3 Reasons To Have An Electrical Inspection Before Purchasing A Home

Are you thinking about buying a house? Do you think you know which one you want but you want to make absolutely sure before you make the final commitment? Although you can technically sell a home again if it turns out to be not as expected, this can take time and money. As a result, it's a good idea to try to ensure that things are both what you want and what you need. In order to do this, you need to have the home checked out by a few professionals before you agree to make the purchase. One of the most important professionals to hire is an electrician. They'll look for things like the following.

Outdated wiring

The older a home is, the more likely it is that the wiring is outdated and unsafe. Originally, wiring wasn't intended to do much more than power a few lamps within a home. Up until relatively recently, the biggest power draw in most homes was probably the refrigerator. Today, a modern home might be expected to have multiple computers and a variety of electronics within. In many cases, accommodating these devices is no simple electrical repair. The entire wiring system will need to be redone. If you want to do that, it's fine. But not everyone wants to deal with such an extensive electrical project.

DIY wiring

In an effort to update their wiring, many homeowners have turned to DIY projects. This may be fine for replacing a damaged outlet but is less fine when it includes major upgrades. Just because these so-called improvements haven't sparked an electrical fire yet doesn't mean that they're safe. An electrical repair that has been performed by an amateur can be extremely unsafe for both you and your family. An inspection by a professional electrician before you purchase a home will let you know if there is anything to worry about in this regard.

Damaged wiring

Rats and mice will chew on anything, including wiring. If a home with otherwise-safe wiring has ever had an infestation of rodents in the past, even if it was just one rat or one mouse, it's a good idea to have an electrician inspect as much of the wiring system as possible. Fortunately, fixing chewed-on cables is generally a very fast and inexpensive electrical repair. You may even be able to get the current homeowner to agree to fix the wires as part of the purchase agreement.

For more information, contact an electrical contractor like McDonald Electric.