Owning your own home

Nonsense. The fact it doesn't meet current regs is irrelevant - if it met regs at the time the work was done, it's fine from a regs POV now and into the future. It's a bit of a mish-mash, but it's been done reasonably neatly, so the workmanship that you can't see is probably OK too. No reason whatsoever to avoid.

Ok. To start. As a sparkie I'm well aware that previous work doesn't have conform to modern regulations but as you get further away from the 1970's (which is when that would've compiled) it gets harder to justify. You are aware that the recent 17th edition update now recommends all metal consumer units? And RCD protection in domestic installs is a life saver, especially in 'special locations' such as bathrooms and external power.

A new consumer unit would be tidier, and MCBs and RCD protection will trip a bit faster than wired fuses, but I wouldn't see that as a great priority.

RCD's don't trip in the way that fuses or mcb's do. They sense current loss that would not trip a fuse and will fault within 40ms at 30mA.

Fuses, especially rewirable links, do not offer the same protection.

If you're having other major work done - I think plumbing was mentioned - and you'd consider a rewire for other reasons (I bet a lot more sockets would be handy) then it is probably worth doing the rewire at the same time so you only have one lot of disruption and making good.

The fact that I mentioned a rewire is that with consumer unit in that state will imply that the wiring is in bad shape also. Shared neutrals, green goo from old PVC T&E and unsheathed earths are a high probability, the electrics need checking. Also the fact that modern houses and equipment put a higher load and strain on the elctrical systems than they did 40 years ago.

If I were doing it, I'd be contemplating getting rid of the E7, and probably running Cat5 and TV/video/music distribution throughout.

Of course. Thats what any self respecting qualified electrician would recommend.

@well_is_it Ignore this chancer. You will have to rewire because when you sell the same questions you asked will be asked again.