With the uncertainty of Brexit on the horizon, property market jitters are becoming apparent with more and more people hesitant to put their house on the market. For those brave individuals who are not letting Brexit halt their moving plans, what percentage are going to ask an Electrician to carry out a Pre-purchase Electrical Survey on a property before making an offer?

What is a Pre-Purchase Electrical Survey?

A pre-purchase electrical survey highlights the condition of the electrical wiring of a property. It also checks the safety of the electrical installation and that it adheres to British Standards. Now I know moving is an expensive time as it is, with Solicitors and Estate Agent fees, Building Surveys, and then you have all the other costs involved with moving house. Therefore, you’re probably thinking that a Pre-purchase Electrical Survey is an expense you could do without. However the benefit of having one is you know the exact condition of the property before committing yourself financially. Imagine a few months into your new home and an electrical fault occurs. You then find out that the wiring of the property is in a terrible condition and it will cost a lot of money to correct the issue!

Do I really need to have a pre-purchase electrical survey carried out?

In my personal experience, I found a pre-purchase electrical survey to be highly beneficial when moving house. The survey brought to our attention that some areas of the electrics in the house needed modernisation. For example, our kitchen, lounge and dining room power all fed off of one circuit. Now the demands of kitchens these days what with a washing machine, fridge freezer, tumble dryer, and endless amounts of other kitchen appliances we had, it was heading for a fuse overload unless we changed the current electrical set up. The two viewings we had would not have made us aware of this, as everything looked fine on the surface. Even though this problem was something that could be easily rectified, the survey helped to highlight the problem to us and made us aware of the costs before deciding on the property.

The things that showed up from us having a Building and a Pre-purchase Electrical Survey did not put us off buying this particular house, the point is we went into this house knowing what to expect and what costs were involved going forward. The survey gave us the opportunity to get a better insight into the electrical condition of our future home and therefore a decision was based on if we wanted and could afford the property or not from the findings. Alternatively, you can have a Visual Electrical Inspection carried out. This will give you reasonable insight into the condition of the electrical system in a property. The report will highlight anything that may need replacing in the future.

Whenever a customer calls us at Fulcher Edwards to find out if they should have a electrical survey on a property they are interested in. We always advise them to have one or a visual inspection as it provides you with useful information before making that offer. Its important to remember that just because something is working, it doesn’t necessarily mean there are no underlining problems and it is operating safely.

If you are considering looking for a new home anytime soon then don’t forget to budget for an Pre-purchase Electrical Survey as it could save you money in the long run. Just make sure that the electrician you use is registered with a Government-approved organisations like NICEIC, as registered Electricians will work to current British Standards.

Contact us HERE if you would like to find out more about a pre-purchase electrical survey.

Claire Fulcher-Powell

Fulcher Edwards Ltd prides itself on being a family business. Our director Michael Fulcher, operates the company alongside his wife and 2 daughters. His eldest daughter, Claire Fulcher-Powell celebrated her 10 years of service with the company on the 1st June! Therefore, in celebration of Claire’s long service with Fulcher Edwards Ltd we thought we would ask Claire a few questions about her time in the company:

Amy: ‘Congratulations on working at Fulcher Edwards for 10 years! What does your role entail?
Claire: ‘Thank you! I am the Operations Manager for the company. Therefore, I am in charge of booking in works, client liaison, ordering materials, and office management. However I am also responsible for all aspects of HR, Health and Safety, and audit management. Its a busy role for sure!’

Amy: ‘Wow it sounds it! What would you say the biggest challenge is of working for the family business?’
Claire: ‘One of the biggest challenge is trying to keep a healthy balance between family and work life. Its important to not always talk about work when spending time as a family! Also, there are higher expectations of you. I also find it difficult not to get emotionally involved with the company. As a family business, you have a personal attachment to it and therefore its hard not to take it personally if things go wrong which are sometimes out of your control.’

Amy: ‘That’s completely understandable. What would you say your greatest achievement has been in the last 10 years?’
Claire: ‘Due to the economic climate, there has been a lot of difficult changes which have happened over the past 10 years. We have lost big clients due to a change in their circumstances, which then massively impacted us! I’m proud to say though that we have always managed to pull through and keep the company running. Also, when I first joined the company I very much created the marketing role. I got Fulcher Edwards onto social media and started looking at ways to further advertise the business. We also got featured in a couple of magazine articles which I was pretty proud of!’

Amy: ‘Yes that is certainly something to be proud of! What is your favourite aspect of your role?’
Claire: ‘Most definitely winning a job and getting new clients! Also receiving positive feedback is really great. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.’

Amy: ‘Okay great. Finally, what’s next for Fulcher Edwards?’
Claire: ‘We’re not 100% sure what lies ahead at the moment, especially with Brexit on the horizon. We have already noticed a slight decline in work due to people being cautious with their money. For this year, I think we have to just batten down the hatches and see what the outcome of Brexit is. I would also like to keep slowly growing the business and gaining more clients in the Hertfordshire area.’

For all your electrical needs, please do not hesitate to contact us HERE.

Electrical apprenticeship in London, Herfordshire and St Albans

Research conducted by the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) shows that only 8% of school leavers are being advised to seek apprenticeships! Due to this, employers feel that schools are not preparing students with the correct skill set to pursue an electrotechnical/engineering career.

At Fulcher Edwards Ltd we fully support apprenticeships and have hired a number of apprentices throughout our 38 years of service. Our Managing Director completed a City & Guilds apprenticeship back in 1975 and has been the owner of his own company since 1981. Therefore, it goes to show how far an apprenticeship can take you! Unfortunately, apprenticeships are often perceived as the ‘easy’ and ‘low-paying’ career route.

According to the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP) over half of employers said that apprentices often had unsatisfactory attitudes, a lack of knowledge, and qualifications. Employers also expressed concerns that schools are not teaching students basic electrical principles within their physics lessons. Furthermore, this lack of electrical theory and knowledge could be discouraging students to pursue a career within the electrical field.

School leavers also appear to be lacking in basic maths skills, oral and written English communication, and having a decent work ethic. Therefore they show a lack of respect to employers through poor timekeeping.

The ECA and TESP are aiming to encourage students into the electrotechnical sector by launching a series of programmes. This will include enhancing the electrical careers website, promoting work experience opportunities, and encouraging industry experts to become part-time lecturers. They aim to close the gap between education and the electrical industry through engagement with employers and local schools.

There is a lack of good candidates applying to train within the sector, therefore its important to start eliminating this stigma surrounding apprenticeships. University is not the route for everyone, and working as an electrician can be a rewarding, fulfilling, and well-paying career. Furthermore, apprenticeships give young people the opportunity to gain work experience, recognised qualifications, and even more importantly to earn some money!

What are your thoughts on apprenticeships? Do you think electrotechnical should be recognised as an academic subject?

If you require any electrical assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us HERE.