Would I be far wrong?

[Snadger]

Do you think?

I intend doing a total rewire, a complete new central heating system and water supply to a three bedroom semi.
Average cost for electrics would be £3000 and plumbing £4000 if done by contractors.

I reckon I can do each myself for about 1/3rd of the cost? Thats £1000 for electical materials and £1400 for plumbing pipework & boiler. (not including bathroom and kitchen sinks,baths and loo's etc. The house is empty so should be easier to work on.

These are just 'ball park' figures I've picked up from the net.............am I deluding myself?

[binley100]

don't know about figures but shouldn't electrical work now come with a susstificate from a registered electrician?

[Snadger]

don't know about figures but shouldn't electrical work now come with a susstificate from a registered electrician?

Shhhhh! in case Piglet Willie sees this! I CAN get it signed off!

[bearded bloke]

How old is the existing wiring & what is the existing consumer unit ?

Will the boiler be gas or oil ?

[frantic furball]

I believe that you only have to ask an electrician to connect the points and check the system for the certification and it's running the wires through etc that costs the most. Time is money

[binley100]

Then it sounds like a plan then ......

[SarzWix]

A friend of ours recently rewired and replumbed his own house, and it cost him about a third of what he was quoted by professionals. If he hadn't had to get them signed off by a registered electrician, and a CORGI registered gas dude, it would have cost a quarter of the quotes.

[Snadger]

A friend of ours recently rewired and replumbed his own house, and it cost him about a third of what he was quoted by professionals. If he hadn't had to get them signed off by a registered electrician, and a CORGI registered gas dude, it would have cost a quarter of the quotes.

Thats interesting. So my guesstimates don't seem to be that far out then!

[Potstubsdustbins]

A CORGI registered man/woman is not the person to legally work on gas that as all changed.


Snadger several pitfalls.

PLUMBING, The major pitfall with doing your own plumbing as with all other DIY is if things go wrong. Most insurance companies now will ask who did the work. If you used a contractor they will direct you to his/her insurance company. If you admit its DIY they can/will ask you to prove competence, no proof, no insurance.

CENTRAL HEATING. Providing you can work out your radiator and pipe sizeing correctly you can make a good saving by installing your own radiators and pipe work. The heating appliance and fuel supply pipe if there is one should be installed by an appropriately qualified engineer. Gas Safe for gas, OFTEC for oil, solid fuel also now has qualified engineers. Main pitfall apart from the insurance thing is that you may well kill yourself or your family.

ELECTRICTY. Since 1st Jan 2005 you can legally complete repairs/maintenance works. Extra power or lighting points, except outside, in a kitchen or bathroom. Most other work has to be notified to your local authority building control department. Pitfalls as for heating appliance's.



Colin

[Snadger]

How old is the existing wiring & what is the existing consumer unit ?

Will the boiler be gas or oil ?

The ring main appears to be relatively recent but the sockets are surface mounted. The lighting circuit is 1930's cotton braided in steel conjuit. The consumer unit has individual circuit switches but only a single trip.
I already have modern chrome replacements for the original round toggle switches (same style but in chrome) and intend fitting chrome double sockets throughout to complete the look. I will probably route the new switch cable through the original steel conjuit but will be adding spot lights to kitchen and bathroom
I will be fitting a gas condensing combi boiler (probably Baxi) along with quite a mixture of designer and cast iron radiators

[Potstubsdustbins]

By cast iron I presume you mean collumn style rads what people used to call hospital radiators. look nice but the heat output is slightly down on modern radiators so watch your sizeing.

Designer radiators heat output carp! Nice looking designer rad 1762mm high x 650mm wide 2367 Btus. Normal single convector 1800mm long x 600mm high 6019 Btus.

Colin

[bearded bloke]

You will be needing to fit a modern RCD equipped consumer unit (to comply with those sections of the proposed works that are covered by part P of the building code),have you factored in the electricity supplier's bill for disconnecting the mains supply to facilitate this work & the subsequent reconnection.
It would be expedient for you to supply them a KMF (then you can isolate as & when it is needed).
Remember also that you will need to supply them with uprated 25mm "tails".
Also ensure that the person signing off the works is registered for part P.

[Florence Fennel]

I wish you well with this Snadger, it sounds like a big project, is it the house you plan to live in after your retirement?

[Snadger]

I wish you well with this Snadger, it sounds like a big project, is it the house you plan to live in after your retirement?

Thats right FF, I've been working on it for a year now...............only ten more to go. Will be putting the roof on the kitchen extention I built soon I hope. Took a week of work in July to do it and it rained all week. I'm off now until after the bank holiday so hopefully I can find two or three dry days next week. Had planned to have it completed in two years but with only working on it each Saturday plus holidays from work and the costs involved (don't want to take a loan out) it will probably take up about five years.

[Two_Sheds]

.... it will probably take up about five years.

... do you want us to call DIY SoS now, or later? Only joking, I really admire men what can. I wish I could build and fix stuff