Electrical inspection when selling a house: what the seller needs to arrange

Electrical inspection when selling a house: what the seller needs to arrange

The inspection of the electrical installation when you sell a house is a legal obligation that rests with you as the seller. An accredited inspection body checks the installation and draws up a report that the notary needs for the deed. A negative report does not stop the sale, but it does affect how buyers look at your home and your price. This article covers that one inspection only.

Why the inspection is mandatory when you sell

The rules for electrical installations in homes are set out in the General Regulation on Electrical Installations, known in Belgium as the AREI (RGIE in French). It is a federal regulation, so it applies in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia. The aim is simple: anyone buying a home should know whether the installation is safe and what may need to be done.

When you sell a residential unit, you must therefore be able to present an inspection report. If you already have a valid report from an earlier inspection that declared the installation compliant, you can in principle use it. If you have no report, or it is no longer valid, you have a new inspection carried out before the deed is signed. The notary requests the report and mentions it in the deed.

This inspection is one of the certificates you gather for the sale. You will find an overview of all the documents in our article on the documents you need to sell your home. What the various certificates cost together is explained in cost of certificates when selling a house.

Who carries out the inspection and how it works

Only an inspection body accredited by the FPS Economy may carry out this inspection. An ordinary electrician can bring the installation up to standard, but cannot issue an official report for the sale. The list of accredited bodies is available on the FPS Economy website.

The inspector comes to the property and looks at, among other things, the following points:

• the distribution board and the residual current devices;
• the earthing and the earth resistance;
• the insulation resistance of the circuits;
• the protection in damp rooms such as the bathroom;
• the single-line diagram and the layout plan of the installation.

Those diagrams are where many sellers get stuck. If they are missing, the inspector cannot check them and this is recorded as a breach in the report. It pays to have an electrician draw them up in advance, especially in an older house that has been extended or renovated over the years.

The inspection itself usually takes one to a few hours, depending on the size of the home. Make sure the inspector can reach everything: the cellar, the attic, the garage and any outbuildings connected to the same installation.

Compliant or non-compliant: what the report means

The report ends with one of two outcomes. If the installation is compliant, no breaches were found. A compliant report stays valid for a long time, so a later buyer can often still rely on it.

If the installation is non-compliant, the report lists the breaches. That sounds more serious than it often is. For older homes, a non-compliant report is the rule rather than the exception. Typical examples are a missing diagram, an outdated residual current device or insufficient earthing.

Important for you as the seller: a non-compliant report does not prevent the sale. You are not required to fix the installation yourself first. The obligation to remedy the defects passes to the buyer with the deed. The buyer has eighteen months after the deed is executed to do so, and must then have a new inspection carried out by an accredited body. The buyer also informs the inspection body of their identity and the date of the deed.

Fix it yourself or sell as it is

Legally, you may sell with a non-compliant report. The question is whether that is also wise. It depends on the nature of the defects and on your market.

If it concerns minor points, such as a missing diagram or an extra residual current device, fixing them before the sale is often the better choice. The work is limited and you remove an argument buyers use to push the price down. A buyer who reads "non-compliant" often allows for a larger amount than the work actually costs.

If the entire installation needs replacing, the situation is different. Many buyers of such a home are planning a thorough renovation anyway and replace the wiring in one go. In that case, selling as it is can make sense, with an asking price that honestly reflects it.

If you are unsure, ask an electrician for a quote for the repairs. With a concrete figure on paper, you can decide for yourself and answer with facts in a negotiation. An estate agent from your area can judge how buyers in your municipality react to a non-compliant report. Through compare estate agents you can request free proposals from up to three accredited agents.

When to have the inspection done

Do not wait until the sales agreement has been signed. The report is part of the information a buyer needs to make a well-considered offer. If you know the outcome before the first viewings, you avoid surprises during the negotiation.

A practical order that many sellers follow:

• first check whether a valid inspection report already exists, for example from when you bought the home;
• have any missing diagrams drawn up before the inspector visits;
• schedule the inspection together with the other certificates, such as the EPC and, in Flanders, the asbestos certificate;
• discuss a non-compliant report with your estate agent before you set the asking price.

Want to know how the state of your installation and the other certificates affect the value of your home? Request a free valuation. That way you start from a realistic price. ImmoMakelaarVergelijker.be then puts you in touch with local estate agents who can take the sale further; start via compare agents.

Frequently asked questions

Is an inspection of the electrical installation required for every sale?

When you sell a residential unit, you must be able to present an inspection report from an accredited inspection body. If you already have a valid report declaring the installation compliant, you can usually use it. Your notary will confirm what is needed in your situation.

Can I sell my house with a non-compliant inspection report?

Yes. A non-compliant report does not block the sale. The buyer must have the defects remedied within eighteen months of the deed and have the installation inspected again by an accredited body.

Can my electrician do the inspection for the sale?

No. An electrician can repair the installation and draw up the diagrams, but the official inspection report must come from an inspection body accredited by the FPS Economy.

Does the same rule apply in Brussels and Wallonia?

Yes. The inspection requirement on sale is laid down in the AREI, a federal regulation, so it applies in all three regions. Other certificates, such as the asbestos certificate, do differ by region.

In conclusion

The electrical inspection is a fixed step in selling your home. You need the report, not necessarily a perfect installation. Have the inspection done early, make sure the diagrams are ready and decide, quote in hand, whether repairs are worth it. That way you go into the negotiation with a clear file and an asking price that holds up.