Rewiring older homes in Buckhurst Hill, Loughton and Woodford

Much of the housing around Buckhurst Hill, Loughton and Woodford was built before the 1960s, from Victorian and Edwardian terraces to 1930s semis. Many have been partly rewired over the years, but it's common to find old cable, no RCD protection and too few sockets for modern life. If your home still has its original wiring, or a mix of old and new, a full or partial rewire is often the best long-term fix.

Old wiring to look out for

• Rubber-insulated cable, often in black or grey with a cloth or rubber covering. The rubber goes brittle with age and can crumble.
• Lead-sheathed cable, found in some very old homes.
• Round-pin sockets, or sockets on the skirting boards.
• A fuse box with rewireable fuses instead of modern breakers, or a consumer unit with a wooden back.
• Lighting circuits with no earth, common in homes wired before the mid 1960s, which matters if you want metal light fittings.

Our guide to the signs your house needs rewiring covers more warning signs.

Full or partial rewire?

An EICR (electrical inspection) tells you the condition of each circuit. If the cable is sound but the fuse board is old, a consumer unit upgrade may be all you need. If testing shows the cable itself is deteriorating, rewiring is the safe option. Sometimes it makes sense to rewire one floor or a kitchen extension now and the rest later.

What a rewire involves

1. Planning. We walk round with you and agree where sockets, switches, lights and data points should go. It's the best chance to add the outlets you've always wanted.
2. First fix. We lift floorboards and chase cable into walls, replacing old cables with new ones. This is the messy part.
3. Second fix. Once plastering is done, we fit sockets, switches, lights and a new consumer unit.
4. Testing and certificate. We test every circuit and give you an Electrical Installation Certificate, and register the work under Part P.

Living at home during a rewire

Many people stay at home during a rewire. We work room by room where we can, keep you with working power at the end of each day and tidy up as we go. Empty rooms, such as before you move in, make the job quicker. We'll talk you through what to expect for your home before we start.

What it costs

The price depends on the size of the home, how many sockets and lights you want and whether the floors and walls are easy to get into. Get a guide price in our instant price calculator, and we'll confirm a fixed price after a free survey.

We're based in Buckhurst Hill and rewire homes across Loughton, Woodford, Chigwell and the surrounding area.