✓ Fact: All wiring must be tested and certified at least every 10 years or upon change of occupancy
What Is A House Rewire?
A house rewire is the process of replacing or upgrading the electrical wiring within a property. It can only be completed by a qualified electrician and it’s often done as part of a renovation or when the existing wiring is damaged or outdated.
A house rewire is important for safety and to bring the property up to current UK standards. During the rewire, all existing wiring will be removed and replaced with a modern equivalent. Therefore, the rewire will futureproof your home and ensure that all electrical systems are safe and reliable.
Does My House Need A Rewire?
A house rewire is required because it can help to improve the safety of a home and its electrical systems. Over time, wiring can become outdated, worn or damaged and this can create a potential fire hazard as well as other safety hazards.
Some of the symptoms of poor wiring in your home can include:
- Flickering or dimming lights
- Burning or smoky odours
- Your electric trips out frequently for no apparent reason
- Cracking or buzzing noises come from electrical components
- Discoloured or warm plug sockets
- Sparks or shocks when plugging in appliances
On top of the above symptoms, if your house hasn’t been rewired within the last 25 years, it’s advised that you get it done for complete peace of mind.
How Much Does It Cost To Rewire A House?
The majority of electricians will price a rewire by the size of your house. Therefore, below is a table of the approximate costs to rewire each size of house.
| Size of House | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 2 bedroom | £1,500 – £3,000 |
| 3 bedroom | £2,000 – £5,000 |
| 4 bedroom | £4,000 – £7,000 |
| 5 bedroom | £6,000 – £9,000 |
| 6 bedroom | £8,000 – £15,000 |
The prices in the table above include the cost of all the wiring, new consumer unit, testing and certifications. With regards to how long it may take, an average size house (3 to 4 beds) can take up to a week. However, because there could be many issues, most electricians will provide an additional few days for the job.
What Factors Affect The Cost To Rewire A House?
1. Size of The Property
The size of a property is one of the most important factors that will affect the cost of a house rewire. Generally, the larger the property, the more wiring and materials are needed, which means that the job will be more expensive.
2. Age of The Property
The age of the property is another key factor that will influence the cost of a house rewire. Older properties often require more work as they may have additional obsolete wiring or outdated electrical systems.
3. Type of Wiring
Traditional wiring may require more time and material to rewire whereas modern wiring systems may be more cost effective.
4. Number of Fittings
If there are a lot of fittings in the form of plug sockets or lights, it’ll take more time to rewire and test.
5. Accessibility
If the wiring is difficult to access, it may require more time and effort to complete the job. The same can be said if the consumer unit is in a difficult area because it can make rewiring much more complex.
6. Location
The location of the house to be rewired will also be a major factor. For example, the labour cost of an electrician is far greater in populated cities such as central London than in other areas of the UK.
7. Empty or Occupied
A house that’s empty at the time of a rewire can make the job of an electrician far more easier. This is because they won’t need to move any of your items around to locate wires or interrupt your daily activities (i.e. if you work from home).
8. Any Additional Work
As an electrician inspects the entire wiring of your home, sometimes they may uncover certain jobs that need doing. For example, this can be to replace a light or a faulty socket that’s causing the consumer unit to trip.
What’s Involved In A House Rewire?
To give you an idea of what’s involved when an electrician rewires your house, below is a brief overview:
- Locate and understand the existing setup
- Remove existing wiring including sockets, switches and light fittings
- Install new wiring including cables, sockets, switches and light fittings
- Connect the new wiring to the consumer unit
- Install safety devices such as RCDs and smoke detectors
- Test the new wiring to ensure it meets the current regulations
- Make any necessary repairs
- Fit new sockets and light fittings
- Issue the necessary electrical certificates
- Clean and tidy the area (i.e. where any carpet was pulled up or walls were drilled)
Conclusion
Rewiring your home is a big job but once complete, you’ll have complete peace of mind that it’s safe and it doesn’t need to be rewired again for a long time. Although the cost to rewire a house can be expensive, it’s definitely a worthwhile investment.
If you require further information with regards to the cost of a house rewire, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.
Written By Danny Morgan
Danny is a property developer by trade with over 15 houses successfully rennovated from the bottom up but other than rennovating houses, he's also a car enthusiast with multiple classic and performance cars.
If you want to find out more about Danny, our testing process or the website itself, visit our about page for further information.
Danny's Expertise
✔ Construction/Property Development
✔ House Rennovations
✔ Plumbing & Electrics
✔ Cars (Mechanically & Buying/Selling)
✔ Gardening (Heavy Duty & Big Projects)
Citations:
- Electrical Rewire Safety, NICEIC, (https://www.niceic.com/medialib/www.niceic.com/PDF/FactSheet-Rewire-A4-4pp-web.pdf)
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