Considering Electrics when Buying a New Home

1. Budget 

If you are a first time buyer, there are lots of additional costs that you may not know about or accounted for. Be aware of legal fees, stamp duty, surveys and technical reports such as an Electrical Installation Condition Report. In other words, be prepared. 

2. Big Savings

If you make sure you have a survey completed before you agree on a sale, you could save yourself money! If there are imperfections within the house found that you haven’t noticed, you’ll be in a position to negotiate on price.

3. Check electrics yourself before you agree

The wiring of a house is hugely important. The overall success of an electrical installation lies on the good integrity of the wires. The only way to fully know the condition of the wires? Get them tested. 

 Also, an outdated or poorly maintained electrical circuit breaker (or fuse box) is not capable of withstanding the electrical demands of modern life, so it is better to talk to your electrician about updating it before moving to your new home. 

4. Be aware of common electrical problems 

When you own your own home, it might be useful to be aware of common electrical problems. Here is a list of just a few:

Aluminium wiring, double tapped circuit breakers, exposed splices and wiring, incorrectly modified electrical panels, more than one neutral wire in an electrical panel slot, outlets that are painted and ungrounded outlets and plugs.

Considering electrics when buying a new home is the key to saving money and staying safe in your new place. Having a basic awareness of which electrical issues are common, how to budget for electrical tests and how to stay safe are potentially very useful. Want to know more? Send us an email or give us a call.