Plaster ceiling before or after new light fitted?

[Creatureofthenight]

I know nothing about this stuff, so sorry if this is a daft question.
The ceiling in my kitchen needs replastering, but I also want to get a new light fitted. Should the plastering be done before or after the new light, or does it not matter? And do I need an electrician to fit the light?

When you say replastering, do you mean skimming? If so, and there is already a modern ceiling rose fitted, that works, the plasterer can loosen it and skim round it.

If you mean the old ceiling has to be pulled down, it is much easier for the electrician to run any new wiring, two-way switches etc while it's all exposed. Usually lighting is run by lifting the floor above, but it's easier if there is no ceiling. If there is a bathroom above it can be awkward taking the floor up. If you're rewiring the kitchen ceiling, add any new lamps, and points for cooker hood or extractor fan, at the same time.

Once you have a modern ceiling rose in place, you can hang an ordinary pendant lamp off it, or connect a flex to a spotlight bar or chandelier or an enclosed luminaire.

I hope you're not have extra-low-voltage spots or downlighters. With modern LEDs there is no need, and you then won't need a transformer.

BTW there's a plug-in ceiling rose on my link. I have a few, they're very handy as, once installed, you can take the light down and replace it without needing an electrician, for example when redecorating, replastering or changing the lamp. The cost difference is negligible.

Er, skimming, maybe? There’s a hole and a couple of cracks, I’ll do whatever the plasterer says basically.
The ‘ceiling rose’ looks like this.

That one can be loosened. It looks very discoloured is is likely to have gone brittle. I'd recommend having it changed for a new one.

This is partly from age; but it has an old filament bulb in it, which gets much hotter than modern energy-saving lamps; and it is a "batten" lampholder so the bulb is fitted direct with no flex or space for heat to escape.

It is not actually a ceiling rose.

You must turn off the power at the consumer unit before touching it, because light fittings are usually still live even after you turn off the wall switch.

Thanks for your advice. I’ll get someone qualified to change the light I think! Yes it prob is quite old, we’ve only lived here a couple of years but need to move so just trying to make kitchen more presentable - if we were staying would get whole room redone.