A house rewire has a bit of a reputation.
People hear the word and picture floorboards up everywhere, holes in every wall, dust over everything and weeks of living in a building site. And to be fair, it is a proper job, there’s no pretending otherwise. But it’s nowhere near as chaotic as most people imagine, especially when it’s planned properly and handled by someone who knows how to keep disruption to a minimum.
We carry out full and partial rewires across Worcester, and the thing we hear most often once we’ve finished is “that was a lot less stressful than I expected.”
So if you’re weighing up whether to have it done, here’s exactly what happens from start to finish.
It Starts With An Assessment
Before anything else, we come out and have a thorough look at the property. We’re checking the condition of the existing wiring, the consumer unit, the earthing and bonding, and getting a feel for how the house is laid out. This tells us whether you actually need a full rewire or whether a partial one will do, which can save you a fair bit.
This is also the stage where we talk through what you want.
A rewire is the ideal time to rethink your electrics rather than just replacing like-for-like. Where do you want extra sockets? Fancy under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen? Outdoor sockets? Spotlights instead of the old pendant fittings?
We’d far rather sort all that out at the planning stage than have you wish you’d mentioned it after the walls are back together.
Planning & Preparation
Once we know the scope, we plan the job around you. We’ll give you a clear idea of how long it’ll take (a typical three-bed house is usually somewhere between five and ten working days, depending on size and whether it’s occupied) and talk through how we’ll work to keep your home running as smoothly as possible.
If you’re living in the property during the work, we plan it room by room so you’re never left without power to the essentials any longer than necessary. We’ll also let you know what to expect each day, so there are no surprises. Before we start, we take care to protect your flooring, furniture and belongings, because a tidy job site is part of doing it properly.
First Fix: The Disruptive Bit
This is the stage people picture when they think of a rewire, and yes, it’s the messiest part. The first fix is where the old cabling comes out, and the new cabling goes in.
To run new cables, we need to lift floorboards, cut channels into walls (called chasing) for the cables and back boxes, and feed wiring through ceilings and under floors. There’s no getting around the fact that this creates dust and mess, and the house will look a bit sorry for itself for a few days. But this is also where good workmanship shows. Our experienced local electricians chase neatly, lift boards carefully, so they go back properly, and clean up as we go rather than leaving it all to the end.
During the first fix, we run all the new circuits back to where the consumer unit will be: power circuits, lighting circuits, cooker, shower, any dedicated appliance circuits, plus any extras you’ve asked for. Everything goes in at this stage while the walls and floors are open.
Second Fix: It Starts Looking Like A Home Again
Once all the cabling is in and any plastering or making good has been done, we move on to the second fix. This is the satisfying part where it all comes together.
The second fix is where we fit all the visible bits, such as sockets, light switches, light fittings, the cooker connection, extractor fans, and so on. We also install the new consumer unit, which, on a modern rewire, will have RCD and RCBO protection on the circuits for full compliance with current regulations. This is a big upgrade over the old fuse boxes that many Worcester homes still have, and it’s a major part of what makes the finished installation so much safer.
By the end of the second fix, the house looks normal again, just with shiny new sockets, switches, and electrics that will last for the next few decades.
Testing & Certification
This is the part that doesn’t get talked about much but really matters.
Once everything’s installed, we thoroughly test every single circuit before we sign anything off. We’re checking earthing, insulation resistance, polarity, that the RCDs trip correctly, and that every circuit performs exactly as it should.
Only once it’s all passed do we issue your Electrical Installation Certificate. That certificate is your proof that the work has been done to the current BS 7671 wiring regulations, and you’ll want to keep it safe, as it’s important if you ever sell the house or need it for insurance or landlord purposes.
At Assured Electricians Worcester, we provide digital copies for your records.
Making Good
After a rewire, there’s always some making good to be done where we’ve chased walls and lifted floors. We’ll make good the plasterwork around the back boxes and channels so it’s ready for decoration. This is worth knowing because rewires don’t usually include redecoration, so you’ll likely want to repaint afterwards. Our electricians will always leave everything in a state that’s ready for that, rather than leaving you with a mess to sort out.
How To Make It Easier On Yourself
A few things genuinely help, for example, if you can clear rooms ahead of us arriving, or move furniture into the middle and cover it, that speeds things up. If the property’s empty during the work, it’s quicker and easier all round, but plenty of people stay put, and it’s perfectly manageable. And the single biggest thing is to tell us everything you want at the planning stage. Every “oh, while you’re here, could you also…” is much easier to deal with before the cables go in than after.
The End Result
When it’s done, you’ve got a completely modern electrical installation. Safe, compliant, plenty of sockets where you actually want them, proper protection on every circuit, and peace of mind that you’re not going to be worrying about the wiring for a very long time. For most people, the few days of disruption are well worth it.
If you’re thinking about a house rewire anywhere in Worcester or the surrounding area, we’re happy to come out and assess what’s actually needed with no obligation. Give us a ring or get in touch for a free quote, and we’ll talk you through the whole thing properly.
