Should I partially or fully rewire or not at all?

Orionis

I've just moved into a house I bought. It's a 3 bed approx 80sqm house built in approx 1980.
There is a modern hager consumer unit with MCB's and all the socket circuits are protected by an RCD. The house was also replumbed recently and so all the bonding and earthing seems to be in order. However, otherwise the wiring is mostly all the original and the lighting circuits are red/black with no earth.

Ideally, I would like to get the lighting circuits rewired so that they are earthed and also with neutral to the switches for future proofing in terms of smart switches etc. Would allow me to fit nicer metal light switches as well as improving safety obviously. It seems to be difficult to get partial rewiring done as electricians are understandably reluctant and would prefer to replace everything. I'm not sure I have the budget to fully rewire though and I also plan to further renovate over time so rewiring say the kitchen now only to pull it apart in a year or two doesn't seem sensible.

I've spoken to two electricians so far. One has quoted me 14k for a full rewire. I'm unsure about this though as it means bringing everything up to the new regulations. Some of these are obviously very important and worthwhile like earthing the lights but on the other hand rewiring perfectly good sockets and repositioning them higher etc just seems like somewhat unneccesary time and money.

The other electrician seemed to be more realistic and said that PVC wiring from 1980 should realistically last our lifetimes provided it doesn't get damaged etc. He seemed to think that given everything works and there are no issues, that there is no pressing need to rewire.

What would people advise? Is there a way of getting partial rewires done or are electricians very reluctant to do this? Ideally, I would prefer to get the wiring all tested and then just rewire what is necessary but this doesn't seem to be a common approach. At the moment, there is good access to most of the wiring as I am renovating and lifting floors/insulation etc so now is the best time if I am going to do it. I'm just conscious that I will probably sell the house within 10 years or so and I doubt spending 15k approx on a full rewire would be reflected at all in the sale price. I suspect most buyers wouldn't even notice it and I would be better off spending the money elsewhere within the house.

JL spark

Get your fuseboard upgraded , new mains cables, rewire the lights , test all the other circuits, and any issues with them , rewire them ,

Orionis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123069664#Comment_123069664

Thanks. That would be my preference I think. It's what makes sense in my particular situation. It seems electricians are very reluctant to partially rewire in this way though. I've only spoken to a couple so far but in general they want to fully rewire the whole place, at great expense and time not to mention the mess from the chasing. Maybe I'm better off looking for an independent electrician rather then one of the rewire type companies.

JL spark

I’m a contractor myself, yes sometimes a full rewire is best , In your case,a lot of testing and upgrades will be needed, which can take up a lot of time and cost , You may have hidden junction boxes, which in my eyes are a no no ,

Try and get a few quotes, and don’t go with the cheapest, get a full itemised quote per room , That’s how I try to work , keeps everyone on the same page