Do I need an EICR to sell my home in Scotland?

No. It is required for private lets, not for selling an owner-occupied home, though it can be useful evidence where the installation is old.

Should I rewire before selling?

Rarely. It is disruptive and expensive, and buyers usually prefer to do it to their own specification after purchase.

Pre-sale preparation

Electrical checks before selling

Evidence beats reassurance

The short answer

There is no legal requirement for an EICR when selling a home you live in, but a Home Report surveyor will comment on an obviously dated installation, and buyers assume the worst without evidence. Where the consumer unit is old or the wiring visibly dates from before the 1990s, a current EICR either removes the objection or tells you what a buyer will discover anyway.

What the work involves

An inspection and test by a registered electrician, remedial work for any C1 or C2 items, and keeping the report and certificates with the sale paperwork.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

Electrical work in dwellings must comply with building standards and be carried out by a competent person; certification should be retained. EICRs are required for private lets, not for owner-occupied sales.

What commonly goes wrong

Commissioning an EICR and then not completing the remedial work, which hands the buyer a documented list of faults.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

An EICR on a flat is a modest cost; remedial work is the variable.
Consumer unit replacement is common in older stock and is usually a day's work.
Rewiring is disruptive and rarely worth doing purely to sell.

What to do, in order

1Look at the consumer unit — a rewirable fuse board signals an ageing installation.
2Gather certificates for any electrical work done during your ownership.
3Consider an EICR where the installation is visibly old.
4If you commission one, complete the C1 and C2 work.
5Keep all certificates together for the buyer's solicitor.

Local detail for the Lothians

Pre-1919 Edinburgh flats commonly show mixed-era wiring and no RCD protection at first inspection.
Rewiring stone and lath-and-plaster property is disruptive, which is why buyers price it in rather than expecting sellers to do it.
Common stair lighting is shared and is inspected separately from the flat's own installation.

When you need a professional

A registered electrician with SELECT, NICEIC or NAPIT for inspection, testing and any remedial work.

Common questions

Do I need an EICR to sell my home in Scotland?: No. It is required for private lets, not for selling an owner-occupied home, though it can be useful evidence where the installation is old.
Should I rewire before selling?: Rarely. It is disruptive and expensive, and buyers usually prefer to do it to their own specification after purchase.

Lothian Property is a property information and professional-introduction service operated by Maybury Scotland Limited. Lothian Property is not an estate agency. Where requested, we may connect homeowners with independent estate agents and other property professionals. How we work.

Heating checks before selling
Servicing, paperwork and knowing what a buyer will ask about the system.
Paperwork and certificates
The documents a buyer's solicitor will ask for, gathered before they ask.
Preparing for the Home Report
What the surveyor looks at, and the work worth doing before they visit.

Last reviewed 4 September 2026.