The composite installation
A replaced board is not a replaced installation
A typical Lisbon resale apartment after several partial renovations. The visible element is the newest. What it feeds is not.
What the buyer sees at the viewing
Consumer unit, replaced during a cosmetic renovationLooks current
What the board actually feeds
Bathroom circuitRewired during a refit. Compliant, protected, documented if a term of responsibility was issued.
RecentKitchen circuitPartly reworked when appliances were added. Protection upgraded, conductors not.
MixedBedroom and hallway socketsUntouched since the original build. Earthing and conductor sizing unknown without testing.
OriginalLighting circuitsOriginal routing behind plaster, junction boxes not accessible.
OriginalAir conditioning, added laterRun added to an existing board without a load reassessment.
Added
Why this defeats the shortcutBuyers use the building's construction year as a proxy for the installation. In a composite installation there is no single date to find. The board is the newest element and the most visible, which is exactly why it misleads.