Pre-Sale EICR for Estate Agents in Sevenoaks, Kent

Estate agents working on properties in Sevenoaks increasingly recommend a pre-sale EICR to vendors — particularly on older stock where a Level 2 or Level 3 survey is likely to flag the electrics. CJA Electrical works with agents across Sevenoaks on vendor-commissioned EICRs that head off renegotiation risk before the surveyor even visits.

What an EICR involves for Estate Agent

The technical inspection follows BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 and produces a standard-format EICR — form, schedule of inspection, schedule of test results. C1, C2, C3, and FI codes are used per the regulations, and a satisfactory report has no C1, C2, or FI observations. For pre-sale work specifically, we’ll often include a short cover note summarising the findings in plain English, alongside the certificate itself. Estate agents can attach the cover note to the listing’s contract pack without anyone having to translate the technical detail for the vendor’s solicitor.

When you need this in Sevenoaks

Most pre-sale EICRs we do for Sevenoaks agents fall into one of these: - Older property where the survey is almost certain to flag electrics - Period housing in Sevenoaks where the consumer unit is visibly dated - Probate sales where the EICR history is incomplete or non-existent - Properties listed at the higher end of the market where buyer expectations include up-to-date safety documentation - Investor-target properties where the buyer’s surveyor will be unusually thorough - Re-listings after a previous sale fell through over electrical findings

What the report contains

A pre-sale EICR comes back as a standard three-part PDF: the EICR form with observation codes and overall pass-or-fail; the schedule of inspection documenting what was looked at; and the schedule of test results with per-circuit numbers. The same format any solicitor expects to see in a contract pack. Where the property fails, the report lists each finding with its code. We quote the remedials at the same time, the vendor decides whether to do them pre-listing or disclose to the buyer, and a re-test issues a fresh satisfactory certificate once the work is complete.

Why book CJA Electrical for your Sevenoaks EICR

Reasons agents come back to us with pre-sale EICR work: the report comes back fast, it’s in the format the vendor’s solicitor accepts without back-and-forth, and the remedial quote arrives with the report so there’s never a gap between finding the issue and being able to fix it. Ten years on Sevenoaks domestic property, City & Guilds 2391 qualified inspector, fully insured.

How the inspection runs

1. Estate agent or vendor messages us with the property address 2. Quote and appointment options come back the same day 3. Visit accommodated around the property’s marketing schedule 4. Inspection and testing — typically a single morning or afternoon 5. Report PDF delivered within 48 hours, sent to vendor and to agent if instructed 6. If remedials needed, quote arrives with the report; re-test on completion

What affects the price

No published prices — too much variation between Sevenoaks properties to make a single number meaningful. The quote depends on circuit count, consumer unit type, accessibility, and the age of the installation. Same-day quote, no deposit, fixed price agreed before the visit.

FAQs

Who pays for remedial work flagged by a pre-sale EICR?

Whoever the negotiations land it on. Most commonly the vendor pays — having flagged the issue pre-sale, they fix it before listing or before offers come in. Occasionally the price is adjusted instead. What pre-sale EICRs avoid is the buyer surveying, the buyer flagging the issue post-offer-accepted, and the resulting renegotiation eating into the agreed price.

How recent does an EICR need to be for a sale?

There’s no legal minimum — an EICR doesn’t expire in the same way a tenancy-related certificate does. In practice, buyers and their solicitors accept reports up to about five years old; older than that and a fresh inspection is usually preferable. For older Sevenoaks stock specifically, a recent report carries more weight than an older one.

Can the buyer use the vendor’s EICR for their own due diligence?

Yes — that’s the point. A vendor-commissioned EICR can be supplied to the buyer through the conveyancing process, and the buyer’s solicitor will typically include it in the contract pack. The buyer is free to commission their own inspection if they want a second opinion, but most don’t bother when a recent satisfactory report is already on file.

How long does a pre-sale EICR take?

The inspection visit on a typical Sevenoaks three-bed home is a morning or an afternoon. The written report follows within 48 hours. Where remedial work is needed, that’s a separate booking — usually a half-day or a day depending on scope, with re-test issued on completion. From first call to clean certificate is typically under a fortnight.

Will the EICR check the consumer unit and main fuse?

Yes. The consumer unit is one of the first things inspected — opened up, examined for damage and signs of overheating, and tested for RCD operation against the times BS 7671 requires. The main supply fuse and meter cupboard are visually inspected too, though the main fuse itself belongs to the DNO (UK Power Networks in Kent) and isn’t part of the EICR scope.