Saturday, April 19, 2008

Examine your prospective house


Your electrical inspection and checklist don’t just apply to your current home but also to a prospective residence. Despite the diligence of inspectors, they still can make errors when checking and approving newly constructed homes and remodeled additions. Any home purchase, regardless of the age of the house, should include a general inspection and an electrical inspection. This inspection will be more exacting than one in your own home because you will have no familiarity with a house that’s new to you, whereas you already know that your kitchen lights start flickering an SOS in Morse code every time you turn on your food processor and that they need to be corrected. An inspection will tell you more than simply the condition of the system. It will enable you to consider changes and additions and their possible costs before you buy. These factors can affect your purchase negotiations, especially if major work is called for such as installing a new service panel.

New homes, both those of your own design and those under construction by developers, deserve special attention with regard to your electrical needs. The planning and construction phases are certainly the ideal times to wire for as many light fixtures, receptacles, dedicated circuits for your computers, and specialized cable for phones and media as you desire. If you’re not sure about future TV or phone locations, wire every room for them and don’t worry about it. The labor cost to install wiring is far cheaper when the walls are open to the framing studs than after they’re finished.

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