Expert’s Guide to Rewiring A Property Before Buying

Are you about to purchase a house and thinking about whether rewiring is needed? It is a significant investment, after all. Whether or not to invest your hard-earned money in wiring is a decision that depends on several other factors. The major factor is the age of the house.

If the house is more than 25 years old, before you decide on electrical rewiring in London, it is important that you do some legwork before purchasing. To ensure you make the right decision, it is important that you conduct a survey ahead of time. Thus, you will not only know how much work you will need to do and the cost of it.

However, rewiring your newly bought house is not something you should ignore. No doubt, bad wiring poses a significant hazard to the electrical systems and other occupants, putting everyone’s life in danger.
This all-inclusive guide aims to provide you with information regarding what you (a renovator) need to know about the rewiring process.

When Does a Property Need Rewiring?

Numerous reasons for rewiring can be there, including:
If rewiring has not been done in a property within the last 25 to 30 years. If this is the case, installing a new wire in part of the house should be considered to keep up with the current standards.
Those considering major remodelling work in which they may need to change materials altogether will have to rewire part of your property. Besides, upgrading the fuse box is also necessary.
Are you considering extending your home? Maybe you are converting a garage or an attic, in that case, you will need new wiring for the space. In fact, you need to upgrade all existing wiring to improve and ensure electrical safety. This helps you to make sure that your house is in a safe condition and can carry all the additional loads safely. This also means that your property is earthed properly as per the current requirements.
For remodelling or extending any part of your property, upgrading the rest of the existing wiring is not needed. However, this is not the case if rewiring is mandatory according to the energy efficiency needs of the Building Regulations.

How Do You Know if the Property Has Been Rewired?

By examining exposed parts of the wiring, it is easy to determine if rewiring has been done recently. You may also have a look at the electricity meter and fuse box of the property. If it is an old-fashioned fuse box featuring big white ceramic fuses, complete rewiring should be done.
Rewiring may be necessary if you see that the styles of sockets do not match the styles of the switches. This means that a partial rewire has been done. You will know this for sure if you find surface-mounted wiring along the skirting boards or up walls.
A rewire becomes necessary if the sockets are like old round pins or you find original dolly switches in the house.
Check the colour and style of the wiring of the property carefully to determine if they need upgradation. Take a careful look at the light fittings, and around the fuse box. You may already know that PVCu insulated cable coloured grey/white wiring is used in modern electrical installations. And today’s consumer units are designed to have residual circuit devices (RCDs) and circuit breakers. If you do not find any of these, be sure that the house’s wiring needs to be upgraded.

What Should You Do If the House Has Not Been rewired?

A rewire is not necessary if there is modern PVCu-coated wiring in the property you are buying. If there is any old rubber-insulated, fabric-insulated, or lead-insulated cabling in the house, consider rewiring it as soon as possible. Because if you do not do so, soon the insulation will degrade, which will lead to short-circuiting, electrocution or a potential fire hazard.
Maybe you cannot figure out whether you go for rewiring, it is safe to go for the complete rewiring of the house.
But before you proceed, consider arranging for an inspection by a qualified electrician. They can provide you with an estimation of the budget for rewiring, and what will be required after undertaking a complete building survey.

How Much Will Electrical Rewiring Cost?

While electrical rewiring cost in London may vary depending on where you live. But you can still get an estimation of how much it can cost you. In the UK, the average cost is £3,500 (if you rewire a 3-bedroom house). Additional factors will impact the cost including the size of the property, materials, accessibility of the property, and complexity of the job, among others.
It is always best to discuss your needs with a trusted electrician before signing any contracts. This will give you a fair idea of how much the project can cost you. This means you have more time to allot the budget after a careful analysis.
If you think that you can avoid rewiring to save some bucks, you are wrong! If the cabling of the property is not in a good condition and you do not upgrade it, sooner or later, it is going to cost you more than you have expected.
So, after a proper analysis of the property by a reputed technician, make sure you come to any conclusion. Consider checking the condition of the existing cabling and whether it can carry any additional loads.

Working with the Right Electrician

If you do not know it already, electricians prefer working on a supply-and-fix basis. This means that they are willing to provide both labour and materials for the job. They prefer supplying you with your own switches, sockets, and light fittings. This is, of course, possible if you are comfortable with this system.
The price is often calculated depending on how long the job is expected to take, the number of circuits, power points, switches, light fittings, and more. Moreover, the type of the job will be considered while calculating the price. Whether it is a new build or an extension project, or a simple renovation, the cost will vary.
By hiring a trusted and friendly electrician, you can keep costs down. All you need is to prepare everything beforehand. This can include lifting floorboards, chasing out plasterwork, and helping them get easy access to save time.
Working with a trusted electrical service provider takes the headache out of the complex rewiring job. You will feel secure that you are not ripped off and the work was excellent. At Electric Works London, Our emergency Electricians in London ensures you get the most value for your money by letting us handle the rewiring project on your behalf.
So why not the next time you think of executing a rewiring or a renovation project, consider working with us? We will be more than happy to provide you with the help you deserve.