Electrical checks when buying a house in Devon | MP Electrical Honiton

Electrical checks when
buying a house in Devon

Your offer's been accepted and you're heading toward exchange. The survey is booked. But there's one check most Devon buyers don't think to arrange — and it's the one most likely to save them thousands, or give them the leverage to renegotiate before it's too late.

Honiton, Devon NICEIC Registered 20+ years in East Devon
What most buyers miss

Your survey won't check the electrics

Buying a house is stressful enough. The last thing you need is a nasty electrical surprise after you've moved in.

A standard RICS homebuyer survey will flag obvious concerns — a loose socket, a broken cover, something visually wrong. But the surveyor isn't an electrician. They won't open the consumer unit. They won't test the circuits. They won't tell you if the wiring is safe. They'll write "recommend further investigation by a qualified electrician" and leave it at that. That's your cue to act — not ignore it.

37%
of buyers commission an electrical check before purchase — meaning nearly two thirds don't
1 in 3
buyers who skip an electrical check later discover problems they weren't aware of before purchase
£1,700+
average cost to fix an electrical problem found after moving in — and it can run far higher
The document you need

What is an EICR and do you need one?

An EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report — is a full inspection of the property's wiring, consumer unit, sockets, and circuits. Carried out by a qualified electrician. It takes a few hours depending on the size of the property, and at the end you get a written report. Every issue is coded by severity.

C1 — Danger present
Risk of injury. Immediate remedial action required. Circuits may need to be disconnected on the day. The EICR will be unsatisfactory until resolved.
C2 — Potentially dangerous
Urgent remedial action required. A fault exists that has the potential to become dangerous — needs fixing before the report can be issued as satisfactory.
C3 — Improvement recommended
Not immediately dangerous but worth addressing. A C3 alone won't fail the report — but it tells you something about the age or standard of the installation.

If a property comes back with a C1 or C2, you have options. Ask the seller to fix it. Renegotiate the price. Or walk away. You can't do any of that without the report in your hand first.

What it covers

The EICR covers fixed wiring, the consumer unit, sockets, switches, earthing and bonding, circuit testing, and outbuildings. It doesn't cover portable appliances — that's PAT testing, which is separate. The EICR is the document that matters when buying.

Know what to look for

Red flags in older Devon properties

Devon has a huge stock of older housing. Stone cottages, thatched farmhouses, Victorian terraces in market towns, period properties in East Devon villages that haven't had their wiring touched in decades. That's not always a problem — but you need to know what you're walking into before you sign anything.

These are the things that should make your ears prick up during a viewing or survey.

Old fuse board with rewirable fuses
If the consumer unit has a row of ceramic fuses — the kind you have to rewire manually when they blow — the installation is old. It almost certainly lacks RCD protection. That's a safety issue, not just a cosmetic one.
Rubber or fabric-sheathed wiring
Open an old socket or light fitting and you might find wiring with black rubber or fabric insulation. This dates back decades, becomes brittle over time, and is a fire risk. A rewire is likely needed.
No RCD protection
An RCD cuts the power in milliseconds if something goes wrong. It saves lives. Many older Devon properties still don't have one — or only have partial coverage. Look for a test button on the consumer unit.
Wiring in outbuildings
Devon properties often come with garages, workshops, barns. Wiring in these is frequently an afterthought — done years ago, not compliant, not protected. Always include outbuildings in the EICR scope.
Extension leads doing the job of sockets
If a room is running off a trail of extension leads it usually means there aren't enough sockets for modern living. That's a rewire conversation, or at minimum a partial upgrade.
Previous DIY electrical work
In older Devon homes that have changed hands a few times, it's not unusual to find DIY additions — extra sockets without proper earthing, lighting circuits joined incorrectly. None of it is safe and all of it has to be put right.
From the field

During an EICR on a stone cottage near Ottery St Mary, we found three distinct generations of wiring — original rubber-insulated cable from the 1950s, a partial rewire from the 1980s, and a more recent extension wired by someone who clearly wasn't a qualified electrician. None of it had been disclosed. The full remedial cost came to just over £4,200. The property had exchanged two weeks earlier.

MP Electrical — EICR, East Devon
Higher risk properties

Thatched, cob and listed properties

These need extra care — and they're common across East Devon.

Thatched roofs and dry timber structures mean fire risk is significantly higher than in a standard build. The electrical installation doesn't just need to be adequate — it needs to be in excellent condition. A C2 finding in a thatched property carries a different weight to the same finding in a modern house.

Listed buildings also have restrictions on what can be changed and how. Any electrical work needs to be done by someone who understands how to work within those constraints and minimise disruption to original fabric. Not all electricians do. If you're buying a thatched, cob, or listed property anywhere in East Devon — get the EICR done. Don't assume it's fine because it looks well maintained or because it recently sold.

20 years of experience in Devon's older properties

We've rewired thatched farmhouses, cob cottages, stone barns, and listed buildings across East Devon. We understand how to work within the constraints of heritage properties and how to read an older installation accurately. If you're buying something historic, it's worth talking to someone who has seen the inside of dozens of similar buildings.

Use it as leverage

How to negotiate using the EICR

An EICR before exchange isn't just a safety check — it's a negotiating tool. If the report reveals significant issues, you have documented evidence of the cost to remedy them. Used correctly, that evidence can be worth considerably more than the cost of the inspection itself.

Your three options when problems are found
1
Ask the seller to fix it before completion
For C1 or C2 findings, request the vendor completes the remedial work before exchange. This removes the risk that the work ends up being done to a lower standard or not at all — and it's the cleanest outcome.
2
Renegotiate the price
Get a written, itemised remedial quote from the inspecting electrician and present it to the vendor via your solicitor. A quote from a NICEIC registered contractor carries real weight — it's not a number you've invented. Most vendors would rather negotiate than lose a buyer.
3
Walk away
If the installation is in a genuinely poor state and the vendor won't negotiate, you're better off knowing before exchange than after. A full rewire on a period Devon property can cost £6,000–£12,000 or more. That's the risk you take if you proceed without checking.
Get the timing right

Before exchange. Not after.

Once you've exchanged contracts the property is yours — problems and all. Get the EICR done during the survey period. Use the results as part of your negotiation if needed.

Before exchange
Full options available

You can renegotiate the price, request the vendor completes remedial work, or withdraw from the purchase entirely. The EICR is an active negotiating tool with real financial value.

After exchange
No leverage remaining

You're legally committed. Any electrical issues are now your problem and your cost. An EICR at this stage is still useful for planning — but it can't change the price you paid.

Don't leave it too late

Book the EICR as soon as your offer is accepted — not when you're close to exchange. If the findings require remedial work or renegotiation, you need time to act. A last-minute inspection that reveals serious issues can delay completion or leave you with no time to respond properly.

Worth asking first

Can you ask the seller for their EICR?

Yes — and it's worth asking.

Rental properties are legally required to have a valid EICR. If the property has been rented out, there should be one in place — ask to see it. If it's owner-occupied, there may not be one, especially in older properties that have never had a formal inspection done.

If the seller can't produce one, or the last one is more than five years old, commission your own before exchange. A certificate that's three or four years old is better than nothing — but the installation may have changed since it was issued, and you still can't use it as a negotiating tool in the same way as a fresh report.

How much does it cost?

A typical two or three bedroom home in East Devon will cost somewhere between £150 and £300 for an EICR. Larger properties, or those with outbuildings and multiple circuits, will sit higher. That's a small number compared to what a full rewire costs — which can run to £6,000–£12,000 depending on the property. The EICR tells you which side of that line you're on before you commit.

Landlords specifically

Buying to let? You'll need one anyway.

If you're buying a property to rent out, an EICR before your first tenancy is a legal requirement. Getting it done before exchange — rather than after — means you go into the purchase with a clear picture of compliance costs, and gives you exactly the same negotiating leverage as any other buyer.

Many landlords complete on a property and immediately discover it requires thousands of pounds of electrical work before it can legally be let. A pre-purchase EICR would have surfaced that cost before the price was agreed — and given them the option to negotiate or walk away.

Renters' Rights Act — May 2026

The Renters' Rights Act comes into force in May 2026, introducing the most significant changes to private renting in over 30 years. Having a valid, current EICR in place before that date is more important than ever — both for legal compliance and as evidence of the standard of the property you're offering to tenants.

Outbuildings and external circuits
Garages, sheds, garden buildings, and any external circuits — outdoor sockets, security lighting, EV charger wiring. These are often the most neglected parts of a property's installation and can contain some of the worst DIY work.
Use it as leverage

How to negotiate using the EICR

An EICR before exchange isn't just a safety check — it's a negotiating tool. If the report reveals significant issues, you have documented evidence of the cost to remedy them. Used correctly, that evidence can be worth considerably more than the inspection costs.

Using findings to renegotiate the price
1
Get a remedial quote alongside the EICR
Ask the inspecting electrician to quote for any remedial work identified. A written, itemised quote from a NICEIC registered contractor carries weight in negotiations — it's not a number you've invented, it's a professional assessment.
2
Present the findings to the vendor
Share the EICR and remedial quote with the vendor via your solicitor. Frame it straightforwardly — the installation requires work at a cost of X, and you'd like to reflect that in the agreed price. Most vendors would rather negotiate than lose a buyer.
3
Request the work is done before completion
For significant safety issues — C1 or C2 findings — you can request the vendor completes the remedial work before exchange rather than accepting a price reduction. This removes the risk that the work ends up being done to a lower standard or not at all.
4
Walk away if necessary
If the installation is in a genuinely poor state and the vendor won't negotiate, you're better off knowing before exchange than after. A full rewire on a period Devon property can cost £8,000–£15,000 or more. That's the risk you take if you proceed without checking.
Practical steps

How to arrange an EICR when buying

Straightforward in practice — here's the process from offer accepted to report in hand.

01
Book as soon as your offer is accepted
Don't wait. Contact a NICEIC or NAPIT registered electrician — not a general handyman — and book the inspection. Give yourself enough time before exchange to act on the findings if needed.
02
Arrange vendor access
The power will need to be off for part of the inspection. Your estate agent can usually facilitate key access — the vendor doesn't need to be present, but they do need to agree to the visit.
03
Review the report with the electrician
Ask for a verbal walkthrough of the findings as well as the written report. Understanding what each observation means — and what it would cost to remedy — is more useful than a document full of codes you have to interpret yourself.
04
Get a remedial quote if needed
If the report identifies C1 or C2 issues, ask for a written remedial quote at the same time. This is the document you'll use in negotiations with the vendor — the more specific it is, the stronger your position.
05
Use the findings before you exchange
Share the EICR and remedial quote with your solicitor and instruct them to raise it with the vendor's solicitor. This is a standard part of the conveyancing process — your solicitor will know how to handle it.
06
Keep the report for your records
Once you've completed, the EICR is yours. It starts your five-year clock for the next inspection — important whether you're living in the property or letting it out.
A note from the team

We carry out pre-purchase EICRs regularly across East Devon — for first-time buyers, people moving from outside the area who don't know the local property stock, and experienced buyers who've learned from previous purchases. The cost of an EICR is small relative to the cost of a property. The cost of discovering a serious electrical problem after exchange is not. If you're buying anywhere in the Honiton area, Sidmouth, Axminster, Seaton or the surrounding villages and want an honest assessment of what you're buying into, call us.

Where we work
Pre-purchase electrical checks across Honiton & East Devon

MP Electrical is based in Honiton and carries out pre-purchase EICRs across East Devon and beyond. Whether you're buying a thatched cottage in the Sid Valley, a Victorian terrace in Sidmouth, a farmhouse near Axminster, or a modern home on the edge of Exeter — we'll give you an honest picture of the electrical installation before you commit.

Honiton Sidmouth Ottery St Mary Axminster Seaton Colyton Exeter Lyme Regis Blackdown Hills Otter Valley Sid Valley
Buying a property in East Devon?

Call us as soon as your offer is accepted. We'll arrange access with your estate agent, carry out the full EICR, and give you a clear, jargon-free report you can use in negotiations if needed. Fixed price, same-day response, NICEIC registered.

Call 07807 867354 Email us