"ChrisP" wrote in message
...

If its an old house new to you and you are only able to check sockets -
yes.
Ask for a Periodic Inspection Report. Was nothing said about the state
of the electrics during the house purchase? If so definately get the PIR
and revisit your legal advice. If not put that down to experience and get
the report anyway.


Thanks Jim, nothing was mentioned on the survey when I purchased the
house (I used the banks full survey option, cost me £1500 and they
were rubbish!). Think it will have to go down to experience!

Any idea what I can expect to pay for a PIR in Greater London?

Can't help with the actual costs because it's impossible to quantify except
to say the remediation costs are likely to exceed the cost of the Report
which is a report and not a fix. I've sat in on NICEIC PIR seminars at trade
shows and the open endedness of the process is a little worrying. The
tester is supposed to discuss with you what you want (how much?).
Unfortunately the background, 70 years or so of inadequate electrics, years
of possible botching, recent change of ownership and already identified
faults are actually what the process is designed to address.

Not endorsing NICEIC, there are other bodies too, but research their website
and Google generally about PIRs first.

Jim A