House Flippers in Back Bay: Hire a Pro to Upgrade Bad Wiring
When you purchase a house that is considered to be a “fixer upper, and you plan to fix it up and sell it to make a profit, you need to take time to check on basic features, such as the residential electrical system. In older houses, you may need to upgrade electrical wiring to get the house up to code. Homes that are more than 25 years old, but in particular homes that are more than 40 years old, will often need upgrades to the existing wiring through the help of Back Bay electrical services. While there are some basic repairs that you can do to get outlets or fixtures working, there are some projects that will definitely require commercial residential services.
Do It for Safety Reasons
Even if the issues with the residential electrical are not obvious to prospective buyers, such as switches or outlets not working, you will want to make the upgrade to electrical wiring for safety reasons. In some cases, electrical issues can prevent you from being able to sell the home. Rewiring is a big job. While you might be able to change out a few fixtures here and there, it takes a team of professional electricians to provide you with the level of Back Bay electrical services required to accomplish this type of work – and to do it right. If you decide to upgrade electrical wiring, either because you have to due to known issues or because you just know that the home is the right age where it should be done, you can count on the team at M Foley Electric.
According to a study that was done by the National Fire Prevention Association back in 2009, faulty wiring was the leading cause of fires in residential properties in America. The older a home is, the greater your chances will be that the wiring might be deemed unsafe or outdated according to current safety codes. Materials can deteriorate over time, such as the insulation around the wiring itself. You need to bring in an electrician to determine whether or not the residential electrical work is up to code. It’s the only way to be certain. Licensed electricians who work for commercial residential services are the only industry experts who can say for sure what the status of your electrical wiring is in the home.
Signs of Bad Wiring
While you might only be in the home for a short period taking care of the demo, remodeling, and basic painting or repair work as you prepare the home to be sold, there are certain signs that you can look for that will let you know that it’s time, at least, for an inspection. Even if you don’t need to upgrade the electrical wiring fully, at least you will have the peace of mind in knowing that it was checked out by Back Bay electrical services. You can use this information to “sell” the home to prospective buyers when it’s time to put it on the market.
- lights that flicker or dim
- burning smell from an appliance or a particular room
- outlets that feel warm or are discolored
- outlets that spark when things are plugged in or unplugged
- fuses that blow repeatedly
- breakers that trip repeatedly
- no GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets in the bathrooms or kitchens
- two-prong ungrounded outlets – they should all be three-prong at this point
Some insurance companies will not provide a policy for a home that has older wiring. And, when they do, they will often charge a much higher premium. Speak with your agent to find out what you can do to make changes to residential electrical that will lower the premium or make it safer for new buyers when the property is sold. Again, this is a feature that you can “sell” to prospects when you put the house on the market. The chances are good that all the homes in that same neighborhood were built at the same time, so if you are in a desirable area and you have updated wiring from trusted Back Bay electrical services, your home will sell much faster than other homes who have not updated the wiring.
Call M Foley Electric in Back Bay
If you own a property in the Back Bay area of Southeastern Massachusetts or anywhere in the surrounding area and you suspect that you require commercial residential services to upgrade electrical wiring, contact M Foley Electric. Our team of highly trained, certified, and experienced professional electricians can provide you with top quality residential electrical inspections and top notch Back Bay electrical services. Give us a call at 857-829-0516 to schedule an appointment to perform an inspection or provide you with an estimate for services.