Do I Need to Rewire My House to Sell It?

Every year, Brits spend £34,000 on average to renovate their homes, and most do it with an eye toward increasing their value so they will later sell at a higher price. Many ask about which renovations are most powerful, and while that list is long, it sometimes starts with basics, like rewiring. Wondering about the answer to “Do I need to rewire my house to sell it?” Understanding the benefits, the cost, and the level of disruption this kind of renovation can cause may be able to help you better answer that question.

The Benefits of Rewiring Your Home

Why do so many people choose to rewire their homes before they sell? After all, there are no specific rules around the need for rewiring your home, and just because it’s old doesn’t necessarily mean the wiring isn’t as safe as it should be. The benefits of rewiring, though, can be enormous. It helps to make your house appealing because it offers your home a better level of energy efficiency. It can also mean the ability to further expand your home. Additionally, it can help to prevent appliances from malfunctioning. For those trying to sell, though, a rewire means one simple benefit – it prevents the home survey from turning up any electrical problems and means the sale of your house can go through faster. If these benefits sound like a good idea, you might be left wondering “how much does rewiring a house cost?” The answer to the question “How much to rewire a house,” though, is a fairly complex one.

How Much to Rewire a House?

Wondering how much to rewire a house? The answer to the question “How much does it cost to rewire a house” actually depends on several factors. Naturally, the size of your property will play a role in the overall cost of the process, but so will its age. Older properties tend to be harder to rewire, and that may mean the answer to the question of how much for a house to rewire is quite a bit higher. Where your property is located can also impact the costs. Typically the costs that help people understand the answer to the question “How much to rewire a house in the UK” include the removal of the older wiring in your home, new finish accessories like switches, and circuit testing so you know everything works well. So, how much does it cost to rewire a house in the UK? For a one-bedroom house, the average cost is £3,500. For a 5-bedroom house, you can expect those costs to go up to an average high of £10,000. Wondering how to get your house rewired for free or at least for less than the sticker price? There are some grants and loans available through local councils that can help pay for some of the associated costs. Learning how to get your house rewired for free, UK homeowners have discovered, is often just a matter of talking to the local council.

More Than a Financial Toll

Cost is just one factor because while rewiring your home can get expensive, it can also be fairly time-consuming, too, so you’ll want to factor in the cost for your time. Just how disruptive is rewiring a house? Understanding how to rewire a house can help you understand why it may take a bite out of your time. How long does it take to rewire a house? Typically an electrician will need at least 15 days to rewire an entire property, and these will be busy days for you as well. A deeper knowledge of how to rewire a house will help you understand why. Electrics run through the walls and floors of your home. You usually need to remove quite a bit of furniture from your home so the electrician can access all of the space, and you may need to take up the carpeting and floorboards as well. Knowing how to rewire a house means also knowing you usually cannot inhabit the property during the rewiring process, either, which may mean added costs.

How Often Should a House Be Rewired?

Wondering about the answer to “Does my house need rewiring?” If your home has been rewired in the past two decades, you don’t need to rewire. Exactly how often does a house need rewiring? The answer to how often should you rewire a house is a fairly firm one. Experts typically recommend rewiring a home every 25 – 30 years. The answer to the question of “how often should a house be rewired,” is fairly straightforward, then. If you had electrical work done previously, you likely won’t need it again.

Can I Rewire My Own House?

Given the costs and the frustration, many people wonder if this is a good DIY project. After all, if you’ve learned how costly it can be and how long you’ll be out, you may be wondering the answer to questions like “Can I save money rewiring my own house” and “Can you rewire a house in stages to save time.” It’s important to note, though, that it’s fairly dangerous to rewire your own house. To do so, you would need a diagram and an extensive how-to guide. For the most part, there are no “How to rewire a house diagram” UK options online. Instead, in this space, you really need expert help and advice.

Is It Worth It?

If you’re asking yourself, “Do I need to rewire my house to sell it,” you now know that rewiring your home won’t directly add to the overall value of your home. What it may do, however, is helping to firm up the sales price. A buyer cannot claim faulty electrics to reduce the overall offer, so that may be better for your home sale. While nothing says you have to rewire your home to sell, you may want to so you can get as much money as possible out of the sale of your home.