When your current home is no longer meeting your needs, it is not uncommon to begin shopping for a larger or more well-suited home. However, with the price of real estate skyrocketing, many homeowners choose to undertake a significant home renovation or home addition. These projects offer a more affordable way to meet their needs and eliminate the hassles of moving. But there are several tips from professional electricians that homeowners should consider before moving forward with their plans.
How Will You Be Using The Space?
Of course, you have some general ideas about how you want to use the new space that you are creating. But it is essential that you also plan in more detail for the electrical service you will need. The most important items will be any appliances in the new room or rooms. For example, any plasma televisions, room or window air conditioners, cooking appliances, or refrigerator, or freezer will require a dedicated circuit. In addition, some smaller appliances like hairdryers, portable space heaters, or some computer or entertainment systems are best installed with a dedicated circuit to eliminate the potential for circuit overloads and damage to your devices.
Also, think about the number of items you will want to plug-in throughout the space. Older homes often offer limited outlets. So when making an addition or undertaking a renovation, you can add as many outlets as you like to accommodate things like device charging stations, sound systems, gaming stations, or a kitchenette for quick access to drinks and snacks.
Fixing Other Shortcomings
If you live in an older home, you should also consider correcting any other electrical shortcomings you have in the house. For example, too few outlets or lack of access to outlets on countertops or in a workspace can be easily corrected during your renovation. It is also ideal for installing ceiling fans, outlets in the eves for holiday lights, or other exterior outlets for added living space under the stars.
Plan Your Lighting Carefully
One of the best tips from our licensed electricians is to carefully plan the lighting for each space based on all of the potential uses you have in mind. Overhead lighting is not very common in most living spaces at the moment. However, if you think that the area might someday function as a large living and entertaining space, pre-wiring for lighting in the ceiling is a smart and cost-effective choice. Also, be sure to add focused lighting in any area that could be or become a workspace. Craft rooms, homework spaces, or reading nooks will need more concentrated lighting to maximize functionality.
Be Flexible On Your Budget
As you begin fine-tuning your electrical scope of work, be sure to leave some wiggle room in the budget. Even in the most well-built and maintained homes, there can be some surprises hidden in the walls. You never know what your electricians will uncover as they begin to dig into the existing wiring in your home. Leaving some room in your budget is the best way to ensure that you are not forced to give up some wish list features to correct unforeseen issues or damage uncovered after the project begins.
Hire A Pro
Finally, the most important decision you will make is selecting the licensed electrician for your renovation. The team at Circuit Doctors is eager to offer you years of experience and expertise completing fully warrantied home additions and renovations. Call us at (703) 463-9866 for a no-obligation estimate for your home’s addition or renovation.
