Rewiring is the biggest electrical job a home is ever likely to need, and – let us be honest – the one everyone hopes belongs to the next owner. Done properly it lasts for decades and you forget it ever happened. Done cheaply, it quietly becomes somebody’s problem, and that somebody is usually you.
When a rewire is genuinely the answer
- Fabric or rubber-insulated cable – pre-1960s wiring that goes brittle and cracks
- Round-pin sockets or old tumbler light switches
- No earth on the lighting circuits
- Extension leads breeding in every room because there are nowhere near enough sockets
- Faults popping up across several circuits rather than just one
- An unsatisfactory EICR citing widespread wear
- Buying an unmodernised place – far cheaper and less painful before the furniture arrives
Full or partial? We will tell you straight
A full rewire replaces every circuit, the consumer unit and all the accessories. A partial rewire does only what needs doing – often the lighting circuits, or one floor – where the rest is sound. If a partial will do the job, we will say so. There is nothing in it for us in selling you a full rewire you do not need, and word gets around.
What to expect while it happens
We would rather you knew upfront: rewiring is disruptive. Floorboards come up, walls get chased, and there is making good afterwards. A typical three-bed takes somewhere around five to ten days depending on access and whether anyone is living in it. Where we can, we work room by room so you keep power in part of the house, we sheet up, and we clear up as we go rather than leaving you a fortnight of dust.
Certified on completion
Everything is tested, certified and notified under Part P. You receive an Electrical Installation Certificate at the end – the document you will need when you sell or let. For the wider rules, the NICEIC and Electrical Safety First are the names to trust.
Getting a price
Rewiring costs depend on size, access and how much making good is involved, so we quote after a look rather than guessing down the phone. The visit and the estimate are both free. Call 07502 396654 or get in touch. NICEIC approved, Part P compliant, insured, trading since 2011.
Full rewire or partial rewire?
This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is that it depends on the property. A full rewire replaces every cable, the consumer unit and all the accessories – the right call when the whole installation is old, deteriorated or unsafe. A partial rewire tackles only the parts that need it, such as the lighting circuits, the kitchen, or a single floor, where the rest of the installation is sound and testable. We will always assess honestly and recommend the smaller job where it genuinely does the trick. There is nothing to be gained, for us or for you, in replacing cable that has years of safe life left in it.
How long does a rewire take?
As a rough guide, a typical three-bedroom house takes somewhere between five and ten working days, depending on access, whether the property is furnished and occupied, and how much making good is involved afterwards. A small flat might be two or three days; a large or awkward property, longer. We give you a realistic timescale with your quote rather than an optimistic one that slips, and we keep you posted as the job progresses.
Living through a rewire
There is no getting around the fact that rewiring is disruptive – floorboards come up and walls get chased – but there is a great deal we do to make it bearable. Where possible we work room by room so you keep power in part of the house throughout, we lay dust sheets and protect your floors and furniture, and we clear up as we go rather than leaving a fortnight’s mess to the end. If you are able to be out of the property for the works, it goes quicker; if you need to stay, we plan around you.
Certification and sign-off
Every rewire we carry out is fully tested and certified, and notified under Part P of the Building Regulations where required. You receive an Electrical Installation Certificate on completion – the document your solicitor, buyer or letting agent will ask for, and proof that the work meets the current wiring standards. Keep it safe; it is genuinely valuable when you come to sell or let.
Signs your home may be due a rewire
Round-pin sockets, fabric or rubber-insulated cable, a fuse box with rewireable fuses, no earth on the lighting, sockets that are scarce or scorched, or persistent faults across several circuits are all signs worth taking seriously. If you recognise more than one of these, it is well worth booking an EICR first – it will tell you exactly where you stand before you commit to anything. Call 07502 396654 for a free assessment and estimate.
What does a rewire cost?
There is no honest one-size answer, because it depends on the size of the property, how much needs doing, the level of finish, and how much making good is involved. What we can promise is a clear, itemised quote after we have seen the property – not a vague figure over the phone that balloons later. Many homeowners find a partial rewire, done at the right time, spreads the cost sensibly and avoids the upheaval of doing everything at once. We will give you the honest options rather than defaulting to the biggest job.
Rewiring for landlords
For rental property, rewiring is sometimes the outcome of an EICR that has flagged widespread deterioration. We can carry out the rewire, issue the fresh certificate, and coordinate around tenancies to keep void periods short. Because we handle the inspection and the remedial work with the same team, there is no gap where a report sits waiting for a separate contractor to act on it.
Common questions about rewiring
Do I need to move out? Not necessarily – we work room by room where we can – but it goes quicker if the property is empty. Will you redecorate afterwards? We make good chased walls and lifted boards; full redecoration is usually a separate trade, and we will tell you honestly what to expect. How disruptive is it really? Honestly, fairly – but we minimise it and clean up as we go. Do I get a certificate? Yes, an Electrical Installation Certificate on completion. Call 07502 396654 for a free assessment.
The rewiring process, stage by stage
A rewire is a bigger undertaking than most jobs, so it helps to know how it unfolds. We start with a thorough survey and a clear, itemised quote – no vague figures. On the first day we protect floors and furniture and begin the “first fix”, running new cables through walls, floors and ceilings while the walls are open. Once that is inspected, the “second fix” follows: fitting the sockets, switches, light fittings and the new consumer unit. Finally we test the entire installation, commission it, and issue your certification. At every stage you know what is happening and roughly how long is left.
What we find in older homes
Across East London we still regularly come across wiring that predates modern standards by generations – rubber and fabric (VIR) insulation that has gone brittle, old imperial-sized cable, lead-sheathed runs, and lighting circuits with no earth at all. None of it was wrong when it was installed, but decades of heat, movement and simple age take their toll, and once insulation starts to crack the risk climbs quietly in the background. A rewire clears all of that out and gives you a clean, fully earthed, properly protected installation you can rely on for decades.
Future-proofing while the walls are open
A rewire is the ideal moment to think a little ahead, because the disruptive part – getting into the walls – is already being done. It is far cheaper to add extra sockets, dedicated circuits for a home office or kitchen, network cabling, outdoor power, or provision for future upgrades now than to retrofit them later. We will happily talk through sensible options without pushing extras you do not want – the aim is that you get the installation right for how you actually live, once. Call 07502 396654 to book a free survey.
Talk to us about your rewire
Rewiring is a significant investment, and you deserve an electrician who explains it honestly, prices it clearly and carries it out with as little disruption as humanly possible. That is exactly what we do, and have done across East London for over 15 years. From a single-room partial rewire to a full whole-house installation, you get certified work, tidy workmanship, and a team that treats your home with respect. Call 07502 396654 or get in touch to arrange a free survey and a proper, itemised quote – no pressure, no obligation.
One last thing worth saying: a good rewire should be invisible once it is done. You should not be able to see where we have been, beyond neater sockets and a modern board – the walls made good, the floors back down, and the mess long gone. That finish is part of the job for us, not an afterthought, and it is a big part of why customers across East London come back to us and recommend us to neighbours. When you are ready to talk it through, we are ready to listen and give you a straight, honest assessment.