Price of a Rewire

[topgazza]

Now I know this varies but the house in question is my mother in law's and is in Slough. 3 bed semi, lounge/dining room. Say 11 sockets, 9 lights. new CU already in. (Cooker rewired 10 years ago)

What should she expect in terms of pricing please?

 

[dw3101]

11 sockets in a 3bed semi??

Fookin ell it must be small.. are you sure your asking for a price for a rewire?? not wiring up a new extension?

Ive put more than 11 in a kitchen before.

if its a rewire, Id replace the cooker wiring regardless.

David

 

[supersparks]

ill recomend a couple of people if you want em, just put your e-mail in your profile or stick it up very fast so the mods dont catch you...they have a fettish for the @ symbols

 

[topgazza]

Email in profile now.

Ha, Ha, the 11(doubles) excludes the kitchen. Its a 1960 built brick semi-house, floorboards, cavity walls, so maybe they didn't put so many in. But it would be a piece of cake to rewire.

 

[dingbat]

Ha, Ha, the 11(doubles) excludes the kitchen.

For interest, IEE recommend the following (all twin socket outlets):

Lounge - 6 to 10
Dining Room - 3
Kitchen - 6 to 10
Bedrooms - 4 (each)
Hall - 2
Landing -1

 

[topgazza]

Holy Cow Batman, Dingbat. I guess its down to size of rooms though. The hallway is not big enough for 2 doubles its only 15ft x 3ft with the stairs. Suppose you can never have enogh sockets. At least it saves on the wallpaper

 

[AdamW]

I think this highlights changes in usage: in the 1960s people would have had a fair few electric bits and bobs, but in 2004 we have so much more.

Although I do know that my sister's curling irons are gas-powered but my mum's were electric. So there is a saving of a socket.

Not to generalise, but your mother in law probably doesn't have many gizmos. However, it might be worth getting two quotes: one for 11 sockets, one with extra sockets installed. Because when she comes to sell it may help as a family might look at it and decide it will need rewiring to provide sockets for the Playstation and home cinema.

 

[breezer]

What should she expect in terms of pricing please?

see item 9

 

[plugwash]

i think 6-10 is OTT myself

with what you are likely to do in a lounge you generally want lots of small appliances in a small area and this is easilly and neatly served by a powerstrip placed behind the equipment

the same generally applies to computers

 

[andy]

Bedrooms - 4 (each)

in total i have 24 sockets (more than 1/2 are apapters) in my room, and itz only 3.5x2m

 

[AdamW]

Maybe Plug, but I have to use an 8-way power strip to accomodate much of my home cinema equipment. Not ideal, but the total drain is less than 13A.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if I had thought harder about what I was doing I would have probably installed 3 or 4 double sockets behind my TV instead of just 1. Powerstrips are convenient, but they just don't seem like a very elegant solution (unless you buy a fancy cabinet with them build in). Of course if I had installed 4 double sockets back there, along with the aerial/cable/satellite outlets it would look VERY crowded

Maybe 10 is OTT, but certainly 6 would be a reasonable number. I would probably go for 8 in all: 4 behind TV (assuming you have your hi-fi next to it), 4 placed around the room for lamp stands, vacuum cleaners etc. All the things that you need ready access for plugging and unplugging.

 

[topgazza]

very good points. The increase in electronic gizmos has increased the need for more sockets. All pretty much low power of course but 4 doubles behind the TV would seem the right way to go. My biggest bugbear is with the pathetic lip service paid to bew houses and opportunities to be more "efficient". No solar panels, compulsory in germany, no wired Cat 5 and/or wireless comms in every room. We've got used to being given poor quality and minimal services in houses. Its not a great cost for any of that stuff from new and is only available in large expensive designs, pretty much.

Breezer, apprrciate your point ref Item 9 but I reckon £1500-£2000 for a rewire. I did say it was Slough and I thought folk here could help an old lady out without 3 or 4 sparkies calling round. I was only after ball park so the old girl doesn't have a coronary. DIYers need some judgement before deciding to DIY it or call in a tradesman. Anyways, I've told her £2k and the doctors say she'll be out of intensive care soon.......

 

[supersparks]

did you get my e-mail mate?

cant go wrong with that fella

ive got some other numbers, but wouldent reccomend em quite so much, one of the other guys is the most expensive in the area aswell

 

[AdamW]

Anyways, I've told her £2k and the doctors say she'll be out of intensive care soon.......

Does that include the network, integrated speaker wiring and frickin' laser beams for security?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

We've got used to being given poor quality and minimal services in houses. Its not a great cost for any of that stuff from new and is only available in large expensive designs, pretty much.

That's because, in this country, as soon as a minimum standard is laid down, the builders treat it as also the maximum standard....