I have a massive house that needs a rewire. I’ve had rough ballpark quotes of £5k to do it.

Having looked at the quality of the work done by the last few trades and the size of the quotes I’m thinking about having a crack myself.

I’ve done the basics in the past (Spurs and the like). Never done a big job so looking at evening classes.

What should I be looking at? Roughly what is the time commitment and cost? I’ve seen courses for 18days and £2.5k to become a domestic installer, this might be massive overkill. Though I am interested in adding a skill which I could potetnail fallback on if made redundant possibly start doing the odd job around my other job to help with income etc…

Final question, is there anyway to claim back the tax / vat on the course? Thinking I could set up a ltd company as a handy man / sparky and claim it back as a business expense?

I have a massive house that needs a rewire.

#humblebrag

Brag? It needs a lot of work. Bought as a doer upper.

The reason why electricians charge so much is because theyve usually done an apprenticeship,and a lot of on the job training when qualified, theyve worked with experienced people who know the pitfalls and easily made mistakes, something you have little chance of obtaining in a few weeks classroom training.

Start by lifting floorboards marking out cable runs, planning the siting and fixing of patreses, and the relevent sockets, light switches and light fittings etc, buy the stock from toolstation, then get a sparky to fit all the cables and connect and issue the relevant certificates.

Remember any faiulure on your part may result in electrocution, a fire or no certificates from an approved sign off company

Does the 18days include the module on cleaning up after yourself? On the last Friday afternoon when they all go down the pub?

I’d disagree with Project, with an ounce of common sense you won’t electrocute yourself or start any fires, surely that’s the point of the 18 days, that and being able to sign it off? Actually surely that’s the whole point, the not electrocuting yourself or starting fires is common sense and a little simple maths.

Don’t you need to be qualified to sign it off?

Don’t you need to be qualified to sign it off?

Yes, but Building Control can do it for you. I do all my own stuff, it’s not hard (the wiring bit), the making good (e.g. re-plastering) is the hardest and most time consuming bit.

If you’re having it all replastered anyway, then a full re-wire is a lot easier as someone else will cover it all up for you.

Part of the reason for doing it myself would also mean I could potentially do a room at a time reducing disruption.

The most difficult job I can see is trying to replace the lines from the rcd through to the room to be rewired. I think so,e of the existing wires go through the cavities, and there is no ducting I’ve found so far. Actual wiring of a plug is simple. Wiring to the garage appears to have been taken along the outside of the property and was done around 4 years ago which hints that running internally is going to be a pita.

My understanding is the 18 day course means you are qualified to sign off, though if not I’d plan to get a sparky in at the end to check it all over.

Once yo have compleated the coarse you will have to join a club such as Napit there will be a fee and they will want to see a couple of jobs you may not pass. Doing a bit in the evenings takes forever best way is to do the prep supply the kit and get a sparkey it will be so much quicker.

some of the existing wires go through the cavities

Depends how it’s done, long vertical cable drops need support. Try to avoid installing cables directly in cavities if you can because insulation installed later can cause thermal and chemical problems with the cable. The cables may also bridge the cavity

Thanks for that, house doesn’t have cavity insulation (yet). Want to update the wiring before I do. It needs to be done by autumn and my rough estimate was a day a room which I thought was fair. The main difficulty seems to be working out the existing wiring runs and then how to replace. I’ve had the floor boards up in the spare room to help estimate the process.

As a said in the OP it is also an opportunity for me to learn a new skill and have a plan B.

Having had our house done I’d probably buy an SDS drill and a chaser and get as far as installing the back boxes then pay someone to do the wiring part. That’s the messy and unskilled bit out the way then.

Plastering over the chases and around the boxes afterwards is easy (you can tidy up with a sander if you’re not neat, I actually went back over the plasterers attempt with poly-filler to get it perfectly flat).

The most difficult job I can see is trying to replace the lines from the rcd through to the room to be rewired.

This is normally quite simple, just take up all the floorboards and run the cables through/alongside the joists to the rights rooms. A 90 degree drill is a good investment, as you’ll end up running a lot of cables through joists.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oJmvbn]Makita Angle Drill[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

Whilst you have all the floor boards up, I’d run copious amounts of CAT-5 as well. Every time I re-wire a room I add in CAT-5 now.

Try to avoid installing cables directly in cavities if you can because insulation installed later can cause thermal and chemical problems with the cable. The cables may also bridge the cavity

Pretty sure that’s not allowed any more, although I have done so for expediency (was shown how to feed in and hook out cable from cavity walls, using a coat hanger by a Sparky many years ago).

I actually went back over the plasterers attempt with poly-filler to get it perfectly flat

He should have rendered and skimmed over it, pollyfilla etc always shrinks and never gives a good finish.