Rewiring house

[Society]

Anyone know the rough cost of rewiring a 4 bed house and upgrading fusebox? Also, does it involve breaking any of the plasterwork?

 

[itsallwrong]

Rewiring can go smooth if it was originally wired with trunking and the cables were not wrapped around beams and pipes. As you know replacing the fusebox is the easy part. No mess there.
The upstairs lights are usually easy because of attic access and stud walls upstairs.
If you have carpets in the bedrooms that makes for easy access to the floor joists where all the cable runs travel. Tiled floors or laminate flooring make it harder.
You can take up laminate and relay it.
The biggest mess I have found is the downstairs sockets. They are the longest cable runs and can be messy to find.
You can expect the odd hole for certain being needed.
A lot depends on the money you are paying and your insistence to the sparky not to wreak you house.
You know the saying.. pay peanuts...

Cost wise. I have paid 5k in the past for rewires. Todays prices are way better. Just watch the extras. Like for like is cheap but when you add extra bits in, it can get pricey.
Last price I heard for a 3 bed semi was €1500. Now thats for a basic job. Stick to white plastic sockets and switches. Steel and chrome stuff are many times the price. Spotlight are expensive, but if you really want them - get led mains fittings. Way cheaper to run than the halogen type.

 

[huskerdu]

It can also depend on how old the house is.

Does the fusebox just have to replaced, or is it is an unsuitable location, and have to be moved ( like under the stairs, which used to be normal and is now banned because of the fire hazard).

Rewiring Our 50s house was a big job because the walls are solid block.