When you find out your house needs rewiring, there can be a lot of worries, how much will it cost? How long will it take? Often one of the other questions people ask, is just how disruptive is rewiring a house?
At Loftera, we offer professional rewiring services, in addition to loft conversions and house extensions, so we know a thing or two about the impact that having your house rewired can have on your day-to-day lives.
The bad news is that rewiring a house is quite a disruptive job for a couple of reasons:
- Floorboards/carpets will need to be lifted or removed
- Channels will probably need to be cut into either your walls or at least your skirting boards
- The power will need to be off while the work is carried out
This may sound alarming, but the good news is, we also know how to minimise the damage and disruption, to help you enjoy your newly rewired house as soon as possible. Here are a few tips to help you weather a rewire.
1. Hire Professionals
Unsurprisingly, our first piece of advice is to hire professionals. Rewiring a house is a complicated and dangerous job, which needs to be done by a fully-qualified and registered electrician. Depending on the property and the scale of the job, you may actually need to hire a specialist.
You should never attempt electric work as an amateur as there is a serious risk of electrocution or other injuries. It is also likely to cost you more in the long run when you have to pay someone to repair the damage you have done.
Another benefit of hiring professionals is that they will likely have performed hundreds of similar rewiring jobs through their careers, and will know all the tricks for minimising dust, damage from channelling, and other disruptions.
2. Plan Ahead
If you are buying a property which requires a rewire, try to schedule the job for a couple of weeks before your moving in date.
Likewise if you a planning an extensive redecorating project, a new kitchen, a loft conversion (loft conversion prices), or an extension (extension cost), make sure you find out whether you need a rewire first and schedule work accordingly.
If you have lived in the property for a while and do not wish to change the decor, try to get hold of some more of the same wallpaper, or get the same shade of paint mixed ahead of time, so you will be ready to restore your home to its former glory after the plastering work is done.
Also, make sure to ‘futureproof’ your house by planning where the sockets and switches would ideally be placed to meet your needs – it is far cheaper to do this during a rewire, than book separate jobs if you decide you need more outlets later.
Click here to find out the how much to rewire a house and kitchen rewire cost if you are wondering about the total costs ahead.
3. Make Yourself Scarce
You are, of course, welcome to remain in the house to oversee the work (from a safe distance) and be on hand to answer any questions your electrician may have regarding the job.
However, as the power will be shut off when the electricians are working, you need to factor in a loss of productivity and disruption to your usual schedule.
It is the ‘chasing’ – making holes in the plaster or skirting boards in order to clip the cabling that causes the majority of the damage. Some electricians will also plaster, to make the walls ‘good again’ but you need to discuss this at the quote stage. How damaging the chasing can be will also depend on the quality of the plasterwork already in place and the electrician will not know that until they begin.
It also produces a significant of fine dust which seemingly gets anywhere and everywhere.
There’s also the noise to consider, as chiselling into walls is not a quiet job, particularly when carpets or floorboards have been removed.
All in all, it can be tough to go about your usual daily routine, therefore, if you can temporarily vacate the property, it may be less stressful for you to do so.
What If I Can’t Move Out?
If you are already living in the property and unable to temporarily vacate, there are still a few measures can take yourself to minimise the damage and stress.
- Put valuables/ expensive furniture in storage so they don’t get covered in dust
- Or invest in some large dust sheets if that isn’t an option
- Box other items up as if you were moving to protect them
- Before a rewire is a good time to have a clear out so you don’t have so much to move or cover
- Try to temporarily re-home any pets with a friend or family as the noises, smells, and disruption could be very stressful for them
- Embrace the idea of redecorating
- Work out a schedule of work with the electricians
If you are already ensconced in your house and can’t move out while the work is going on, the best thing you can do is work out a schedule of when the electricians will be in and when you will and won’t have power. This is particularly important if you work from home. For example, be clear if you need the electricity back on when the electricians leave each evening – never just switch it back on yourself.
It can be a testing time, but a good electrician will try to make it as painless as possible for you, and for a couple of days or weeks of disruption, the end result will definitely be worth it.
After all, not only is it essential to ensure your wiring is up to code for fire regulations, and your family’s safety, there are also other advantages to rewiring your house.
The Benefits of Rewiring a House
Not only will you sleep more soundly knowing there’s no chance you have faulty wiring, one of the main causes of fires in the home, you are also likely to get a better home insurance quote.
Secondly, with new wiring, you can make your house work much harder for you. New wiring will be able to cope with far more modern gadgets and gizmos that may have overloaded an older system and caused the fuse to blow. You should no longer have any flickering lights or have the breaker regularly tripping. You can also add sockets or switches or move them to more convenient locations during the rewire.
Last, but by no means least, a recent rewire will increase the value of your property. An estate agent will note that the house has recently undergone a rewire and factor it into the overall valuation of the house. You may also have taken advantage of the rewire to add specific features such as a roof light or dimmer switches which may also appeal to potential buyers.
We hope we’ve set your mind at ease a little regarding the potential disruption of rewiring your house. Unfortunately, it is one of those jobs that is unavoidable but, done properly, will be fully worth the short period of disruption.
If you would like a personalised quote, please fill in your details and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
