A rewire you did not budget for
Discovering after completion that the property needs a full rewire is a five-figure surprise arriving at exactly the moment your savings are gone.
NICEIC Approved Contractor · Reg 041430
Home buyer electrical reportsin Congleton, know the wiringbefore you exchange
A full condition report on the property's electrics, turned around quickly for you and your solicitor, so you go into the negotiation knowing whether you are buying a sound installation or a rewire you have not budgeted for.
4.8 from 58 Google reviews · City & Guilds 2391 inspection and testing · NICEIC Approved 041430
City & Guilds 2391
The inspection and testing qualification
NICEIC Approved
Contractor registration 041430
38 years in the trade
Qualified electrician since 1988
Priced before we attend
You know the cost before booking
The service
What a home buyer electrical report gives you
A standard homebuyer's survey will tell you the electrics 'appear dated' and advise you to consult a qualified electrician. It does not test anything. A home buyer electrical report is that consultation, carried out properly: the installation is inspected and tested, the results are recorded, and every defect is coded so you can see what is dangerous, what is a recommendation, and what is fine.
The report covers the consumer unit and protective devices, earthing and main protective bonding, the condition of the accessible wiring and accessories, the presence of any obviously unsafe or non-compliant work, and the general age and type of the installation. Where the cabling is original rubber or lead-sheathed, that alone changes the numbers on the purchase.
Crucially, you also get the follow-up conversation: what the findings actually mean, whether they point to a board change or a full rewire, and roughly what putting it right involves. That is the difference between a document and a decision.
It is carried out by a City & Guilds 2391 qualified electrician working to 18th Edition standards, as a NICEIC Approved Contractor. The report is priced before the visit so there are no surprises, and it can be turned around quickly for your solicitor.
Who it is for
Buyers of period and older properties
Anything built or last rewired before the 1980s deserves testing rather than a visual guess, particularly in Cheshire's older housing stock.
Buyers whose survey flagged the electrics
When the surveyor writes 'consult a qualified electrician', this is the report that answers the question with test results rather than opinion.
Buy-to-let purchasers
Rented property needs a valid EICR. Finding out the condition before you exchange is far cheaper than finding out before your first tenancy.
Renovation and doer-upper buyers
If the plan is to strip the property back anyway, the report tells you whether the rewire is a nice-to-have or an unavoidable first-fix cost.
What it costs to leave it
What it costs to skip the electrical check
Wiring is the one major system in a house that is almost entirely hidden and almost never tested before purchase. It is also one of the most expensive to put right after you have moved in.
Losing the negotiating window
Before exchange, a documented defect is a price adjustment. After completion, it is your problem entirely.
Original rubber or lead-sheathed cable
Insulation of that age becomes brittle and crumbles when disturbed. It is not repairable in patches; it is a rewire.
Unsafe DIY additions
Extra sockets, garden supplies and loft conversions wired by a previous owner without certification are common and frequently unsafe.
No certification on record
Where major work has been done with nothing to show for it, you have no evidence the installation was ever tested or signed off.
Renovation delays
Plans for a new kitchen or loft conversion stall when the existing board and earthing cannot support the additional load.
Common mistakes we get called out to fix
- Relying on the mortgage valuation, which inspects nothing electrical
- Treating a homebuyer's survey caveat as a clean bill of health
- Assuming a recently redecorated house has been rewired: new paint, old cables
- Accepting a seller's word that the board was 'done a few years back' with no certificate to prove it
- Booking the check after exchange, when it can no longer influence the price
- Judging the installation on the look of the sockets rather than test results
Our process
How the job runs,
start to certificate
- 01
Call and book
Tell Mike the property type, rough age and how many bedrooms. The report is priced before we attend so you know the cost up front.
- 02
Access arranged
Booked in with the vendor or agent, usually alongside your other surveys, and timed around the exchange date you are working towards.
- 03
Inspection
The consumer unit, earthing, bonding, accessible wiring, accessories and any obvious unsafe or uncertificated work are all examined.
- 04
Testing
Circuits tested to 18th Edition standards with readings recorded, so the condition of the cabling is measured rather than assumed.
- 05
Report issued
A full written report with every observation coded by severity, turned around quickly so it reaches you and your solicitor in time to matter.
- 06
The conversation
Mike talks you through what the findings mean in practice, what remedial work would involve, and whether it points to a board change or a rewire.
What you get
The difference it makes
once the work is done
A number to negotiate with
Coded, documented defects give your solicitor something concrete to work with rather than a vague concern.
No post-completion shocks
You find out about the rewire before the money moves, not on the first weekend in the house.
Renovation planning that holds
You know before you start whether the board and earthing will support the kitchen, loft or EV charger you have in mind.
Plain English, not jargon
Every finding explained in terms of what it means for you, from an electrician with 38 years in the trade.
Fast turnaround
Reports are turned around quickly, because conveyancing timelines do not wait.
Independent and qualified
City & Guilds 2391 inspection and testing, NICEIC Approved Contractor 041430, £5,000,000 public liability insurance.
In detail
What gets inspected, and how findings are coded
The value of the report is in its specificity. Every observation carries a code that tells you how urgent it is, and the underlying test results tell you the true condition of what you cannot see.
The coding system
Observations are coded so severity is unambiguous. C1 means danger present and requires immediate action. C2 means potentially dangerous and requires urgent remedial work. C3 is an improvement recommendation, not a fault, but worth knowing. FI means further investigation is required.
For a buyer, the pattern matters as much as the individual items. A single C2 at one accessory is a repair. C2 items appearing across most circuits means the installation as a whole has reached the end of its life.
- C1: danger present, immediate action required
- C2: potentially dangerous, urgent remedial work
- C3: improvement recommended
- FI: further investigation required
The consumer unit and protection
The board is checked for type, condition, and whether protection is adequate: whether there is RCD protection at all, whether circuits are individually protected, whether the enclosure is compliant, and whether devices are correctly rated for the circuits they serve.
Rewireable fuse boards, plastic enclosures and boards with no residual current protection all appear on the report, and each carries a cost to resolve that you can factor into your offer.
Earthing and main protective bonding
The main earthing conductor is checked for size and condition, and main protective bonding to incoming gas and water services is verified. Missing or undersized bonding is one of the most frequent findings in older Cheshire housing and is a genuine safety item, not paperwork.
Cable type and age
Establishing what the property is actually wired in is often the single most valuable output. Modern PVC twin and earth in sound condition is one conversation; rubber-insulated, lead-sheathed or early PVC cable showing deterioration is another entirely, because that cannot be patched.
Test readings give an objective picture of insulation condition across the circuits rather than a judgement based on what is visible at the accessories.
Uncertificated and DIY work
Garden supplies, garage feeds, loft conversions, bathroom extractor fans, outside lights and extra sockets are all common owner-added work. The report identifies what appears to have been added, whether it was done to standard, and whether any certification exists for it.
- Outbuilding and garden supplies
- Bathroom and shower circuits
- Loft and garage conversions
- Kitchen extensions and added socket circuits
Report versus EICR
The inspection and testing carried out is to the same standard as an EICR; the difference is context and framing. A buyer needs the findings translated into decisions and costs before exchange; a landlord needs a valid, dated report for compliance.
If you are buying to let, say so when booking, so the output serves both purposes and you are not paying for the same work twice within a few months.
After the report
Where remedial work is needed, Amara can quote it, free, fixed price in advance and with no deposit, whether that is a consumer unit upgrade, targeted repairs or a full house rewire. There is no obligation to use us for the work; the report stands on its own.
If you do proceed with a full rewire, that carries a 10-year electrical installation certificate, and as a NICEIC Approved Contractor the work is covered by NICEIC's 6-year insurance-backed guarantee.
Areas covered
Pre-purchase electrical reports are carried out across Congleton and the wider Cheshire area, plus Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport, Cheadle, Wilmslow, Altrincham and Crewe.
Where we work
Home Buyer Electrical Reports across
Cheshire and Manchester
Based in Congleton and covering the surrounding towns. See the full list of areas we cover or get in touch.
Related services
Often booked
alongside this work
- EICR ReportsEICR electrical safety reports for homeowners and landlords in Congleton and across Cheshire. NICEIC approved, fixed price, clear plain-English results.
- Full House RewiresFull house rewires in Congleton and across Cheshire. NICEIC approved, fixed price agreed in advance, no deposit and a 10-year rewire certificate.
- Consumer Unit UpgradesConsumer unit and fuse board upgrades in Congleton and across Cheshire. Metal boards, RCBO protection, fitted and certificated by a NICEIC contractor.
- All services on the homepage
Common questions
Home Buyer Electrical Reports
questions answered
Anything not covered here, call Mike on 07946 541693.
How much does a home buyer electrical report cost?+
It is priced before we attend, based on the size and type of the property, so you know the cost when you book. Given what a full rewire costs to discover after completion, it is the cheapest survey line item you will pay for.
How quickly can you turn the report around?+
Reports are turned around quickly because conveyancing does not wait. Tell Mike your target exchange date when you book and the visit will be planned around it.
How long does the inspection take at the property?+
Typically a few hours for an average house, depending on the number of circuits and how accessible the consumer unit and accessories are. Vendor or agent access needs to be arranged for that window.
Is this the same as an EICR?+
The inspection and testing is to the same standard. The difference is presentation: a buyer's report is framed around what the findings mean for your purchase decision. Tell Mike if you are buying to let and it can serve both purposes.
Will it tell me if the house needs a full rewire?+
Yes. The test results and the cable type establish whether the installation can be repaired and upgraded, or whether it has reached the end of its serviceable life and needs replacing.
Can I use the report to renegotiate the price?+
That is the point of having it before exchange. Coded, documented findings from a NICEIC Approved Contractor give your solicitor something specific to raise rather than a general concern.
How long is the report valid?+
It reflects the condition on the day of testing. As a general guide, owner-occupied property is inspected every ten years and rented property at least every five, or at change of tenancy.
Do I have to use you for any remedial work?+
No. The report stands on its own. If you do want the work quoted, quotes are free, fixed in price in advance and require no deposit.
The property has just been redecorated, is a report still worth it?+
Especially then. Fresh plaster and new sockets tell you nothing about the cable behind them, and a smart finish over original wiring is one of the more expensive surprises a buyer can inherit.
Do you cover properties outside Congleton?+
Yes, the wider Cheshire area plus Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport, Cheadle, Wilmslow, Altrincham and Crewe.
Next step
Find out what the wiring is worth before you commit
Call Mike with the address, the property's rough age and your target exchange date. The report is priced before we attend and turned around quickly for your solicitor.
07946 541693- NICEIC Approved Contractor, registration 041430
- £5,000,000 public liability insurance
- Free quotes, no deposit required
- 4.8★ from 58 Google reviews
Mon–Fri 8am–7pm · Sat 9am–3pm
