Living in a home rewire. What does rewiring involve (2024)

We will talk about why, how, and when in this article along with SHOULD you rewire your home.

The most common questions that pop up around a lived in rewire are as follows:

• Will I be without power?
• Is it messy, dust everywhere?
• Will I have internet?
• Who will move the furniture?
• How long will it take?
• What will it cost?

We will address all of these separately below so let us get into it.

1) Will I be without power?

Depending upon the way in which the electricians decide to wire up your property, you could well be without power on occasion. Electrical wiring can be carried out in such a manner as to minimize the potential disruption to you and your family by leaving parts of circuits working whilst new circuits are being wired in.

If you need specific circuits to be working then chat with your electricians before works commences so that they can plan how to carry out work for you.

Certain electrical companies will employ several electricians and laborers so that a rewire can be completed within a day or two meaning minimal disruption and inconvenience.

2) Is it messy, dust everywhere?

To install new wiring and remove old wiring so that it cannot be seen, your electricians will need to lift floorboard, cut the walls open and get into the attic or loft space to install new cabling. There may be a crawl space underneath the floor which can help with the installation of wiring for plug sockets on the ground floor of a property.

Chasing (cutting channels for electrical cables) the walls can be a very messy job. The best and most expensive equipment comes with a high-quality wall cutting machine and dust extraction unit meaning virtually no dust. Check with your electricians which equipment they are using and how much dust there will be.

Loft spaces are generally very dirty and dusty environments and as such, any work carried out in these places is likely to spill dust into the property as well.

Moving out for a week is looking good, eh?

3) Will I have internet?

Internet can be maintained with some prior thought. Your internet supplier requires that their box has a power supply and this can generally be run from anywhere. Most electricians will install a temporary power supply to leave you with a few sockets and a light near the existing mains cupboard. An extension lead can be run to power the internet router.

4) Who will move the furniture?

Your electricians will normally let you know which areas they will need access to, they will specify in their quote WHO will be expected to move the furniture, whether they need access to the entire house and what electrical work will be carried out in each room.

Easy access to parts of your home is usually a condition of most tradespersons quotes so try to ensure that your key consideration is making sure the tradespeople have the access they need. Moving furniture is an extra component that may not have been quoted for so check their terms and conditions in the quote to see what is and is not covered.

Many tradespersons will not be insured to move your belongings around so perhaps consider renting a storage unit for a few days or even a large box van to park at your property to store your possessions in whilst the work takes place.

5) How long will it take?

Some companies can carry out an occupied rewire in a day or two with enough electricians on site. These companies are rare and an occupied rewire can take a week for an average sized property up to 14 days for very large properties.

Many factors come into play when considering the length of time an occupied rewire is likely to take. If the home has several layers of floor coverings, then it can take longer to remove these to pull cables through. If the homeowner has requested many additional electrical points, then this will increase the time taken to carry out the rewire.

6) What will it cost?

An occupied rewire is often more costly than one where the property is empty of people and belongings. Any repair work that is required to plaster surfaces or other areas may not be included in the electrician’s quote so you should check the cost of these with another professional.

A 3 Bedroom occupied rewire will cost between £6000 – 8000 or $7000 to $10000, a 4 Bedroom occupied rewire will cost between £7200 and £9300 or $8000 to $13000. These are for a guide in the year 2024 and as always, prices will vary throughout the year, depending upon your location and the contractor you choose to carry out the work for you.

The number of rooms or overall square feet can often increase the cost of a rewire as cables need to be run over longer distances and are therefore required to be thicker to compensate. More rooms can often mean more electrical circuits as well so it is worth bearing in mind.

If you have an older property where the upstairs is three bedrooms but the downstairs is twice the size due to extensions then the figures above may go out the window. A rewiring project is not easy to estimate over the internet and for accurate figures you should ask your electrician to visit you for an estimate.

7) What else is included in a rewire?

It is generally understood that when your home is rewired you will receive all new wires / cabling as specified in the written quote that you receive, a new electrical panel / consumer unit with circuit breakers and modern trip switches, the required electrical certificates for the job, new sockets, new switches, and new basic pendant light fittings.

If you are at all unsure of what is included in your home rewire then contact your electrical contractor to ask them what is being installed, what is included and what is not. Also ask if there is anything that they recommend installing into the installation such as Arc Fault Protection and Surge Protection.

8) When is a good time to rewire my home?

The best time to consider a rewiring project for an old house is when the purchase happens. This is the point before you move any furniture or possessions in and when there is nothing else in the property. This is the ideal time to get the whole house rewired and any other intrusive work done at the same time.

If you are unsure if your home needs rewiring then it is best to ask a professional electrician to come in and carry out an electrical inspection. This process compares the current wiring system to local regulations and up to date safety regulations and notes any defects, dangerous situations, and recommendations.

The document is an in-depth technical inspection producing a useful and lengthy report on the condition of the installation. Your electrician will also produce a quote for any works that are required to be carried out following the electrical inspection.

9) Can you rewire a house while living in it?

Well, you may not want to and your contractor might not offer that service but it can be done. The best time to do it is when the property is empty. This is also the ideal time to check for any other hidden problems that may not have appeared on the pre-purchase survey. Lifting floorboards and crawling through the attic to pull in new cables can often lead to the discovery of other issues in older homes especially.

10) What are the signs that may mean a home needs a rewire?

Whilst there is not one specific sign, a culmination of the following problems may indicate the need for a rewiring job:

• Aluminum Wiring
• Lots of Extension Leads / Lack of Plug Sockets
• Evidence of Electrical Fires
• Electrical Shocks Occurring
• Very Old Electrical Service Panel or Fuse Box
• Lots of Junction Boxes
• Poor Grounding or Earthing

10.1) Aluminum Wiring

Aluminum wiring was used in home wiring installations many decades ago and indicates the age of the cables that are currently installed. There are a few problems with aluminum wiring that mean it is not great for home wiring systems.

To start with, aluminum is not as conductive as copper for electricity meaning that it is not as efficient as allowing electrical current to flow. Aluminum is also susceptible to stress fractures and does not hold up under compressive forces. This is a problem because most electrical connections involve tightening cables using a crushing force. The aluminum will not resist this type of force like copper will and will work loose far easier.

These issues with aluminum can easily lead to fire. Replacing any aluminum cable with new cable made from copper is advisable and often will mean a complete rewire of that electrical circuit.

10.2) Lots of extension cords / Lack of Plug sockets

Extension cords and leads are susceptible to overload and are not meant for a long-term wiring solution where a lack of plug sockets exists.

Going back a few decades, it was common to see only one single plug socket outlet in each room. Whilst more plug sockets can be added by an electrician, the wiring system must be safe and up to modern standards to do this properly. Single plug sockets in each room can indicate that the wiring may be very old.

10.3) Evidence of Electrical Fires

Where electrical problems have resulted in an electrical fire, burnt out connections or overheating cables, this is a good sign that you may be overdue for a home rewire.

If you are in any doubt as to the safety of your home wiring system then consider having a full and thorough electrical inspection carried out by your licensed electrician. A good electrician will take several hours to thoroughly inspect your home and produce an Electrical Report on its condition.

Can you rewire a house while living in it?

10.4) Electrical Shocks Occurring

Where you are experiencing shocks from parts of the electrical system, appliances, pipework or taps then this is an indication that the electrical system may have some grounding or earthing problems. There are a few safety checks that you can carry out yourself in your own home to see if there may be any electrical dangers: https://www.electricalfaultsfixed.co.uk/blog/electrical-safety-check-list - For more in depth checks, an electrician will be needed. 

10.5) Very old electrical service panel or fuse box

If you are wondering if CAN YOU REWIRE A HOUSE WHILE LIVING IN IT? , the first thing that will need to be replaced is the electrical panel or fuse box. This should be replaced for a new panel or consumer unit that has all the modern technology that protects the electrical wires, plug sockets, switches and occupants from harm and electric shock.

If your panel has old fuses or fuse wire then there is a good chance that your wiring is also very old and will require replacing. The average cost for a new panel is $900-1500 dollars or £600-900 pounds.

Replacing an old panel without replacing the wiring can throw up some issues: https://www.electricalfaultsfixed.co.uk/blog/new-consumer-unit-old-wiring-0 - and its a good idea to check that your home’s electrical system will be able to take a new panel without rewiring being necessary before carrying out the panel change.

A skilled electrician will be able to see if your wiring system is in good shape before a panel or consumer unit replacement. Be prepared to pay for an inspection beforehand!

10.6) Lots of junction boxes

It was common to wire a homes lighting system using many junction boxes buried under the floor or in the attic space. This method has generally been swapped in favor of creating a junction at the light fixture or at the switch these days. 
Whilst lots of junction boxes may not be dangerous, it is an indication that a wiring system may be very old OR has been repeatedly extended.

10.7) Poor grounding or earthing

Poor grounding or earthing can lead to major problems when there are electrical hazards such as short circuits. Previous owners may have had poor electrical work carried out on the property and potential hazards can often lie undetected for years until an electrically dangerous situation occurs.

When the right conditions occur, a lack of grounding or earthing can be fatal as there will be no way for the electricity supply to turn off under fault conditions.

11) Summary

If your homes wiring system looks old, damaged or is in a questionable state then have an electrician check it out for you. You can certainly live in a home while rewiring it but you may not want to live through the mess.

Many electricians will not quote for such a job and the ones that do will possibly charge a premium for the additional labor and time required to carry out a ‘lived in rewire’.