Buying a Quake-Repaired House: Electrical Checks

Quick answerGet an independent electrical inspection before you buy. Over 67,000 homes were repaired under the Canterbury Home Repair Programme, and foundation work, re-levelling and new linings can all disturb wiring that nobody looks at again. Ask the vendor for every Certificate of Compliance from the repairs, check the switchboard, and have an electrician test the wiring, earthing and RCD protection.

Electrician inspecting the switchboard of a repaired Christchurch house

Repaired homes are an ordinary part of buying in Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri, and a repaired house is not a bad house. The scope of a quake repair was about fixing damage, though, and wiring that was not damaged was not necessarily looked at while the builders were there.

This checklist covers what electrical problems can follow foundation work, which paperwork to ask for, how to spot old wiring behind new linings, and what a pre-purchase electrical inspection tests, so you know what you are buying before the sale goes unconditional.

What electrical problems can follow a foundation re-level?

A re-level moves the whole house, and the cables, fittings and connections move with it. Wiring that was clipped tight under the floor can be stretched, connections in junction boxes can loosen, and cables can be pinched where floors and walls shifted. None of this is certain in a given house, which is why testing beats guessing.

Research reported by Massey University found that foundations were the most common re-repair problem after the Canterbury Home Repair Programme. That does not mean any particular house was repaired badly. It means a foundation repair is a good reason to check what sits underneath, including subfloor wiring and the main earth connection.

Sockets or switches that sit loose or crooked in the wall after the linings were redone.
Lights that flicker, or an RCD that trips with no obvious cause.
Subfloor cables hanging loose, lying on the ground or pulled tight across joists.
Gaps or cracking where the meter box or switchboard meets the wall.
A buzzing or warm switchboard, or scorch marks on any fitting.

Should I ask for CoCs for repair work?

Yes. Ask the vendor for the Certificate of Compliance for any electrical work done during or after the repairs. WorkSafe says electricians must issue a CoC for fixed wiring work, and advises keeping it as a record because it may be needed for insurance claims or when the home is sold.

Electrical work during a repair could include disconnecting and refitting fittings so linings could be replaced, moving a meter box or replacing damaged circuits. Maintenance such as swapping a socket or a light fitting does not need a CoC, but new circuits and alterations do. High-risk work, such as work on mains or the switchboard, also needs a Record of Inspection from a licensed electrical inspector.

Missing paperwork is not proof of a problem, but it is a reason to have the work inspected. Your lawyer can also ask whether claims with the Natural Hazards Commission, formerly EQC, are settled and which repairs were carried out under them.

How do I spot old wiring hidden behind new linings?

Look at the edges, not the walls. New plasterboard and paint can hide original wiring completely, but the switchboard, the ceiling space, the subfloor and the backs of fittings usually tell the real story.

When linings are replaced, wiring that was not damaged can stay in place behind them. In older suburbs such as Beckenham, where many houses date from the 1900s to the 1950s, that can mean rubber-insulated cable sitting behind a freshly painted wall. If an inspection finds old cable, a partial or full rewire is easiest before you move in and furnish the house.

Rubber-insulated cable (VIR or TRS) in the ceiling or subfloor, which goes brittle with age and should be replaced.
Rewireable fuses, or a mix of old fuses and newer breakers, on the board.
Sockets with no earth pin, or old round switches left in a cupboard or hallway.
Black, cracked or crumbling insulation where a cable enters a light fitting.

Buying a repaired home?

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Was the switchboard moved or replaced during repairs?

Sometimes. A switchboard or meter box on a damaged wall, or in the way of re-lining or a chimney removal, may have been moved, refitted or replaced. The board itself tells you: look for circuit breakers and RCDs, a sticker or label showing when it was installed, and clearly labelled circuits.

Chimneys are a related clue. Many chimneys were damaged or toppled in the Canterbury quakes, and Christchurch City Council's heritage guidance notes that some were demolished to floor level. If the chimney is gone and a heat pump has taken the place of the fire, ask for the CoC for the heat pump circuit.

An old board is not a fault in itself, but if it still has rewireable fuses or no RCD protection, budget for a switchboard upgrade before you add a heat pump, an EV charger or more circuits.

What does an electrical inspection cover?

A pre-purchase electrical inspection checks the switchboard, wiring, earthing, RCD protection and the condition of fittings, then gives you a written report you can take to the vendor or your lawyer before the sale goes unconditional.

The inspection is not destructive and nothing is cut open. Where cables cannot be seen, the electrician uses insulation resistance tests on the circuits, with the vendor's permission, to find faults that are hidden from view.

Cheeky's Electrical carries out pre-purchase inspections across Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri, including the eastern suburbs and homes on the Port Hills, where many houses in Cashmere were repaired after the quakes.

Area checked	What the electrician looks for	Why it matters in a repaired house
Switchboard and meter box	Age, RCD protection, signs of heat, labelling	Boards on moved or re-lined walls may have been disturbed
Main earth	Earth electrode, connection and continuity	Ground movement and foundation work happen around it
Subfloor and ceiling wiring	Cable type, support, damage, old rubber cable	Re-levelling and re-piling are done around this wiring
Sockets, switches and lights	Polarity, earthing, loose or damaged fittings	Fittings come off and go back on when linings are replaced
RCDs	Trip test and function	Confirms the protection works, not just that it is fitted
Paperwork	CoCs and Records of Inspection for past work	Shows what was done and by whom

What should be on your pre-purchase checklist?

Work through the list below before the sale goes unconditional, and allow time to book the inspection inside your due diligence period.

Ask the vendor for every electrical CoC and Record of Inspection from the repairs and since.
Ask which repairs were done through the Natural Hazards Commission or a private insurer, and get the scope of works if it exists.
Check the land's technical category (TC1, TC2 or TC3) on the LIM. Repairs on TC3 land needed a chartered professional engineer.
Look at the switchboard for fuses, RCDs and an installation date.
Check the subfloor and ceiling space if it is safe to do so, or ask the inspector to.
Make the offer conditional on a satisfactory electrical report.

Which Christchurch areas does this matter most in?

It matters anywhere a house was repaired, but some areas saw more land damage than others. Burwood, New Brighton and Kaiapoi were among the places hit hardest by liquefaction and land damage in 2010 and 2011, so repaired and rebuilt homes there are common. Good paperwork makes such a house easier to buy with confidence.

In the hill suburbs, Cashmere and Sumner had homes damaged by rockfall, landslides and ground cracking, while Papanui's north-western position spared it the worst of the liquefaction. Wherever you are buying, ask the same questions and get the same tests done.

The short answer: an earthquake-repaired house can be a sound buy, but ask for the CoCs, look for old cable behind new linings, check the switchboard and get a written electrical report before you commit. Book online and tell us your due diligence date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a rebuilt house on TC3 land a higher electrical risk?

Not because of the land category itself. A rebuild has wiring installed to the rules that applied at the time, and should have a full set of CoCs. The points to check are that the paperwork exists and that the earthing and any services passing through the engineered foundation were installed properly. An inspection confirms both.

Does a building inspection cover the wiring?

A general building inspection usually notes visible electrical issues but does not test circuits. An electrical inspection by a licensed electrician tests the wiring, earthing and RCDs and reports on the switchboard. If the house has had foundation work, the two reports together give you a much fuller picture.

What if I find a repair problem after I have bought the house?

That is a question for your lawyer and insurer rather than an electrician. EQC ran an ex gratia scheme from 2019 for some buyers of on-sold homes with defective repairs, and a class action is ongoing. An inspection report written before you bought is useful evidence of the condition at purchase either way.

Does the power need to be on for an inspection?

Yes, ideally. The electrician needs power to test RCDs and check fittings, and may switch circuits off briefly with the vendor's permission to carry out tests. If the house is vacant and the power has been disconnected, mention it when booking so the inspection can be planned around it.

What happens if the inspection finds old wiring?

You get a written report describing what was found and what it would take to put right, from replacing a few fittings to a partial or full rewire. You can then negotiate on price, ask the vendor to fix it before settlement, or plan the work yourself after you move in.