There are many things we can DIY – especially in our homes. Painting walls, plastering, tiling, even mounting frames and doors. There can be many things you want to change when you move house, and the cost for hiring professionals can quickly add up.

One example, and one question we often get asked about, is plug sockets.

If you’ve recently moved house, you might have noticed there aren’t quite enough sockets in your home as you’d have hoped for. Plug sockets are one of the most under-rated aspects of a home. Lots of plug sockets equal convenience and ease of access, and lacking plug socks in key areas of the home can be a really frustrating and limiting.

You may have also found that your existing home doesn’t have enough plug sockets, or may not have sockets where you’d ideally like them to be. This can quite often occur is you known down walls, or extend / rearrange rooms. For example, if you rotate your bed to face a different way, you may find there are no plug sockets for your bedside tables anymore.

When looking into adding new plug sockets, first and foremost it’s our advice to always hire a professional for the job. Installing new plug sockets can involve taking out plastering or chunks of wall, and it’s a delicate job in terms of wiring too. Whilst it possible to it yourself (we’ll explain below) we always recommend seeking professional help for electrical fittings, especially plug sockets.

Why hiring a professional electrician is so important

Bad electrics = Danger

If you wire something wrong, or if you make a mistake when writing something electrical, the result can be dangerous. There a reason electricians train for so long, and it’s because the job is complex and responsibilities of doing a good job are highly safety focussed. You don’t want burning or smoke, or even short-circuiting – and the chances of these things is much higher if you do the job yourself.

Professionals will be quicker

Professional electricians spend all day doing minor and major electric work, and they’ll know exactly what needs doing and how long it should take. If you decide to do the job yourself, it’ll likely take you a day (or more) or researching, buying equipment, setting up and then slowly completing the work. With a professional, they can arrive with the right equipment and get the job done quickly and accurately for you. No need to delay other jobs, or other renovations because you’re waiting on the electrics.

Professionals will be tidier

Often, electrics and rewiring can involve removing parts of the walls, plastering, tiling, etc. A professional electrician is skilled at know what can and can’t be removed – and also how to do so with as little damage as possible to the existing decor. Doing this side of things yourself (especially without the right tools) can end up being messy and inaccurate.