HELP! FTB with so much to do/prioritise

Why do you think a central heating system with a tank in the loft provides unsafe drinking water? The cold taps are most likely fed straight off the mains water.

I didn't actually say that, I said the hot water could be unsafe to drink (though since the systems are clearly quite old it should be checked that the cold taps ARE off the mains and not another header tank)

Mixer taps or accidentally turning the wrong tap on can lead to drinking hot water, and some people habitually fill the kettle from the hot tap.

Also, when I say the electrics and water need doing, it might be more accurate to say they need checking (though it does sound like they're old enough that they would need work).

Absolute priority is having the fusebox and wiring checked.

Some friends of mine bought an ex-LA house (might have been 1960s or 1970s) in S2 and discovered after a short while that the whole house needed rewiring. Definitely a priority over any cosmetic items.

Some friends of mine bought an ex-LA house (might have been 1960s or 1970s) in S2 and discovered after a short while that the whole house needed rewiring. Definitely a priority over any cosmetic items.

Proof that a Homebuyers Survey Report is an essential expense.

I think more places than people realise could do with re-wiring to be honest.

It's only relatively recently that you've needed to be Part-P to do major electrical work, so before then any old monkey could start mucking around with the wiring.

An electrician can test what he can get at, but thats a very small percent of what is actually there.

I'm in a similar situation. I've just had my fuse box updated and moved before I start redecorating. I was quoted £320-£350 to fit a new few box, and an extra £180 to have it moved. I moved mine by a few meters to an under stairs cupboard so the cost will depend on how much extra wiring they need to put in and if they can move it where you want it. Definitely get a few quotes, I had 2 and the prices were different by a couple of hundred pounds. Good luck!

We have just had to have a full rewire. It wasn't just the fusebox, the insulation on the wire was crumbling off so our house now resembles a building site

 

Anyway with my experiences I would get the wiring and fusebox checked first as if you start to decorate and then need a rewire all your walls will have to be channelled out and floorboards up etc, which I can tell you is very very dusty (especially as a lot of the older houses have some solid brick or breeze block walls)

 

Then I would go with the boiler....which incidently is our next major job as the flame keeps going out!

 

Things like fences and driveways can wait a little, as long as the back garden is secure and completely fenced, even if its mesh it will be ok for now.

 

Just for prices a full rewire is between £2,500 and £4,000.

Thanks Lauren84, we just had the EICR report and alas, we need a re-wiring due to the age of the fusebox, lack of insulation & earth wires.

We are now pushed against time to get a reasonable quote and commission the work before moving into property in less than 2 weeks...

---------- Post added 31-05-2016 at 00:04 ----------

Thanks for all your replies. We've now completed on the property and have just carried out the EICR report and alas, we need a re-wiring of the property due to the age of the fusebox, lack of insulation on the wires & lack of earth wires etc.

We are now pushed against time to get a reasonable quote - the only quote we've received is c.£2.5k - is that reasonable? We need to leave our rented property in less than 2 weeks, talk about cutting it fine. Should we start lining up the services of a decorator?

Thanks again for all your assistance.

G.

Thanks Lauren84, we just had the EICR report and alas, we need a re-wiring due to the age of the fusebox, lack of insulation & earth wires.

We are now pushed against time to get a reasonable quote and commission the work before moving into property in less than 2 weeks...

 

---------- Post added 31-05-2016 at 00:04 ----------

 

Thanks for all your replies. We've now completed on the property and have just carried out the EICR report and alas, we need a re-wiring of the property due to the age of the fusebox, lack of insulation on the wires & lack of earth wires etc.

We are now pushed against time to get a reasonable quote - the only quote we've received is c.£2.5k - is that reasonable? We need to leave our rented property in less than 2 weeks, talk about cutting it fine. Should we start lining up the services of a decorator?

 

Thanks again for all your assistance.

G.

I would think getting a rewire done in less than 2 weeks is pushing things, but if it happens whilst you're living in the house is it the end of the world? I would imagine most rewires are done with people living in the house.

You need to think about where you want sockets for all your appliances, any wall mounted TV's, etc etc.

Has anyone ever had a homebuyers survey that didn't recommend rewiring?

Even the electrician brother of a friend told me he was obliged to inform me that the fusebox was no longer up to code and "should" be replaced, despite being only about 5 years old.

The code changes every year and so a fully rewired house can be out of date within 12 months, despite being absolutely fine and of no danger to anyone.

Once you have sorted the rewire issue I would get the gutters facias and soffits done. Your insurer will not pay out if damage is done due to a gutter that has not been maintained to a good standard. Your brickwork and pointing can be severely damaged by leaking gutters. You can put a notice by the hot tap which says NOT Drinking Water. until you can afford the new boiler and perhaps fitted kitchen at the same time. The fencing is a safety issue so needs a good examination to decide how urgent it is. The safest thing is for the children to be under supervision while in the garden until they are old enough to be somewhat responsible for themselves.

Pink tiles will not hurt anyone, though they may offend your aesthetics, you will survive. Good luck in your new home.