Re-wire - one floor at a time?

[artyjoe]

I want to buy a house that hasn't been touched for at least 30 years, so no doubt it is going to require a complete rewire.

I am going to be strapped for cash as this house is at the top of my budget so is there any way I can rewire a house from the bottom up or even one room at a time?

It is a 3 bed, 2 reception house, any idea of costs and how long it might take a professional to complete? I'd probably need at least 2 double sockets in each room and would probably be looking at halogen spots on dimmer switches and/or wall lights.

I'm within the M25 near heathrow so I'm assuming I'll pay a premium.

Any advice would be much appreciated - Joe

 

[breezer]

others may have a different opinion, (but here is mine)

you can re wire as much / little as you like, trouble is you can't connect it to any thing,

lets look at it.

you rewire to a swich (easy) you take down the old ceiling rose, it falls apart / breaks where you going to connect it to now? (i am being serious)

with something that old you would be better off putting in new cables from say new switch position to new light position, then same in next room, then run cable from one light to one in next room (thats how its done)

doing it this way (new positions for everything) means you can have things where you want them not as they are now, you could even start by chasing out the walls for your switch and socket runs. You should always have 2 twin sockets in each room diagonaly opposite each other (not a rule just you always want more sockets, and at least 4 in master bedroom, bed side lamp, each side, tv, and hair dryer )

it is "easy to do" but if you do not know what you are doing can be hard, get several quotes, but offer to do the "donkey work" lift floor boards, chase in cables, you will also probably want a new split load consumers unit.

you can never have enough sockets in a room.. the kitchen should have its own ring, and get a bigger consumer unit that you think you need. for what its worth earlier this week i was in a HOUSE that had 6, 18 way consumers units one above the other and everything being used (5 bed with basement and roof annexe)

you can also buy all the materials form some one like tlc

rewiring should be done before any thing else then you can decorate after wards.

while you are at it you could put in telephone cables and tv aerial cables too, (but not side by side)

remember do it once do it right.

good luck

 

[renovator]

the house I am currently in was a nightmare, the previous occupant had left it untouched since 1983, and before him the occupant was a notorious DIYB'er ( Do It Yourself Badly).

The sparky I selected did the following, in the indicated order

Rewire ground floor lighting, including replacing all switches and pendants.
Rewire ground floor sockets, including replacing all outlets and adding new outlets, total of 4 per room
Rewire upper floor lighting, same as ground floor
Rewire upper floor sockets, same as ground floor.

Wire new shower and cooker outlets, adding rcd to shower.
Wire outside workshop with RCD and IP56 sockets/lighting and switches.

Wire basement office with new ring for networked pc's.

Network Sockets in each ground floor room, homed to basement office
Distributed tv aerial to each ground floor room.

Installed new consumer unit

Total cost £2500.

house is kitchen, 3 receptions, 4 bedrooms, 1 upper floor office, 1 bath/shower/wc, 1 cloakroom/wc, 1 basement office, 1 external workshop.

Location Aberdeen City Centre.

Overall, very happy with the work and the sparky.

The point being that if you get a good sparky, recommended of course, he can work with your budget and timescale to fit and fix the electrics to suit you whilst not comprimising safety.

 

[artyjoe]

Thanks to you both for your help on this.

Never thought about TV or telephone so thanks for that one

The house in Aberdeen sounds about the same work as I've got, forgot to mention networking computers and workshop in garden! I am assuming I should triple the price for a sparks in Aberdeen for one in London?

Any idea how much time this would take? Are we talking days or weeks?

Thanks again

 

[breezer]

hardest part is digging trench for garage, save money why dont you dig trench (i am being serious) why not run in a push fit waste pipe too, incase you want to add / change netwok cables.

I rewired my whole house (nothing unusual, forgot about tv aerial cables)

2 1/2 days i think

 

[artyjoe]

If there is already power in the garage do i still need to dig trench?

2 1/5 days sounds great, I thought we'd be talking weeks and weeks.

Any views on London prices?

 

[GwaiLo]

Views on London prices????

High! What else can I say.

Actually I have just moved into a 3 bed terrace and am having lots of work done. I do have the advantage of knowing lots of contractors/tradesmen and knowing how to get the best rates. Still it is a painfully expensive business. Not because these people are greedy, but because London is an expensive place to live an they have to make a living too.

Anyway, time is the great enemy. I can do most things myself (I did work on site in a previous incarnation), but can't find time to do a lot of things.

I am meeting my electrician for a beer on Wednesday when I will prise a schematic from him then put in all the wiring myself. Plan on getting him to fit the new C/U and test it all when I am done.

If I don't return to the forum I'll have been electrocuted