Finally finally after six rejections in nearly a month, I have an offer accepted. Several tasks will be running in parallel, including all the legal stuff and importantly, the survey.
As a first time buyer I was educated by almost everyone to take a survey. It should be an RICS Level 2 (HomeBuyer) survey in my case, since I’m purchasing a purpose-built flat. However, it is a leasehold property and theoretically it is supposed to be well maintained by the landlord (freeholder). After careful consideration I decided to carry out a detailed survey by myself and with the help of some tools.
The first thing I paid attention to is the electric. During my initial viewing (before I made my offer) I noticed that the distribution board (DB) was located in the cupboard in the bathroom, although there was plenty of room in the hallway. In my view there is no point to put the DB in a place full of condensation, and I suspect that there might be some unsatisfactory or even unsafe wiring given that the property was built in early 1990s.
The seller declared that the property has been rented out for several years so I asked for an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report), which is a requirement for landlords in the private rented sector. The report gives an overall comment of ‘satisfactory’ and marked out 10+ items that can be improved. After reading it carefully I noticed that it said nothing about the power sockets, and I decided test them myself.
There are many types of wiring faults but to name a few, missing earth wire and reversed wires are quite common. I dare not to use a voltage tester (the ‘pen’) by inserting it into the socket, and fortunately I found a power tester that can do the work better (and safer) than me.
(AD) Reenwee Socket Tester on Amazon.co.uk
This power socket tester with colour display can tell you if socket you are testing is wired correctly, and if not, it can illustrate what exactly is the error (from seven possibilities). On the right side it shows the voltage between L and N (should be 220~240 V) as well as the leakage between N and E (should be nearly zero). When you put this gadget close to a wire, the NCV will indicate how strong the current is, which is extremely useful when the wire is hidden in the walls and you don’t know whether you are looking at the correct place to start your work or not.
I’m happy to say that all of the power sockets worked correctly. Although you can never substitute an experienced electrician with this £15 tool, I think it is totally worthy if you only need a few checks and a peace of mind.
(AD) Reenwee Socket Tester on Amazon.co.uk
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