There’s no sugar-coating the fact that a rewire is a big job, both in terms of the disruption caused and the expense that comes along with all that inconvenience. Trying to decide if it is worth rewiring a house is not the easiest decision homeowners have to make.
As an electrician, I have rewired many homes so I thought I’d put my two cents worth into the mix. These 7 points are what I have seen to be the best benefits of house rewires which will hopefully help homeowners make the difficult decisions of whether a rewire is worth it to them or not.
In my experience, the 7 best reasons why it’s worth rewiring a house are:
- Safety
- Make your home clever
- Save the pennies
- Add your own style
- A fresh lick of paint
- Car charging
- Add value
Below, we’ll take a look at these points in a touch more detail as they may not be as obvious as they appear at first glance.
Safety
Let’s start with the most obvious reason why it’s worth getting our house rewired, and that is safety. Usually when contemplating a rewire it is because the existing electrical installation has come to the end of its serviceable lifespan. Like a trusty old pair of jeans that have been patched and repaired, there comes a point when time and repeated use have gotten the better of the electrical wiring within the home and the only solution is a complete overhaul.
I’ve said it many times on this site but that’s because it holds true, the only true way to determine the safety of your home wiring is to have a local electrician carry out a thorough inspection (known in the UK as an electrical inspection condition report, EICR for short). The report and the advice from the local electrician will determine if it is the end of the road for the electrical system or not.
Rewires are completed in accordance with the latest edition of the wiring regulations. This means that many modern safety features such as RCD and surge protection will be added to your home during the rewire. As well as adding additional layers of safety they also prevent nuisance tripping often associated with old electrical systems
Make Your Home Clever
Anyone that can remember the early days of dial-up internet knows that technology has come a huge way in just a few short years. Even if your home is not especially old, the chances are that it could seriously benefit from some of the new smart technology now available at reasonable prices, such as smart sockets, lights and switches.
When rewiring a house, removing the plaster and lifting floorboards, it makes sense to run data cables throughout the home at the same time. Instead of having intermittent wifi connections in the upstairs bedrooms, cables can be run directly from the router to ethernet port locations at perfect positions under desks and behind TVs. Suddenly, the home becomes much more interconnected and manageable from the range of apps and home management systems available.
Save the Pennies
Saving the pennies may seem like an odd reason to declare it is worth getting a house rewired as the initial expense of the work can be a little eye-watering. However, having a rewire not only allows us to install better more energy-efficient products, such as LED fittings throughout, but it also opens up the possibility of installing some of the many renewable energy solutions available.
Taking the opportunity to install renewable energy generation systems, such as installing solar panels on the roof, could be a great way to help claw back the cost of the rewire, although fair enough it may take quite a bit of time, but it’s also a great way to do our bit for the environment.
Add your Own Style
When we move into a new house we’re kind of stuck with the existing fixtures and fittings to a large extent. One of the more common jobs I get called to do is to add downlights to a room or install extra outdoor lighting. Of course, this can all be done relatively simply, but a rewire is a chance to completely overall the original electrical design and do things our way on mass.
If you’re a gamer who wants 4 socket outlets behind your gaming desk then it’s a golden opportunity. If you prefer the idea of mood lighting in the living room all controlled via dimmer switches located around the room, this too can be easily done. When causing so much disruption during a rewire the chance to add your own style is an opportunity most homeowners relish.
A Fresh Lick of Paint
There’s no escaping the fact that a rewire is noisy and messy and there is going to be a lot of making good needing to be done to the walls. Walls can be patched and painted but hiding the scarring caused by the wall chases is not always easy and the results can vary based on the skill level of the painter.
Often homeowners take the opportunity to completely repaint the rooms (and often replaster as well if needed) meaning that as well as fresh new modern electrical outlets the rooms now look bright and modern with that fresh paint look.
Car Charging
I remember seeing my first Tesla in the wild about 5 years ago. Since then the rise of tesla and the whole electric car market has been phenomenal. According to Forbes, it is estimated that electric cars could be the majority of car sales as early as 2023 and the pace of the electric car revolution doesn’t show signs of slowing.
All these electric cars need to have vehicle charging points, so much so that many electric car manufacturers package up the sale of the car with the option to have a charging point installed in the customer’s home. During a rewire, it is worth giving serious thought to whether or not the addition of a vehicle charging point is a good addition to the home. You never know, there may even be a grant available to help cover the cost.
Add Value
Adding value is subjective and I am personally always wary about spending money in the belief that I will someday see a return on that investment. Having a rewire carried out falls under the same category of advised caution. That being said with the right advise and the correct crunching of numbers, a rewire could be a great way to add value to the home increasing the sale price and making it easier to sell.
Final Thoughts
These are 7 reasons why it can be worth rewiring a house and for each home owner, the answer is going to be different. There is a ratio between how much disruption the owner can stand, how vital in terms of safety the rewire is, and also how much value and joy they will get from the new rewired home.
A rewire is a major project so it is super important to go into it with eyes wide open. Get several quotes and talk to lots of local experts such as electricians, decorators and estate agents before deciding if a rewire is worth it for you and your unique situation.
