but if it's the same as in Wales/England it may not affect the mortgage but could be used as a basis for re-negotiation btwn you and the vendor with regards to the price of the property. Often properties in Uk don't comply with latest IEE regulations and rewiring/upgrading in order to comply is often suggested in Home Buyers Reports as regulations change fairly frequently in comparison to how often the average person upgrades their eletrical circuitry. But it will be your responsibility unless you can get the vendor to agree to do it before completion in which case you will require your solicitor to write it into the conveyancing contract that completion will only occur subject to the production of a qualified electrician's certifcate on the work. The surveyors I work for always suggest that quotes are obtained prior to purchase for the work and to see whether complete rewiring is required or whether only upgrading is needed. Surveyors are not qualified electricians so can only do a visual inspection and say whether the installation is recent/modern or old. It may well say in your report that rewiring is needed but that could simply mean that the wiring is safe but is non-compliant, which as I've already stated, applies to a lot of houses on the market today (and therefore a lot of houses that people live safely in). Your best bet is to obtain reports from electricians and then depedning on the cost of the work renegotiating the price and if that doesn't work, then decide whether you can afford to pay for it to be done yourself or whether you would prefer to find another house.

Answer 2

If the present wiring is dangerous, then the suveyor will put a retainer on the house to the value of the re-wire being done. This would be about £5,000
It is then up to the buyer whether to go ahead or not. If the wiring isn't dangerous, then I recommend you re-negotiating the price of the house, minus the amount it will take to get a re-wire done.
The best way is to obtain quotes from several electricians and then negotiate with the vendor.

Answer 3

Their is nothing to stop you buying the house and rewiring it yourself. However, before you start move the kitchen and the bathroom, whether you just theoretically do this is up to you, no one can check. Rewire the house and use the requirements for a bathroom and kitchen where you WANT the kitchen and bathroom to be. Designate the area that you called the bathroom and kitchen and you cannot wire anything there. Allow access to water pipes and the water incomer and earth and finish the wiring, "move" the kitchen and Bathroom to where you now want them, remember your "new" location has to have all requirements already installed, you cannot do it after, UK law...
NOW wire the "previous" bathroom and kitchen. After doing that earth bond all piping outside the bathroom and outside "designated" kitchen area.
You should now get an inspection done by an NICEIC inspector however, get said contractor to connect the water bonding under the sink, he HAS to do an inspection and THAT will be a lot cheaper than having it tested.
The authorities do not like the above but it is completely legal.

Answer 4

You can make rewiring the house part of the terms of sale, which would mean the buyer would have to get it done before completion. You may be refused a mortgage if the work is not carried out before you buy the house.

You could also ask for a reduced price to take into account work that needs to be done. If the surveyor has indicated that this work needs doing the seller may have to rethink his price anyway.

Answer 5

Get a quote for the cost of the rewiring and then negotiate a reduction in the price to reflect this and you then do the rewiring once you have bought the property - or the other option is to negotiate to pay the price you have already agreed on but on the condition that the house is completely rewired prior to settlement.

Make sure you have the rewiring signed off by the electrician and any regional authorities that require this kind of work to be permitted.

(Sorry am not in the USA, presume this is where you are from, so not sure if you have regional authorities/borough councils or anything like that that control this kind of work).

Answer 6

No it's up to you to get it re-wired, but you can get an estimate from a local electrician to get an idea of cost and ask the seller if they are willing to reduce the price due to the cost that will be incurred by you to have it re-wired. Most people will give a little but some may not. It's worth asking though.

Answer 7

Not sure where this house is located, in the US? In the US, if you purchase the home without having an inspection, all repairs are you the buyer. If you have an inspection and things are found, repairs can be negotiated or the buyer can walk away.

Answer 8

You answered your own question when you stated that the husband was a "fricken moron". Sounds like the wife was a lonely "fricken moron". You need to realize that not only can pet owners be slobs and uncaring, humans can too. Many years ago I worked as a cleaner for several apartment complexes. I cleaned apartments after the tenants moved out. I cleaned human urine and crap from along the walls in closets, bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. I cleaned blood andsnot off of the wals. I saw huge holes in the walls and doors. I cleaned several refrigerators that were full of moldy spoiled rotten food. I saw carpets and floors ripped up. I saw one apartment stacked with crap and garbage from floor to ceiling. The funny thing was that none of these complexes were pet friendly. This damage was not pet caused but adult and child caused. Please don't paint all pet owners with the same brush. Like 95% of the renters and home owners out there we are clean decent people that care for our properties and the properties of others. It's that 5% that people remember because of their property abuse. As a "flipper" You will see many bad houses. There's a reason why most of these places are going for a "song".

Answer 9

Its up to you to go back to the seller and ask for a reduced price is you are not happy about it.

Or you will have to do it yourself, as you've bought the house knowing that it needs to be done, the seller cant be held responsible.

Answer 10

It isn't compulsory for the house to be rewired for the sale. Either you revise your offer to factor it in, or walk away.

Sounds like you need to look at a new-build if you want a pristine house that needs nothing doing. You obviously don't understand the principles of negotiation.