How to prepare your Exeter home for a rewire

Preparing an Exeter home for a rewire comes down to three things: clearing the space the electrician needs, deciding where every socket, switch and light should go before the first cable is pulled, and planning how the household will manage while the power is off or intermittent. A full rewire touches almost every room, and the preparation done in the weeks before the work starts has a large effect on how smoothly the job runs and how much making good is needed afterwards.

Clearing access and protecting floors

The first practical step is to create a clear route to every room and to every point where cable will be fixed. Electricians need to lift floorboards, open ceiling voids and cut channels in plaster, so furniture, rugs, pictures and stored items should be moved out of the working areas or wrapped in dust sheets. Loft hatches, cupboards that hide consumer units or meters, and the space under stairs all need to be accessible on the day, because a blocked route adds time and can mean the work is done in a less convenient order.

Protecting flooring is equally important. Lifted boards are usually replaced, but carpets, laminate and tiles can be damaged by dust, debris and foot traffic. Many households take up carpets in the rooms being worked on and store them somewhere dry. Keep pets and children out of the working areas, and ask the contractor to confirm where their waste will be stored and how often it will be removed. A clear agreement on access at the start avoids disputes about damage later.

If the property has a shared access route, such as a communal hallway in a flat or a driveway used by neighbours, mention the work to the people affected. Where a building has a freeholder or a managing agent, check the lease or the building rules before the work starts, because some changes to the fabric of a building need consent. The electrician can explain which parts of the job are likely to need that permission, but the decision belongs to the building's owner or manager.

Planning socket and light positions

A rewire is the most economical moment to decide where sockets and switches should go, because the cable is being installed anyway. Walk each room and write down how it is used, where furniture will stand, where televisions and computers will sit, and where chargers are needed. Think about the places you currently use extension leads, since those are the most common signs of an undersized arrangement. The electrician will want a plan of the room or a marked-up sketch, and an accurate plan reduces the number of changes made once work has begun.

Light positions deserve the same attention. Ceiling roses, wall lights and switches for each room should be marked before the plaster is opened. Consider two-way switching at doors and at the top and bottom of stairs, and note any places where a lamp will need to be switched from more than one point. Outdoor lights and sockets for gardens are often forgotten, but the cable run to them is easier to install during a rewire than as a separate job later. A sensible note on the plan also records any future needs, such as a heat pump or an electric vehicle charger, so the spare capacity can be discussed with the installer.

The consumer unit is part of the plan too. The board is where the new circuits terminate, and the number of ways it has determines how many circuits can be added without replacement. The work is designed to the requirements of BS 7671, the wiring standard published by the IET, so the electrician's design should show how each new circuit is protected. If the board is old or close to full, the rewire is the natural point to replace it. The consumer unit upgrade service covers that work, and it is often simplest to decide both together.

Living without power

Households often underestimate how disruptive a rewire is. Circuits are switched off one at a time, so there may be periods when a room or a whole floor has no power. The electrician should be able to tell you roughly how the work will be sequenced, which rooms will be without power and for how long, and when the main supply will be off. Ask for that schedule in writing, and plan around the days when the most disruption is expected.

Practical preparation makes a big difference. Charge phones, laptops and power banks before the first day. Keep a torch in each main room and a small supply of candles or battery lamps in case of a power cut in the evening. Fridges and freezers can usually be kept running if the work is sequenced to leave the kitchen until last, but a plan should be agreed in advance. If the household includes someone who relies on electrical medical equipment, tell the contractor before the job is booked, since it changes how the supply will be managed.

The HSE's guidance Electrical safety and you explains the main hazards of working with electricity and how to carry out a risk assessment, which is a useful framework for the questions a household should put to the contractor about live work and isolation.

Think about the working arrangements as well. Some people work from home and need a reliable connection for several days. A mobile data plan or a neighbour's connection may be a practical back-up. Where the property has a gas boiler with an electric pump or controls, check with the installer whether the heating will work during the switch-off periods. The rewire is a good time to ask whether any appliances will need to be moved or reconnected, so that the electrician can plan the sockets they need.

Plastering and decorating afterwards

Making good is the stage most households do not budget for in detail. Cutting channels in walls and ceilings leaves plaster that must be repaired, and the new cables are usually run in a way that means chases need filling. The contractor should state whether making good is included in the price or left for the householder or a separate plasterer to complete. Ask what finish will be provided and whether the walls will be ready for painting or wallpapering or need another coat of skim.

Decorating takes longer than most people expect. Plaster needs time to dry before it is painted, and in older houses it can take several weeks to dry through fully, especially in winter. Plan decorating for the later part of the schedule, and avoid redecorating a room before the electrician has finished the final tests. Once the rewire is complete, the installation should be tested and a certificate issued, which will be needed for the house records.

Keep a record of where each new cable and fitting is located. Many contractors provide a plan showing circuit routes, and this matters for future drilling or fixing, because a screw into a live or concealed cable can cause a serious shock or fault. Store the plan with the electrical certificates, since a buyer, insurer or future electrician will ask for it.

Choosing when to start and who does the work

Timing affects both cost and convenience. Booking the work for a quieter period, and avoiding the weeks before a planned move or a family event, leaves room for the inevitable delays. Ask for a realistic programme, and check whether the contractor can give a start date that is firm enough to plan around. A firm written schedule is more useful than a verbal promise.

The person doing the work should be competent for the job. Check that the business is registered with a recognised scheme, and that the electrician can explain the testing and certification process before any work begins. The guide on verifying scheme membership and insurance in Exeter lists the checks to make before you agree a price.

Building regulations are a separate question from the choice of contractor. A rewire almost always includes work that regulation 12(6A) of the Building Regulations 2010 makes notifiable, such as new circuits and a replacement consumer unit, so it must either be self-certified by a registered installer or be covered by a building notice given before the work starts. The government guidance on building regulations approval explains the route and advises checking with a building control body if you cannot decide whether approval is needed. Ask the electrician how they will handle that step before the work starts.

Once the rewire is booked, the questions to settle are practical ones: access, socket and light positions, power-off schedule, making good and the paperwork at the end. Settle each in writing. A short, well-organised plan turns an intrusive job into a manageable project. For homeowners in Exeter who want a quote for the full scope, the get a quote page is the quickest route to comparing prices against the same specification.

The electrical condition report is the document that usually triggers a rewire decision, and the guide on what a condition report tells you explains how to read the codes. If the rewire is part of a wider upgrade, the guide on fuse board upgrade pricing explains what drives the cost of the board itself. For properties in a conservation area or with listed status, the guide on electrical work in Exeter conservation areas covers the consent steps that can affect the timetable.

Commercial premises have different needs. Where a rewire is required for an office, shop or workshop, the commercial electrical service page sets out the wider scope of work that business owners commonly ask about.

Sources and further reading

1. BS 7671 - 18th Edition: The IET Wiring Regulations (Institution of Engineering and Technology)
2. Electrical safety and you: a brief guide (INDG231) (Health and Safety Executive)
3. The Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12 (legislation.gov.uk)
4. Building regulations approval: when you need approval (GOV.UK)