What to expect from a house rewire

Helpful video reference. Nick Bundy of N Bundy Electrical takes his camera through a complete UK house rewire from start to finish in "Full Rewire Start To Finish - UK Electrics". Nick is a self-employed electrician based in Staffordshire who documents real domestic electrical work. Watching this before your own rewire starts gives you a good feel for the pace and mess involved, which helps set realistic expectations.

1. Initial survey and quotation

A proper survey takes an hour or more in a three-bedroom house. The electrician checks the age and condition of the existing wiring, counts circuits, measures cable routes, and assesses the main earthing and bonding. Rubber-sheathed or cloth-covered cables confirm the wiring is past its safe service life. PVC twin-and-earth cables with yellowing insulation may also need replacing, depending on condition.

The quotation should break down the consumer unit specification, the number of circuits, the socket and lighting layout, smoke alarm positions, and the certification included. Compare quotes on a like-for-like basis -- the cheapest price is not always the same scope of work.

2. First fix -- cable routing

First fix is the disruptive part. Floorboards come up, walls are chased, and cables are run from the consumer unit position to every outlet. Old wiring is pulled out as the new cables go in. Back boxes for sockets and switches are fixed to the walls. The job looks worse before it looks better, which is normal.

In a well-run rewire, the electrician will dust-sheet each room before work starts and will close up floorboards at the end of each day. Ask about this in advance. Cable clipping in loft spaces and cable routes under floors should be neat, not a bundle thrown in.

3. Consumer unit installation

A new consumer unit is fitted, normally in metal to comply with the current 18th Edition. Each circuit gets its own RCBO, giving both overcurrent and residual current protection on a per-circuit basis. If the old board was in a cupboard under the stairs, the new one often stays there -- moving a meter and main fuse requires involvement from the Distribution Network Operator and adds time and cost.

Main bonding conductors are checked and upgraded if they do not meet the current sizing requirements. These are the green-and-yellow cables connecting the gas and water services to the main earthing terminal. Missing or undersized bonding is a common find on older properties in east Kent.

4. Second fix -- accessories and fittings

Second fix happens after the plasterer has finished and the walls are dry. Sockets, switches, light fittings, extractor fans and smoke alarms are all connected and fitted. This phase is much tidier than first fix and typically takes one or two days in a three-bedroom house.

Smoke alarms must be fitted to BS 5839-6 requirements: at minimum one optical alarm on each storey, interlinked so they all sound together. A rewire is the right time to add them if they were missing. Heat alarms go in the kitchen where a smoke alarm would give false alarms from cooking.

5. Final testing and certification

Before any circuit is live, every one is dead-tested: insulation resistance between conductors and earth, continuity of the circuit protective conductor, and polarity. Then, with the board live, earth fault loop impedance is measured at every socket and light fitting, and each RCBO is tested to confirm it trips within the required time.

The paperwork includes an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) listing every circuit tested, an EICR confirming the installation is satisfactory, and a Part P completion certificate issued through the electrician's registration scheme. Keep these documents with the house deeds. Buyers, solicitors and mortgage lenders will ask for them.

When to call us

Richard at Sandwich Electrical carries out full and partial rewires in Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Ramsgate and across east Kent. If your property has old rubber or cloth-covered wiring, a rewireable fuse box, or sockets that are fewer than most rooms need, it is worth a conversation about whether a rewire makes sense. Quotes are free and fixed in writing before any work starts.