Occupied rewire, what to expect?

[PowerTulle]

Has anyone had their older home completely rewired, without fully moving out? We’re in a very quirky house, 100+ yrs old, loads of original features like panelling, parquet floors everywhere, very crumbly walls etc. It’s looking inevitable the diy 1960’s wiring will have to be fully replaced. Local electrician has already told us it’s a Big Job.

How do you manage all the disruption while not being able to move everything out? Realistically, while the work is being done, we could juggle packing off the kids/dogs to family over school holidays but we can’t move out lock stock and barrel. Has anyone done this and got any advice?

I always find, even if you move out during a rewire, you need to be there everyday to supervise the electricians. The last rewire we had, I mention in another post, about plasterwork mouldings etc - I speak from bitter experience.

It really is annoying that some tradesman are good at what they do but seem to not have any idea about the devastation they cause - it just doesn't cross their minds sometimes this is someones home.

Day 1 and our electrician has been so considerate. He's already reconnected the boiler so we have heating; he's kept the sockets working in the new part of the house so we have a fridge, oven, internet, lamps etc; he's left us multiple extension leads so we can plug in lamps in the old part of the house for lamps, TV etc; he's assured us that the amount of dust produced in the chasing will be minimal because of his fancy extractor. But yes, lots of input and decisions needed today.

That's what I'm booking, though I keep writing ERIC 😃

Sadly two electricians have said my electrics don't meet current regs, but at least the ERIC will make it clearer how bad it is.

Sounds like a great start! I love that we have a live subject on the thread!

Hope it continues thus and you have minimal disruption.

I think ERIC is much better!

My DF did a full rewire of my DGPs house when I was younger. I was young enough to help with the runs. He could only work up until dinner was getting ready so it was so slow progress.

If you can move out.

We booked the rewire 6 months in advance to coincide with a fortnight's planned holiday... Best thing for everyone!

Day 2 in the rewiring house:

Even with the extractor thing it is pretty dusty. Although the electrician hoovered up immediately after each chasing session, the carpets still have a fine layer of grit. I'm coughing a bit and tbh I'd be worried about the effect of the fine dust on little lungs. I think if you have the option of moving out for the dusty bit at least, then I would. If your electrician doesn't use an extractor then I would DEFINITELY try and move out.

I'm following your updates with interest, Really. Does the electrician have any spare masks you can use for dusty times?

I think most of the dusty work is done now, just one more room that needs chasing out. He seems to be making faster progress than he told us to expect but no doubt it won't cost us any less 🙄

Move out, not worth the hassle of staying. And pack up as much as possible and move that out too, so they can easily move furniture. Took at least six weeks to pack and de clutter and move boxes to the storage unit.
Re wire causes Too much dust and mess. And allow at least one full day and night after they have finished to clean, wet dust, hoover, clean, wet dust, hoover. Repeat at least six times.
Then unpack all the boxes

We stayed, but big house so they did it in zones. Warning, they make a terrible mess so there's replastering them decorating on top

We had our rental rewired in a day while I was in the house.

They did zero building work or dust. They changed the fuse board, sockets (and did something to the wires through the sockets) and the lights etc... but nothing done to the walls/floor.

That wasn’t a full rewire. In a full rewire they channel out the walls and take up floorboards etc to completely replace all wiring

We are in a council property. They did a load of work on the house a few years ago. They rewired, put in a new boiler and radiators and a new kitchen and bathroom. New kitchen and bathroom flooring.

The rewiring part threw up a lot of
dust. We moved out to stay with my
mum during the process as was much easier. I covered all the beds and large furniture with dust sheets so that it was easier to clean after. I wouldn’t recommend staying as they need to lift floor boards.

I left them a key and a kettle with tea/coffee biscuits and mugs and left them to it. I popped in after work each day to get an update on what they had done each day. It ran pretty smoothly without us in the way.