Preparing For a House Rewire: 4 Steps You Can Take

Even though it helps the integrity of their house, many homeowners are not excited about the possibility of needing a home rewiring, as preparing for a house rewire seems daunting. It’s a process that’s generally associated with plenty of disruption – although finding the right electrician can significantly minimize the mess and disruption – and with considerable expense. 

Nonetheless rewiring a house is more often than not necessary in order to protect your home from electrical fires and ensure the proper function of your electrical system. There are several indicators that your house is in need of rewiring, but you might consider taking on the project for the following reasons:

• Your house is over 30 years old and has the original, old wiring;
• You have constant issues with breakers being tripped or appliances not working properly;
• You want to make additions to your home that will require extra power.

Finding the right electrician for rewiring your home is an important aspect, as it can put your mind at ease, but also make the process a lot smoother. Someone who can empathize with your feelings, but also keep the mess to a minimum and clean up after themselves will make all the difference. But, if you’re wondering How do I prepare my house for rewiring?, there are steps you can take on your end. 

1. Know What You Need

Some homes need a full rewiring, while others may get by with a partial rewire, which means there are parts of the house that don’t need new wiring. However, keep in mind that an older house, or one that hasn’t had any rewiring done in decades, will most likely need a complete job.

Whatever the case may be, it’s very important that you know what you need. It’s also important to figure out what your power needs are. You should evaluate and estimate your usage, make an inventory of appliances and electronics, to figure out whether you need additional outlets, switches and so on. 

By doing so, you’ll not only prepare for rewiring, but you’ll also gain some insight into whether or not you need to update your electrical panel as well, or anything else. The more you know your needs, and communicate them to your electrician, the better results you get. 

2. Plan Ahead

Planning ahead can save you a lot of headache, as it will help you understand where everything will go and what to expect. It will also help you save some money. Having everything done at once is more cost-effective than going in later to add on. 

That said, you should consider your electrical needs not just for the present, but for the future as well. Take a moment and think if you have plans to buy tech gadgets in the future, make your house a smart home, invest in an electrical car, etc. 

All of these plans, even though they may be further in the future, should be accounted for when rewiring the house. Making your home tech friendly now can save you money and hassle in the future. 

3. Ask For Advice

This may very well be the most important step in preparing your house for rewiring. While it’s a good idea to know what you need and make a plan based on your future wishes, you should consider talking to your electrician about all this. Discuss your electrical inventory with them, as well as the new requirements, and don’t hesitate to ask for advice. 

Your electrician should be able to help you design the best plan in terms of feasibility, safety, and even cost efficiency. Asking for advice from your electrician will also help with the price estimate, so that you avoid getting sticker shock. 

In fact, discussing all the needs and requirements may help you stay within a certain budget if you communicate it to your electrician. They may have options or alternatives that you didn’t even think of, both in terms of the actual plan and of products needed.

4. Prep The House

Once you have a clear plan and understanding of your needs, you should also have a fair knowledge of which areas in your house will host the work. This will help you prepare the house as much as possible.

If you’ve just purchased the house and the rewiring is part of the work being done before move-in, then there’s not much you need to do to prepare the house itself. This is especially true if remodeling follows the rewiring, which is also the case in many home purchases.

However, if you live in the house already, then there are little things you can do to prep. You can start by removing everything you can, such as small furniture, décor items, area rugs, etc. This is another step where the choice of electrician plays a huge role. Choosing someone who will take care of all of these things for you, working with minimal disruption, will certainly make the entire process a lot less difficult.

The Bottom Line

Rewiring a house is not something to take lightly, but it’s also not as scary as it’s sometimes made to be. Yes, it can be disruptive, but the mess and disruption can be kept at a minimum with the right electricians. Yes, it can also be costly, but it’s a worthwhile investment in your property that will also increase the value of your home. The benefits of undertaking the project far exceed the risks of old or improperly working wiring, which too often include electrical fires.