In an attempt to get a better deal on our perfect home, many of us have ventured down the renovation route. Although it’s often a cost-effective option, fixing up a home comes with its challenges. And a common one of those is the need to undertake a rewire. Old, dangerous, or faulty wiring is usually the culprit. But a rewire doesn’t just make a home safer, it provides opportunities to modernise your facilities and hard-wire essential devices.
If this job is on the cards, there’s one question you might ask yourself: how hard is it to rewire a house?
Reasons to Hire a Professional
Whether you’re a regular DIYer or a complete novice, completely rewiring your home is not a task you should take on yourself.
Firstly, electricity is extremely dangerous to mess with. And secondly, you want the work to meet current building regulations. Not only will this give you peace of mind, but it will make your home easier to sell in the future. And finally, you’ll have a guarantee for the work. Should any problems arise with your home, appliances, or insurance claims, this could be important.
What to Consider in the Rewire
Although hiring an electrician to do the rewire may sound like an easy option, it’s not quite as straightforward as it sounds. There’s a lot you need to consider, otherwise, you’ll find yourself calling tradespeople back to make changes. And that could get expensive.
So, the first thing is to work out the number of sockets you need in each room. And then perhaps even more importantly, where they should go. You also need to think about the most convenient place to put light switches and lighting points. This may seem obvious, but wall lights and outside lights are often an afterthought and easily missed out. Plus, tricky rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms may need a bit more research to get the right lighting in the right areas.
Also, think about what type of sockets you want. To help decide this, think about the devices you use. Double sockets are fine, but what about adding charging points or networking internet connections too? If you’re working from home, these additions could make a big difference to your productivity. And if you’re planning to install a wood-burning stove or gas appliances, how about hard wiring your carbon monoxide alarm along with a smoke or fire alarm?
As cables will need to be inserted into the walls, it’s better to get everything done in one go, rather than creating more mess or using surface trunking later on. Try to future-proof your home for all eventualities.
Hiring an Electrician
Hiring the right electrician can take just as much thought and careful research. You’ll need to check they’re qualified and registered with a competent person scheme. Plus, they should be insured and able to provide examples of their previous work or satisfied customers.
Don’t simply settle for one quote but try to get at least three from different local electricians for comparison. Invite them to your home and explain clearly what you want. And check whether the quote includes remedial work, so you get an accurate estimate.
In addition, you’ll need to decide whether you’re living on site while the work is carried out. This could make the job trickier as you’ll need to arrange for power to be left on overnight. On the other hand, living off-site could make it more costly for you. And you’ll still need to check on progress, so everything goes to plan.