Why consider a rewire?
Older installations were not designed for today’s loads: induction hobs, USB-heavy bedrooms, garden offices, EV readiness, and efficient heating controls all ask more of your circuits than vintage rubber or aluminium-era wiring was ever expected to carry. A full or partial rewire replaces degraded or undersized cabling, removes unsafe legacy accessories, and gives you a clean layout that an electrician can test, certify, and maintain under BS 7671.
New consumer unit — the heart of a safer home
The consumer unit (fuse box) is where faults are meant to be detected and interrupted before they become fires or shocks. Modern boards combine RCBOs (per-circuit earth leakage and overcurrent), clear circuit identification, and often surge protection (SPD) so that a neighbour’s fault or a lightning strike is less likely to destroy electronics or start a fire at the origin of the surge. Pairing a new unit with correctly sized main protective bonding and up-to-date earthing arrangements is what insurers, surveyors, and letting rules increasingly expect to see.
Protecting your family — not just ticking a box
Rewiring is not decoration: it is about predictable tripping when something goes wrong, RCD protection on circuits that need it, adequate earthing, and fire-rated accessories where escape routes matter. Mains-linked smoke and heat alarms (where we install them as part of the scope) wake the whole house together. Dedicated circuits for cookers and electric showers keep high loads off general rings so you are not relying on luck when two heavy appliances run at once.
What the calculators assume
The detailed tool builds a guide price from typical Thanet domestic labour assumptions:
- Bedrooms & dining: four socket outlets, one light switch, one pendant per room.
- Bathroom: one IP-rated luminaire, one switch, one fan isolator, one extractor fan.
- Kitchen: one under-cabinet / strip lighting run, one switch, four double sockets above worktops, plus three fused-spur positions for fixed appliances (hob, oven, dishwasher or similar — survey confirms which).
- Loft & basement: one light, one switch, one general socket (basement allows for slightly longer / segregated runs).
- Utility: three double sockets and three switched fused spurs feeding single socket outlets for appliances.
- Outbuildings (shed / garage): each includes a small garage consumer unit with a dedicated socket circuit and a dedicated lighting circuit.
- Distribution (main home): priced for a modern metal consumer unit plus, per storey you select: a 32 A ring-style socket arrangement, a kitchen ring where a kitchen exists, a boiler circuit, and a lighting circuit per floor (your electrician finalises exact circuit schedule on site).
- Optional toggles: dedicated electric cooker circuit, electric shower circuit, and a typical mains-linked fire alarm package.
- While you are still living in the property: rewiring around furniture, tenants, and daily life takes more care and time than an empty house. The calculators can add a modest guide allowance for that scenario so your budget reflects realistic sequencing and protection of your home.
Figures are indicative only — finishes, construction (solid walls, concrete), access, and local authority conditions can all change scope. Start with an on-site survey; we will align the quote to your priorities and any EICR findings. Full rewire service page → · Consumer unit upgrades →
Further reading: When to rewire your home (Knowledge Hub).