How Long Does a House Rewire Take? | Brighton & Hove Electricians
If you’re considering a house rewire, one of your first questions is likely to be how long the work will take. It’s a fair concern—rewiring involves electricians working throughout your home, lifting floorboards, chasing walls, and temporarily disconnecting power. Understanding realistic timescales helps you plan around the disruption and set proper expectations.
The honest answer is that rewire duration varies significantly depending on your property’s size, age, layout, and condition. A compact flat in central Brighton differs enormously from a large Edwardian house in Hove. This guide breaks down typical timescales for different property types and explains the factors that affect how long your rewire might take.
Typical Rewire Timescales
Every property is different, but the following timescales give a reasonable indication of what to expect for a full rewire across Brighton and Hove.
One-bedroom flat: 3-4 days
A small flat with limited circuits and straightforward access typically completes quickly. Flats in purpose-built blocks often have simpler layouts than converted period properties, speeding work further.
Two-bedroom flat: 4-5 days
Additional rooms mean more circuits, sockets, and light fittings. Converted flats in Victorian or Edwardian buildings across Hove and central Brighton may take longer due to access challenges and the need to work around period features.
Two-bedroom terraced house: 5-7 days
The Victorian and Edwardian terraces found throughout Hanover, Elm Grove, Kemptown, and into Hove’s Poets Corner typically fall into this range. Multiple floors, more circuits, and older construction methods all add time compared to a flat.
Three-bedroom semi-detached house: 7-10 days
Larger properties in areas like Patcham, Withdean, Portslade, and Aldrington need more extensive work. Three floors including a loft conversion extends timescales further.
Four-bedroom detached house: 10-14 days
Substantial family homes in Preston Park, Hove Park, Westdene, or the surrounding villages require comprehensive rewiring across multiple floors with numerous circuits. Complex properties at the larger end of this range may take two full weeks.
These timescales assume a straightforward rewire with reasonable access. Several factors can extend or reduce the duration of your specific project.
Factors That Affect Rewire Duration
Property Age and Construction
Older properties typically take longer to rewire than modern homes. Victorian and Edwardian houses common across Brighton and Hove present specific challenges.
Solid walls require chasing—cutting channels into plaster or brick to run cables. This takes longer than dropping cables through cavity walls in newer properties. Lath and plaster ceilings and walls need careful handling to avoid unnecessary damage, slowing progress compared to modern plasterboard construction.
Older properties also tend to have more complex layouts, with rooms added or modified over decades. Original service routes may no longer be accessible, requiring electricians to find alternative cable runs.
Property Condition
A property undergoing renovation offers easier rewiring than an occupied, fully furnished home. With floors already lifted, walls stripped, and rooms cleared, electricians work faster and with less constraint.
In contrast, rewiring a furnished property requires careful protection of belongings, working around furniture, and restoring each area before moving to the next. This necessary care adds time but minimises disruption to your daily life.
Accessibility
Easy access to floor voids, loft spaces, and wall cavities speeds rewiring considerably. Properties with solid ground floors, limited loft access, or boxed-in service routes require more surface-mounted work or additional chasing, extending timescales.
Flats in converted houses—common throughout Brunswick, Adelaide Crescent, and Hove’s seafront—often present access challenges where cables must run through communal areas or where access to floor voids is restricted. These complications add time compared to houses with straightforward access throughout.
Scope of Work
A basic rewire replacing like-for-like adds less time than a comprehensive upgrade. If you’re adding circuits for a new kitchen, installing more sockets throughout, upgrading to smart lighting, or adding electric vehicle charging, the additional work extends your project timeline.
Discuss your requirements fully during the quotation stage so your electrician can factor everything into the schedule from the outset.
First Fix and Second Fix
Rewiring happens in two main phases, and understanding these helps clarify timescales.
First fix involves all the hidden work—running cables through floors and walls, installing back boxes for sockets and switches, fitting the new consumer unit, and connecting everything ready for testing. This phase causes most disruption and takes the majority of total rewire time.
Second fix involves fitting faceplates to sockets and switches, hanging light fittings, completing final connections, and testing the installation. This phase is quicker and less disruptive.
Some homeowners separate these phases around other renovation work. First fix completes before plastering, then second fix happens once decorating is finished. This approach works well during renovations but extends the overall timeline.
Living in Your Home During a Rewire
Most homeowners across Brighton and Hove remain in their properties during rewiring. It’s disruptive but manageable with some planning.
Your electrician will work room by room or zone by zone, completing each area before moving to the next. You’ll typically retain power to parts of the house not being worked on, though there will be periods when power is off entirely—particularly when work happens at the consumer unit.
Kitchens and bathrooms present particular challenges. You may lose power to cooking appliances and hot water for periods during the rewire. Planning meals that don’t require cooking and understanding when hot water will be unavailable helps manage these inconveniences.
For families with young children or vulnerable household members, the disruption may prove more challenging. Some homeowners choose to stay elsewhere for the most intensive first fix phase, returning once second fix begins and the property is more settled.
Can Anything Speed Up a Rewire?
While you shouldn’t rush electrical work—safety and quality matter more than speed—certain factors help projects complete efficiently.
Clear access: Moving furniture away from walls, clearing loft spaces, and ensuring electricians can access all areas without shifting belongings themselves saves time.
Decision making: Knowing where you want sockets, light fittings, and switches before work begins avoids delays while you consider options. Your electrician can advise during the quotation stage, giving you time to decide before the rewire starts.
Combining with other work: If you’re plastering, decorating, or renovating anyway, coordinating trades efficiently keeps the project moving. Rewiring before plastering avoids the need to chase and make good finished walls.
Realistic scheduling: Allowing your electrician to work full days without interruption helps maintain momentum. Frequent stops to discuss decisions or accommodate other activities extends the overall timeline.
What About Partial Rewires?
If only part of your electrical system needs replacing, a partial rewire takes less time than full rewiring. Common scenarios include rewiring a kitchen extension, updating first floor circuits while leaving the ground floor, or replacing specific dangerous circuits identified during testing.
Partial rewire timescales vary enormously depending on scope. A single floor of a terraced house might take 2-3 days, while rewiring a kitchen and utility room could complete in 1-2 days.
Your electrician should assess your existing installation, test all circuits, and recommend whether full or partial rewiring makes sense for your property.
Planning Your Rewire
Understanding realistic timescales helps you plan effectively. Consider timing your rewire to minimise inconvenience—school holidays when the family can stay elsewhere, periods when you’re taking annual leave, or alongside other renovation work you’re planning.
Book your electrician well in advance, particularly for larger projects. Good electricians across Brighton and Hove stay busy, and scheduling major work may require several weeks’ notice.
Discuss the schedule in detail during your quotation. Ask which areas will be tackled when, how long each phase should take, and what contingency exists if unexpected issues arise. A clear plan with realistic expectations makes the rewire process far more manageable.
Getting an Accurate Timeline
Every property differs, and the only way to get an accurate timeline for your rewire is a proper survey. A qualified electrician will assess your property’s size, age, construction, and current electrical condition before providing a quotation that includes realistic timescales.
We provide detailed quotations for homeowners across Brighton and Hove considering rewiring, including clear schedules for first fix and second fix phases. Whether you own a flat in Kemptown, a terrace in Seven Dials, a period conversion in Brunswick, or a family home in Hove Park, we’ll explain exactly what’s involved and how long your rewire should take.
Considering a rewire for your Brighton or Hove home? Contact us to arrange a survey and receive a detailed quotation including realistic timescales for your property.