EPH Services

EPH Services offers a wide range of surveys designed to market properties to the highest standards. Legislation by way of the forthcoming Seller's Pack will place a duty on sellers to provide information on the condition and legality of their property. Increasingly, it will make sense to reveal the results of surveys (structural, electrical installation etc.) so as to smooth the way to a fast an uncomplicated sale. A property offering surveys is much more likely to sell than one that doesn't. And they can be used to justify the asking price.

Homebuyers are increasingly aware of the existence of Pre-Purchase Surveys, and because they make such good sense, are using them more and more.

Letting Agents and Estate Agents should always advise their clients to commission a Pre-Purchase Survey if the property is Buy to Let. This saves much anguish at a later date when checks reveal that the property or appliances are UNSAFE, and consequently expensive remedial work is required to conform to current regulations.

Letting Agents will be aware of their joint responsibilities (with the landlords) when letting property to tenants. Whilst all Letting Agents understand the Regulations on gas appliances, some confusion exists about electrical safety. Basically, property and appliances must be SAFE. If you don't test appliances, then you cannot say that they are SAFE and therefore you have not shown the appropriate Duty of Care towards your tenant's safety.

Furthermore, since it costs money to have an electrical test (the most basic is equivalent to just £1.00 a week), some landlords (and perhaps Letting Agents), defer compliance in order to save further expenditure. This is short sightedness in the extreme, since penalties are harsh (£5000 and/or 6 months imprisonment for EACH offence), and of course, a Letting Agent who does not make it absolutely clear to his landlord that electrical appliances and the installation must be SAFE, faces prosecution from that same landlord, in the event of any accident. The message is to test electrical appliances and the installation.

EPH Services provides a free Visual Electrical Safety Survey with every Appliance test. These two Reports prove compliance, and could avoid a nasty accident and even death. Finally, note that EPH Services tests or visually inspects ALL appliances, even if they are 'hard wired' appliances such as storage heaters. This ensures further compliance and Duty of Care.