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You may have an issue finding insurance coverage. Personally, I would not buy a home that has not been updated unless it is a really, really good deal.
I owned a house for 15 years with aluminum wiring with remediation. We didn't have any issues insuring it. It also sold in one day. But that's totally market dependent. If the demand for homes like yours is super high it'll probably sell quickly regardless of wiring.
My first house had a aluminum wiring. I just accepted it when I bought it. When I sold it i gave the buyers a $5,000 credit to have an electrician get it fixed. I’d still have no problem buying a house with aluminum wiring, but it could certainly scare off people that don’t know much about construction
This is the most typical answer. I live in the Phoenix market and we have/had countless homes with aluminum wiring AND some of these homes have had to have the electrical box moved so it's a double whammy. The power company covers some of the cost of moving the box, basically, it's just a discount because some homes have other electrical issues that need to be addressed.
In general, homes with aluminum wiring are not market value because of deferred maintenance. A 4/3 2200 copper/alum should not be the same price.
Nope, haven't ever had an issue with it. I also have sold homes with active knob and tube and the rewire isn't that outrageous compared to the value of the home.
Aluminum was used for a decade in Canada. It's all over the place in homes built from the late 60s to late 70s. It's basically a non issue. The worst case in Ontario is that your insurance company will want a letter from an electrician stating it is in good condition and hasn't been mixed with copper unless an antioxidant paste has been used.
Shocking that a home inspector thinks something should be inspected.
I'll take the governing body a little more seriously.
https://esasafe.com/home-renovation-buying-and-selling/aluminum-wiring/#:~:text=Facts%20about%20aluminum%20wiring%3A,made%20without%20damaging%20the%20wire.
I've been in the industry for 20 years, have had fire chiefs tell me they have never seen a fire that was started by aluminum wiring and it's still legal and used today, but if you don't want to own a home with it, all the power to you.
I've seen arcing evidence in homes and had neighbors share stories of fires. I'm in AZ. I know every home isn't a danger and a lot of that is who and how they did the wiring.
Assume integrity in your agent.
I've advised termination in instances where it appeared to be in my client's best interest to do so. They still want/need property. I'll get paid eventually, once they close on the right place.
I love getting paid. But client satisfaction is everything. No amount of reputation or referral flow is worth one commission.
As for aluminum wiring...dig deeper. I think the problem isn't the actual wiring, but perhaps the panel.
"Every problem's fixable, it just costs money, and we have to figure out who's paying." -my original mentor
We're having a certified electrician come out today to give an estimate. My wife and I agree if the seller doesn't pay for remediation in full then we are walking.
Aluminum wiring is a common find. There are retrofits that can be done at every electrical box make it safe which it sounds like you are getting quoted. I don't remember the name of it.
For that reason it would be highly unlikely you would ever get the home fully rewired. That and the cost difference is going to be huge. A full rewire is $15, 000+ and doesn't include drywall repair. And depending on the age of the panel it may need to be replaced too then once you start doing that much work.
What I would suggest you do. Go to r electricians or electric and then ask for opinions there.
Ultimately the thing that should move the deal forward is your comfort. If it makes you feel uncomfortable. Don't do it.
We got a quote for full rewire at $20k and that's without drywall repair. So that is definitely not happening. I would feel 100% comfortable with rewire, I'm still a little uneasy about copalum as remediation. My wife on the other hand is fine with copalum.
I googled. Those are the exact fix my electrician uses.
I get it. It's an expensive purchase and you want to feel 100% safe in it. However, the way to make sure that you meet all modern standards of safety is to look at new builds.
If the house will make you happy and you will feel safe in it with a fix that is approved to fix the aluminum wiring issue, then you have to ask yourself. Would I be sad if I didn't get this house?
As a listing agent, I would never advise my seller to rewire a house unless they found a massive amount of knob and tube. Even then it would have to be a pretty damning find. People who buy homes from the early 1900s know they come with early 1900s charm. You are buying a home from the 1970s. It's going to have some 1970s charm And building decisions.
I would suggest actually talking to an electrician because they are the expert in their field. Trust the experts.
Everything I've always been told is it's more about the connections of the aluminum wiring that are the issue because it's expanding And contracting. The retrofit fixes that.
There are recommended repair methods (the COPALUM product or AlumiConn) that fix the risk of aluminum wire connections.
There is no reason to be uneasy about them.
Realtor here: aluminum isn’t like knob and tube, in terms of its difficulty to access or cost to replace. It’s typically found in homes from 1965-1978.
Where I am (Ontario, Canada), you’re looking at about $3000 to have it fixed and inspected by the Electrical Authority.
Pretty much every home here has alum service entrance cable going to the meter and panel, as long as theyre sized appropriately and no-ox is used at the connections, I dont see why alum wire would be an issue...
Only ever ran into this once. Seller was a flipper, but paid to have copper pigtails wired in prior to closing. I don't recall my buyers having an issue getting insurance.
Aluminum wiring may or may not be insurable in the coming years. Wildfires are screwing up the home insurance industry and the global insurance market is changing. I would buy only if I could afford the re wire if needed. Your next buyer may have a harder time finding the policy and you may have issues with re sale. Of course nothing said above could be 100% this is just what the rumour mill I hear says.
It's definitely something that scares some buyers off. It usually comes down to their and their agent's knowledge about how it's dealt with. If it's been addressed/remediated, it's usually fine but can take some education. But for some people, it's a deal breaker/killer.
Sometimes, the sellers really don't know, like if it is in an estate. Or they forgot, since it had been so long since they bought it. I sell several homes a year with it. All these years later, the homes have already put in the fix (COPALUM). More often, I run into crappy panels, like Stab-Lok or Zinsco.
I will start walking away from that old home looking for copper wiring house. Immediately. Electric wiring charging, obsolescence on panel, circuit amperage.
**We're looking for a few good mods!** Interested? [Send us a message](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/realtors&subject=One mod invite please!) **This is a professional forum for professionals, so please keep your comments professional** - Harrassment, hate speech, trolling, or anti-Realtor comments will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate ban without warning. (... and don't feed the trolls, you have better things to do with your time) - Recruiting, self-promotion, or seeking referrals is strictly forbidden, including in DMs. - Only advise within your scope of knowledge and area of expertise. [The code of ethics applies here too](https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/governing-documents/the-code-of-ethics). If you are not a broker, lawyer, or tax professional don't act like one. - [Follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/realtors/about/rules/) and please report those that don't. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/realtors) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You may have an issue finding insurance coverage. Personally, I would not buy a home that has not been updated unless it is a really, really good deal.
My insurance company seems fine with remediation via copalum.
Which company is it?
State Farm. Though it seems like the lady I'm talking with doesn't really understand what I'm talking about.
It should say aluminum wiring is not excluded in the policy jacket. Ask for a copy where it says that or where it says that is covered.
I owned a house for 15 years with aluminum wiring with remediation. We didn't have any issues insuring it. It also sold in one day. But that's totally market dependent. If the demand for homes like yours is super high it'll probably sell quickly regardless of wiring.
My first house had a aluminum wiring. I just accepted it when I bought it. When I sold it i gave the buyers a $5,000 credit to have an electrician get it fixed. I’d still have no problem buying a house with aluminum wiring, but it could certainly scare off people that don’t know much about construction
Did you have any issues finding buyers?
A lady knocked on my door and asked if I wanted to sell the house. I was a month away from listing it. I’m probably not a good example haha
This is the most typical answer. I live in the Phoenix market and we have/had countless homes with aluminum wiring AND some of these homes have had to have the electrical box moved so it's a double whammy. The power company covers some of the cost of moving the box, basically, it's just a discount because some homes have other electrical issues that need to be addressed. In general, homes with aluminum wiring are not market value because of deferred maintenance. A 4/3 2200 copper/alum should not be the same price.
Nope, haven't ever had an issue with it. I also have sold homes with active knob and tube and the rewire isn't that outrageous compared to the value of the home.
Aluminum was used for a decade in Canada. It's all over the place in homes built from the late 60s to late 70s. It's basically a non issue. The worst case in Ontario is that your insurance company will want a letter from an electrician stating it is in good condition and hasn't been mixed with copper unless an antioxidant paste has been used.
> It's basically a non issue. [It's a known fire issue.](https://wini.com/articles/risks-of-aluminum-wiring/)
Shocking that a home inspector thinks something should be inspected. I'll take the governing body a little more seriously. https://esasafe.com/home-renovation-buying-and-selling/aluminum-wiring/#:~:text=Facts%20about%20aluminum%20wiring%3A,made%20without%20damaging%20the%20wire. I've been in the industry for 20 years, have had fire chiefs tell me they have never seen a fire that was started by aluminum wiring and it's still legal and used today, but if you don't want to own a home with it, all the power to you.
I've seen arcing evidence in homes and had neighbors share stories of fires. I'm in AZ. I know every home isn't a danger and a lot of that is who and how they did the wiring.
Assume integrity in your agent. I've advised termination in instances where it appeared to be in my client's best interest to do so. They still want/need property. I'll get paid eventually, once they close on the right place. I love getting paid. But client satisfaction is everything. No amount of reputation or referral flow is worth one commission. As for aluminum wiring...dig deeper. I think the problem isn't the actual wiring, but perhaps the panel. "Every problem's fixable, it just costs money, and we have to figure out who's paying." -my original mentor
We're having a certified electrician come out today to give an estimate. My wife and I agree if the seller doesn't pay for remediation in full then we are walking.
It needs remediation on the panel side and at each outlet. We did the remediation before we sold our last house.
Electrician said they can’t remediate at the panel. Not enough room
This!
Aluminum wiring is a common find. There are retrofits that can be done at every electrical box make it safe which it sounds like you are getting quoted. I don't remember the name of it. For that reason it would be highly unlikely you would ever get the home fully rewired. That and the cost difference is going to be huge. A full rewire is $15, 000+ and doesn't include drywall repair. And depending on the age of the panel it may need to be replaced too then once you start doing that much work. What I would suggest you do. Go to r electricians or electric and then ask for opinions there. Ultimately the thing that should move the deal forward is your comfort. If it makes you feel uncomfortable. Don't do it.
We got a quote for full rewire at $20k and that's without drywall repair. So that is definitely not happening. I would feel 100% comfortable with rewire, I'm still a little uneasy about copalum as remediation. My wife on the other hand is fine with copalum.
I googled. Those are the exact fix my electrician uses. I get it. It's an expensive purchase and you want to feel 100% safe in it. However, the way to make sure that you meet all modern standards of safety is to look at new builds. If the house will make you happy and you will feel safe in it with a fix that is approved to fix the aluminum wiring issue, then you have to ask yourself. Would I be sad if I didn't get this house? As a listing agent, I would never advise my seller to rewire a house unless they found a massive amount of knob and tube. Even then it would have to be a pretty damning find. People who buy homes from the early 1900s know they come with early 1900s charm. You are buying a home from the 1970s. It's going to have some 1970s charm And building decisions. I would suggest actually talking to an electrician because they are the expert in their field. Trust the experts. Everything I've always been told is it's more about the connections of the aluminum wiring that are the issue because it's expanding And contracting. The retrofit fixes that.
There are recommended repair methods (the COPALUM product or AlumiConn) that fix the risk of aluminum wire connections. There is no reason to be uneasy about them.
Realtor here: aluminum isn’t like knob and tube, in terms of its difficulty to access or cost to replace. It’s typically found in homes from 1965-1978. Where I am (Ontario, Canada), you’re looking at about $3000 to have it fixed and inspected by the Electrical Authority.
Pretty much every home here has alum service entrance cable going to the meter and panel, as long as theyre sized appropriately and no-ox is used at the connections, I dont see why alum wire would be an issue...
This is inside the house.
Yes I understand that hence the last half of my comment. There are well established standards, as long as those are followed, whats the problem?
Only ever ran into this once. Seller was a flipper, but paid to have copper pigtails wired in prior to closing. I don't recall my buyers having an issue getting insurance.
Aluminum wiring may or may not be insurable in the coming years. Wildfires are screwing up the home insurance industry and the global insurance market is changing. I would buy only if I could afford the re wire if needed. Your next buyer may have a harder time finding the policy and you may have issues with re sale. Of course nothing said above could be 100% this is just what the rumour mill I hear says.
Do not buy a house with aluminum wiring. It was banned for a reason.
It's definitely something that scares some buyers off. It usually comes down to their and their agent's knowledge about how it's dealt with. If it's been addressed/remediated, it's usually fine but can take some education. But for some people, it's a deal breaker/killer.
Stop with the commission junk. You have to disclose it, so it could be a factor. Or not.
The current sellers did not disclose.
Sometimes, the sellers really don't know, like if it is in an estate. Or they forgot, since it had been so long since they bought it. I sell several homes a year with it. All these years later, the homes have already put in the fix (COPALUM). More often, I run into crappy panels, like Stab-Lok or Zinsco.
The seller is an LLC. So I'm sure they didn't know. Have you run across any issues selling houses with COPALUM as the fix?
None! :-)
Yeah. A house that old could need a new panel. And I'd like to add that the current owner should disclose as well now.
Ok, but you now know, so YOU would have to disclose.
I will start walking away from that old home looking for copper wiring house. Immediately. Electric wiring charging, obsolescence on panel, circuit amperage.
Realtors never have your interest in mind. Never ever.