You’ve decided to renovate! Wooooo hoooooo!  As excited as renovating may be, it comes with a lot of tasks and checklists to ensure it is executed with quality and a lasting outcome.

We’ve set up a snazzy checklist to get you through the electricals.  We’ll take you through each room and what you need to know so you don’t get yourself in a pickle.

It’s very important that you ensure a qualified electrician carries out your electrical work.

Why Hire a Licensed Contractor?

Hiring a licensed contractor may be more expensive short-term over a cash contractor, however, with a licensed electrician you get the peace of mind essentials; systematic control, government safety, and regulatory compliance, insurance/warranty if something were to happen.

Cash job electricians may be cheaper due to reduced extra costs; insurance, warranties, licensing fees, and workers compensation, amongst others. Unlicensed contractors are not held accountable for complaints or defective work.  This can be highly expensive for unforeseen events. Unlicensed tradesman may incur property damage or personal injury, failure to have insurance, this means you’re held accountable for damages or medical bills.

When Hiring a Licensed Contractor, you receive:

• All work to be completed under the Electrical Safety Regulation Act 2013
• Qualified and licensed electricians
• Electricians and electrical work to be covered under insurance
• Skilled, knowledgeable and strategically planned schematics and technical work on and off the location, in addition to professional
• Financial protection by avoiding potential unanticipated errors or defaults, especially when it comes to insurances
• Top safety priorities and highly safety-educated electricians for your home or business

Read the risks and liabilities of completing your own Electrical Work advised by QLD Government Here

At Taylor Made Electrical, we pride ourselves on efficiency, quality, safety and ensuring the job is completed to the very best of our team’s ability.  A good electrician will be able to discuss all of your electrical questions and concerns, including but not limited to:

Your electrician will help to determine time frames, work with other contractors and should be excellent with communication.

Getting Started Checklist

• Write a loving letter to whomever you’re renovating with for future reference and put a bottle of wine and candle away to light and enjoy a dinner with midway through! This could save marriages!
• Work together on a budget and ensure you stick to it (spreadsheets are great for this).
• Decide what you will do yourselves and where you need to outsource. Make a list.
• Discuss together what design options suit all parties (contemporary, modern, rustic, shabby sheek, etc.).
• Each room has a purpose, think about the who, what, when, where and whys of the renovations. Ensure you’re renovating for what you want.
• Do you need to plan with an architect, designer or builder? Make a list of prospectives and questions that you want to ask them in a meeting.
• How eco-friendly are you wanting to go? It is definitely worth investing time and energy into this (did you see the pun there?).  Are you putting in solar? There are many new features that can improve energy, water and waste usage.
• Home automation is a great feature to add when renovating, it’s also eco-friendlier and helps save on those bills! Not to mention it’s something to wow your guests!
• Is your home safe to renovate? Does it have mould? Asbestos? Does it need new structures? Are the rooms of legal sizes? Etc.  Ensure you do your homework on QLD Government legislative requirements for your home or office.
• If you’re doing any renovations yourself, it might be worth completing a white card certificate, so you know, you don’t lose a finger for not knowing the basics.

Organise quotes (we suggest 3 quotes per company for services). This ensures everything you need is covered.  Remember, lowest is not always the best decision.  Review the qualities, testimonials and integrity of the contractor when making your final choice.

Renovations and Building you cannot do DIY

• Plumbing and drainage (excluding some unregulated plumbing work)
• Gas fitting
• Termite management – chemical
• Electrical work

You’ll need to have dedicated circuits for the following installations:

Lighting

Lighting can completely change the dynamic and ambience of your home in an instant.  Great lighting ensures each room you’re renovating is setting a scene for your desired room outcome. Good lighting extenuates architecture structure. Understanding positionings and fittings are going to increase value to your home. Your home value automatically increases with well thought-out lighting.

It helps you stand out, improve quality, appeal to your target market and can even help with raising the asking price.  How is this possible? Because people want to be aesthetically pleased.  We want our homes to have a beautiful appearance.  We want to feel the intended mood providing comfortable, relaxed living environments for ourselves and guests to enjoy.  It can be the ultimate way to bring peace into your home.

Room by room renovations

Bathroom Renovations

Firstly, what do you WANT out of your bathroom?  Is it for a couple, children, or maybe you’re solo and want to indulge?

Questions to consider:

• Where are you placing your vanity? Ensure lighting will suit this accordingly.
• Are you putting in heat lamps?
• Are you putting in a fan?
• How many power points do you need? Where do you want to place them?
• Why are you renovating this room? Is it too dark? Does it need windows or more natural light? Do you need more bench space? New hot water service? New lighting? Better extractor fans and ventilation?
• Are you looking for floor heating or heated towel rails?

Our tips:

• Look for lighting that is bright white. No one likes applying make-up with a yellow light and walking out looking like a clown.
• Genius.  Get the best of both worlds, bright and well-lit in the day and ambient relaxation at night.
• Install ventilation fans to avoid mould, especially in QLD.
• Avoid counter tops that will stain easily or look dirty quickly.
• Electricians and plumbers can work together sometimes, liase with both contractors to speed up the process.

Bedrooms

There’s no better feeling than a fresh renovated bedroom.  We truly get it!  Bedroom electricals are actually quite exciting.

Thoughts prior to commencing:

• Your bedrooms should always be naturally well lit during the day. This provides an extra essence of freshness.
• Choosing lighting can be tricky, we recommend bedroom dimmers in the main bedroom to suit all moods.
• Are you wanting to be funky, contemporary, modern? Choose what vibe is calling.
• Once you’ve chosen your room design idea, matching the lighting can be really fun! There are fabulous options to spice up your room.  Lighting can truly make all the difference.
• Do you want bedside lights? Ceiling lights?  Ceiling fan light?
• Do you want art deco? Where will they be placed?
• What power points do you need and why? We suggest double power points beside each bed side, with a phone line connection.
• Do you want cable or a T.V. in your room?
• LED lights can be an excellent option for bedrooms. Read more on how to choose LED Lighting Here
• Do you want to rewire your bedroom?
• Are you going to add a bedroom electric fireplace?

Our tips:

• Check out ideas for what lighting will suit your bedroom best – Click Here for some inspo
• Mixing lights and lighting tones can work beautifully
• Automated lighting is a great idea to modernise your home and improve on power bills, imagine having a remote on your phone or button next to your bed to turn off the house lights!
• Ensure you have enough power points in the right areas to suit your needs
• If you’re wanting an in-wall vacuum, ensure you plan early and discuss this with electricians
• Ensure you’ve discussed the plans with the electrician, a good electrician will listen to your needs and help to modify and streamline your ideas to get the best value for money.
• Your control panel should be out of the way and easy to access
• If expenses unexpectedly rise (which is often the case), you can still add in the wiring for future renovations to avoid future hassles.
• Look for areas where lights may be obstructed or cause shadows
• Get creative with new modern electrical innovation e.g. USB charging ports by beds, LED customisable light switches.
• We recommend having a fan and air-conditioner in all bedrooms

Kitchen Renovations

Thoughts prior to commencing:

• What appliances require their own circuits?
• Do you want under cabinet/in cabinet lighting?
• What type of downlight design do you want?
• Do you want a ducted or recycled range hood?
• Check oven sizes. Do you want gas or electric heating?
• Are you wanting to install a new oven and cook top?

Our Tips:

• Power points are absolutely essential to have enough. Ensure your amps are right for your needs
• Lighting should be bright in the kitchen so you can see what you’re doing.
• Ensure sufficient smoke alarms are installed and the area is ventilated to avoid unnecessary alarms
• Are you wanting a fan in the kitchen? You may need higher than 15-amp circuit if you have a lot of fans.
• Lighting branch circuits generally will be ok with 15-amp supply
• Outlets near water must be GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupters)
• Ensure counter-top outlets are easy to access and are low enough so that any cords will not be stretched to access

This is something that an electrician will work closely with you for creating your dream kitchen.  There are many kitchen electrical safety requirements that must be adhered to when renovating.  Garbage disposers, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, electric ovens and electric ranges may require their own circuits.

Laundry

Laundry renovations are a little less complex.  It’s mainly a matter of planning out your design and ensuring your electrical wiring can be done to suit.

Questions to ask prior:

• Do you want your drier and washer to be front loading?
• Do you want them to be stacked?
• Are you adding in other appliances e.g. fold out ironing station?
• What ventilation will be adequate for the room?
• Do you need an exhaust fan installed?
• Do you want a sky light or perhaps a white LED strip?

Our Tips:

• Ensure there is enough room to put your washer and drier
• Adding an electrical power point in between is useful
• Plan your power points to suit your laundry requirements
• Ensure no drip-drying racks are near power points
• If the laundry is going into a cupboard be sure that the cupboard is well suited to this structure
• Add a source ventilation to the laundry if the drier is used often, if the drier or washer is concealed in a cupboard or if you hang dry your clothes inside, this will help them dry quicker and prevent toxic mould exposure.

Outdoor Areas

This is always a beautiful addition to your home!  Outdoor lighting can TRANSFORM your yard and take it to the next level of magical.  Enjoy those beautiful QLD evenings in your own little wonderland.

Lighting Ideas and Fixtures

• Lanterns – they can be used for indoors and outdoors and for festive fun
• Solar lights – for illuminating a path or highlighting your planting
• Strings of lights – can create atmosphere where you need it (make sure they are for outdoor use!)

Patio Lighting

• Spotlights
• Highlight your outdoor kitchen and use spotlights for your working area
• Wall Sconces
• Lamp posts
• Hanging lanterns

Garden Lighting

• Paver lights on patio or walkways and pathways
• Lamp posts for walkways, driveways and steps
• Underwater lighting for pools, water features and ponds
• Illuminate decorative features or trees with Up- or downlights
• Accentuate with Spotlights

Garden lighting is not only absolutely gorgeous and adds value to your home easily, it’s an extra touch of safety in a dark night.

Safety and Security Lighting

• Motion sensor lights to illuminate dark corners these are excellent to create a feeling of safety and are ideal for front and back door lights.

Bollard and Post Lighting

Bollard lights are short vertical pillars which are beneficial to light up paths and driveways. Bollard lighting can enhance your home’s outdoor area, boardwalks, pools, spas, water features/statues and improve aesthetics of your home. There are many design options to suit your home and can also come with solar options.

Up Lighting

Up lighting is a perfect way to provide a large amount of light on your home exterior.  They can easily light your whole front and back of the home.  These are excellent for providing a dramatic, layered look of luxury.

Lamp Post Lighting

Think of Old England in the early 1900’s.  These gorgeous lamp posts are all class, old-timely and are abundant with sophistication.  You can find many ranges, styles and sizes to accommodate your home and outdoor requirements.  If you have an old heritage home, these might be just the extra touch of creativity.

Outdoor Wall Lighting

These are a beautiful way to modernise your home.  They enhance the texture and features of the walls and can be used for large surface spaces.  These are perfect around patio areas, outdoor/indoor pool walls, front and back doors.   We would recommend a soft gold, rose gold or warmer colour.

Water Lighting

Now this is where the magic REALLY happens.  Anywhere you have water, you want to add the magic touch of light to enhance it in the evenings.  These ones take a little more thought, because lighting can make a huge difference.  Coloured options can look stunning.  Coloured blues or white lights in the water looks contemporary and modern, whereas gold and soft yellows accentuate classic, romantic and warm.

Solar Lighting

This is always an excellent option for your home, we definitely believe in eco-friendly alternatives!  We would suggest that you get optimal quality for solar lighting as they can have a short life.

Now you’ve got a lot of questions and answers to review for your exciting new renovation venture!  We’d love to hear any renovation stories or tips you’d like to share with us that we haven’t mentioned.

If you’re looking for an electrician, contact Taylor Made Electrical for a FREE obligation-free quote.