If you ask the average layperson homeowner, they will have little to no idea whatsoever if their home or premises requires rewiring. For this group of consumers, it's therefore important to understand the signs of the need for rewiring works. That's because outdated, damaged, deteriorated or inappropriate wiring can be a serious fire or shock hazard, which can result in property damage, fire, injury and even death.

These days, many buildings require re-wiring due to the unique extra demands of modern electronic technologies - especially if that wiring is ageing. The process involves stripping and re-laying the electrical wires throughout the property in accordance with regulations, which usually accompanies a new switchboard.

How do you know your home needs rewiring?:

• Lights are flickering
• Fuses keep blowing/circuits keep tripping
• Burn marks on outlets/visible sparking
• Electrical sounds and electrical burning smells
• Home is particularly old (40+ years)
• Installation of power-hungry electrical systems.

Although your friendly local electrician will need to safely take care of this important task in full compliance with regulations, you'll need to set aside several hours for them to complete and safety-test their work. That's because the switchboard is where a building or home's entire electrical wiring distribution and management takes place, connecting the community power system with your individual property.

The switchboard is comprised of switches, fuses, circuit breakers and/or safety switches, and is normally located on the exterior of the building and easily accessible by the local meter reader. Sometimes, certain electrical installations will require a full switchboard upgrade, or your older property's original switchboard has become outdated or has deteriorated.

If you're wondering whether that electrical work you have your eye on needs to be done by a fully-licensed electrician, the answer is almost always yes all across Australia - although you'll need to check the specifics with your local council and state jurisdiction.

The need for a licensed electrician also includes the most handy do-it-yourself homeowners who could almost certainly handle something as simple as the installation of a new light fixture - and actually quite commonly do, even if it's not strictly allowed. To be safe, compliant and to protect your home insurance, however, it's wise to call your local sparky who won't charge very much for something as simple and speedy as wiring a new light fitting for you. It also can't be forgotten that working with electricity is extremely dangerous and can result in death, injury, or catastrophic property damage.

The quickest answer is "no". While other countries may not take such a hard-line approach, in Australia, it's important to recognise that our laws are there for a very good reason - to protect you, your family and your home from catastrophic damage including shocks, electrical fires and death.

So while it's perfectly fine, and almost completely safe, to do something as simple as changing a light bulb, the following tasks may technically be illegal to complete without professional training and the acquisition of a current electrical workmanship license.

You may not:

• Fix a light switch
• Replace a power point
• Repair an electrical appliance
• Install a light fitting.

However, while you'll need to check with your local council and state regulators, there are a few DIY electrical works at home that are legal to carry out across the country. These include:

• Installing low-voltage garden lighting
• Installing a fish pond pump
• Replace an old-style switchboard fuse
• Change LED downlights
• Installing (but not connecting) a wall oven
• Changing smoke detector batteries.

Not only do you need a fully-licensed electrician to install electrical appliances across all jurisdictions in Australia, but those strict regulations also determine:

• Where the appliance can be installed
• How much space is required for safety/ventilation
• Whether you'll need other licensed help (a gasfitter, for instance).

You'll also need a licensed electrician for repair work, and even most types of servicing and general maintenance of electrical appliance installations. Although you'll need to check the details with your local council and state authorities, these strict safety-based rules apply not only to homes and businesses but also caravans and boats. Failure to comply exposes you to the risk of hefty fines and even liability for injury, fire and death. So if you need an electrical appliance installed, double-check that the professional you choose to do the work is:

• Fully licensed in your local jurisdiction
• Is able to provide you with a relevant and mandatory certificate of compliance.