Is it time to rewire your home?

Are you due a rewire? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t even think about it until something goes wrong. And when it does, you scramble to find an electrician to come out and fix the problem.

But what if there was a way to avoid all that? What if you could take care of basic electrical wiring needs before they turned into big problems? Well, there is. Rewiring your home is a great way to ensure that your electrical system is up to date and can handle anything you throw at it.

There are a few things you should keep in mind if you’re thinking about rewiring your home.

How do I know if I need to rewire my home?

If your home is more than 40 years old, the wiring will likely need to be updated. Rewiring your home can be a big job, but it’s important to make sure that your electrical system is up to date and safe. Here are some signs that you may need to rewire your home:

  • Your home has not been rewired recently
  • Your home has dangerous or electrical wiring
  • You’re constantly blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers
  • Your sockets or switches are hot to the touch
  • Your lights are flickering or dimming

If you’re experiencing any of these problems, it’s time to call an electrician and have your home. Whilst at your home they can conduct an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to check the safety of your electrical system and advise you on any work that needs to be done.

Chasing Wall Out on a rewire

How can I tell if my home has already been rewired recently?

If you’re unsure whether or not your home has been rewired recently, there are a few things you can look for. First, check your consumer unit. If your home has been recently rewired by a qualified electrician, then it should have a sticker on saying when it was last tested.

A modern consumer unit should also have a minimum of one RCD (Residual Current Device). If you only have one RCD, we would still advise you to get an electrician out to see if your consumer unit needs upgrading. If you have rewireable fuses still, we would definitely recommend you get an electrician out to do a full test to see if you need a rewire or not.

Alternatively, you could also look at the colour and condition of your existing wiring. Older wiring can be surrounded by a lead or cloth sheath, which is often black. Newer wiring will be surrounded by plastic or PVC insulation, which is usually white or grey (grey being the most recent). The wires inside should be brown and blue, instead of red and black. Brown and Blue wiring came into place in 2006, which helps us identify how old the installation is.

What do I need to consider before rewiring my home?

To rewire a house is a big job, and it’s important to make sure that you’re prepared before you start. Here are a few things to consider before you rewire your home:

You need to be certain of the number of sockets, switches, and light fittings you want in every room. It is much cheaper to do everything at once than to keep adding in the future if you decide you want an extra socket.

On some occasions, you may be deciding if you want to move house instead of having your house rewired. Doing a full rewire on a 3 Bed house costs on average £5000 + Vat. The cost to rewire any property does vary depending on what is involved. If you decide you want to move house, that cost would inevitably be taken away from your house price, so no saving is made. You can find out more about the cost of to rewire your home here.

How do I choose the right qualified electrician?

The rewiring of your property should not be taken lightly. In the worst-case scenario, terrible wiring may be a serious fire hazard as well as posing a significant risk of injuring or electrocution to those living there. Choosing the right electrician to complete your home rewire is very important.

Always look for someone who is part p registered. This means they will be on the electrical competent persons register, and registered with either the NICEIC or NAPIT. Both of these check companies got enough public liability insurance, along with ensuring that we are working by the current wiring regulations.

At Home Rewire Scotland we are registered with the NICEIC. This is the biggest of the two schemes and is more widely recognised throughout the country. We do not cut corners on any of our work and do not skimp on any costs to make sure your job is done to the best possible standard.

Tips for staying safe during the rewire process

Try and keep the family out of the way as much as possible. Rewiring is a very dusty, dirty, and disruptive job, so it’s best if you can keep pets and children away from the work area.

When we at Home Rewire Scotland do any rewires, we offer a financial incentive to vacate the property during the rewire. On average, this is around £500. This is because it is much safer for everyone, as we can safely lift floorboards and pull cables through, without worrying about anyone else in the house.

Pulling Cable through floor during rewire

How to get ready for your rewire project

In an ideal world, a house would be empty before we do a rewire. We understand this is rarely possible. The best thing you can do to help is to move all small ornaments and pictures away from the walls into sealed boxes. It is also helpful if you can empty under the sink as we often have to access this for bonding the earth to your water stop tap.

You should know exactly where you want any sockets and switches, so please make sure we can access these points easily.

What to do after the rewire is complete

Once we have finished we will give you a copy of your home’s electrical installation certificate, along with a building regulations notification. Any registered electrician has to give you both of these documents.

At Home Rewire, we offer a plastering service. We can plaster over our chases so that all you need to do is paint over the chases. Sometimes this may need some extra work depending on the condition of the wall, and whether it is a painted wall or wallpaper.

We are partnered with Home Skim and Home Decor who can follow us after completing your rewire, and completely re-plaster and re-decorate your home. Ask us about this if you are interested.

Consumer Unit after rewire

What are you waiting for?

So, is it time to rewire your home? Chances are if you’re reading this article, the answer is yes. We hope we’ve given you a good starting point for deciding whether or not to rewire your home and how to go about doing it safely and effectively.

As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Home Rewire Scotland. We can help you every step of the way, from planning to completion. Call us today on 0141 212 6216 for a free consultation.