Buying a house is likely the largest purchase you'll ever make, and electrical problems are one of the most expensive surprises a new owner can face. A full rewire on a three-bedroom house can cost £3,000–£5,000 — our house rewire cost guide has the full breakdown — money that most buyers would rather know about before they exchange contracts. This guide walks you through what to look for during a viewing and why a pre-purchase electrical inspection is worth every penny.
You don't need to be an electrician to spot the warning signs. These are the things worth checking on any viewing:
Ask to see the consumer unit — it tells you a lot about the age and condition of the electrical installation. Our guide to when a consumer unit needs replacing explains exactly what to look for. In summary:
Walk around the property and take note of the following:
This is one of the most telling signs. If every room has daisy-chained extension leads, it suggests the property doesn't have enough circuits or sockets for the way it's being used — which can indicate the wiring is old and hasn't been upgraded to meet modern demand.
If you can see any exposed cables — in the loft, under floors or in outbuildings — look at the outer sheath:
Test every light switch. Non-working lights can simply mean a bulb needs replacing, but they can also indicate wiring faults or circuits that have been isolated because of a problem.
Red flags that warrant walking away or renegotiating: Visible burning or scorch marks, a strong smell of burning near the consumer unit or sockets, lights that flicker across multiple rooms, or an owner who can't produce any electrical certification for recent work.
Before or during the sale process, ask the vendor for:
If the vendor can't provide any of this, factor the cost of an inspection — and potentially remedial work — into your offer.
Solicitor's tip: Your solicitor may ask for electrical certification as part of the conveyancing process, particularly if the property has had extensions or significant alterations. It's worth getting ahead of this by asking early.
A homebuyer's survey carried out by a surveyor gives you a general overview of the property, but it won't tell you the condition of the wiring in any detail. Surveyors aren't qualified electricians, and their reports typically flag electrical concerns as "recommend further investigation" without going into specifics. For full detail on what an EICR covers, see our EICR guide — and for timings and what happens if the report flags issues, read how long an EICR takes and what happens if it fails.
A pre-purchase EICR carried out by a qualified electrician gives you a definitive assessment of the installation — every circuit tested, every observation coded and documented. It typically costs £120–£200 for a domestic property and can save you many times that in unexpected repair bills.
If the EICR reveals significant issues, you have options:
Even if the property has a satisfactory EICR from before the sale, it's worth commissioning a new one once you've moved in — especially if you're planning renovation work, an extension, or adding a new circuit for an EV charger or home office. A fresh inspection gives you a current baseline and ensures any work by previous owners or tradespeople has been done correctly.
We carry out pre-purchase and post-purchase EICRs across Darlington, Teesside, Durham and the wider North East. Get in touch for a fast, fixed-price quote.
