If you’re planning on remodeling an older home, there are a number of things you should consider—especially as it relates to your electrical system. We talked in an earlier blog post about things to consider when buying an older home, and now we’re going to talk about things to look out for when remodeling older homes.

One of the first things to consider when remodeling an older home is whether your existing electrical system is equipped to handle the load that new appliances will place on it. You’ll also need to think about the effect of adding square footage and new lighting on your system. You may need a heavy up before you even start your remodel, which can add unexpected costs.

The most cost-effective thing to do before remodeling your home or constructing a new addition is establish an electrical wiring diagram early during the design phase (or better yet, call Kolb Electric and have us do this for you!). An electrical wiring diagram will help you answer a number of important questions, including:

Whatever you decide to do, make sure all of your plans are part of your design work. It will save you significant costs later on, even if the components for the system will be purchased some time down the road.

But it doesn’t stop there—there are other things to think about as well. For instance, consider what one home office workstation requires:

There are others that aren’t listed. Make sure your plans have taken into consideration the outlets and power requirements of these devices.

Don’t forget the outside of your home. Since you’re already upgrading your electrical system, now would be a good time to get your home electrical system ready to handle some outside tasks. These include outside perimeter lighting, fire and burglar alarm systems, motion-controlled lighting, and card access systems.

Call Kolb Electric for addition or remodel wiring!

Mortgage lenders try to look at the big picture, considering things like taxes and insurance when deciding how much they can loan out to homeowners and buyers. However, there's a major ongoing expense that appraisers currently don't take into account – monthly utility bills. You don't need to be an electrician to understand that the money you pay for power each month makes an impact on your budget and even affects the value of your home. A bill currently in front of Congress – the SAVE Act – would acknowledge that reality and let federal mortgage lenders make energy efficiency part of their formula.

Increasing the Value of Your Home

Essentially, the SAVE Act would make it easier to get financing for efficiency upgrades, even folding funding for it into traditional mortgages.

“This bill would require federal mortgage agencies to recognize the energy efficiency upgrades in a home during the mortgage underwriting process, thereby increasing the value of the home,” President of the Alliance to Save Energy Kateri Callahan said in a statement. 

The SAVE Act claims it would bring a number of benefits in addition to loosening the drawstrings on bank financing for efficiency. Among them:

A Diverse Group of Supporters

The SAVE Act was first introduced in 2013. Although Congress has yet to vote on the measure, it has lined up a diverse group of supporters who aren't typically on the same side of major issues, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers to the Alliance to Save Energy, the National Resources Defense Council, the U.S. Green Building Council and others.

In the meantime, there are a number of steps you can take around your home today to cut down on your utility bills. If you need any help installing efficient appliances or upgrading your home electric system, contact an expert electrician today.