If you are planning to buy or sell a fixer-upper house or a property that needs serious rehab, you should be aware of the possible changes. One major angle that every buyer or seller should always secure, is the electrical aspect of the property. Regardless whether you are a buyer or a seller, you should check the electrical and wiring status of the property before delving deeper into any form of transaction. Now here below are some quick guides, as also discussed at inman, to help you decide on whether you need the assistance of an electrician for a certain property.
Dimming or Flickering Lights
Flickering or dimming of lights may be caused by different factors. A flickering light bulb for example once turned on could be a sign of overloaded circuit. And if this would happen frequently or steadily, then chances are great that there is a faulty electrical wiring or bad circuit breaker. Having such particular electrical concern, one should immediately seek the help of an electrician, for such task is a bit complicated for you to handle. Lastly, it is also good to note that not all flickering lights is always a sign of a problem, for new light devices once turned one would exhibit such tendency until it reaches a steady pace.
Outlets
Houses built after 1970 were designed having two-pronged outlets that are not grounded. This would be in contrast to ones built after 1990, which were built with three-pronged outlets having ground fault interrupter. This is a new standard for housing outlet, and this is advised to be followed in order to avoid getting electric shocked if electrical issues would arise. You should ask electricians to change the outlets in the property before buying or selling it.
Shocked
You might have experienced this type of concern. If you felt some slight buzz, shock, or tingle while flipping switches or simply touching some appliances around, the ground may not be working properly or there might be some improper wirings. Consulting an electrician is the best answer to the problem in order to avoid serious accidents. The electrician would then look into grounding or would suggest some wirings to be replaced.
The ones highlighted above are only obvious physical clues. It would be better that you still consult an electrician regardless of any electrical anomalies, for you are dealing with a fixer-upper property. Some changes and replacement to be made are necessary in order to safeguard the future owner of the property and to increase its market value.
