Sponsored: Wire your new home for the long run

Before construction starts on your new home think about and then talk with your builder about how much power your new features require, how many more places need power and if you need custom electrical work.

We’ve covered in this space the many ways that new homes can trim a household’s energy consumption — and costs — while complying with California’s zero-net energy requirements for new construction.

But what about the features you want for your new home that require more power, or more places for power, and call for custom electrical work?

Here are some things to think about before construction starts. Talk to your builder as early as possible or at least before the electricians spend much time at the property.

Ceiling fans

Ceiling fans are terrific for cooling down or moving around the air in specific rooms and living spaces without having to turn on a whole-house fan or AC unit. They also come in a variety of styles and sizes. As a result, some have unique energy requirements.

Even if having several ceiling fans installed before move in is not high on the priority list, there’s always a chance the household may want them later. Especially in this climate.

Ask your builder or their representative if the home’s standard electrical wiring will be sufficient in bedrooms, offices, hallways or living rooms so that you could add ceiling fans now or at a later date.

Keep in mind that you may want a ceiling fan that includes a light or several lamps. While you’re at it, ask about chandeliers or space-saving sconces to create reading areas without needing floor lamps or large side tables.

While discussing these topics with your builder, you may even find that some areas of the house already include a ceiling fan as a standard feature. Once you learn that, you can decide if the builder’s ceiling fan or another custom fixture would be best for you.

Mounted TVs

Many builders include prewiring for the electrical, Wi-Fi and/or satellite connectivity required for large wall-mounted TVs in common areas such as the family room.

Because builders pre-install wiring before drywalling, they’re able to hide all those unsightly wires from the start.

While prewiring may be included in common areas, consider if your household will want or need to hang flat-screen TVs in the master bedroom, spare rooms or even in the garage for a workout space. If the answer is yes — or even maybe — your builder can complete the wiring before drywalling.

In your existing home, for instance, those wires may be heaped behind a cabinet,  taped to the wall behind the TV or eating up valuable display space behind the photo of Aunt Millie on a shelf next to the TV.

Remember, you don’t need to decide right away whether or not you’re going to mount all TVs before move in. But you’ll gain peace of mind that the wiring is ready when the time is right. And your wires won’t take up valuable real estate on the built-in shelving behind Aunt Millie’s portrait.

Finally, don’t forget to consider surround-sound both inside and outside. While your speakers may be wireless, they still require power. Perhaps you’ll even want a mounted TV outside one day?

Tech for working and schooling

These days, the home is as much a corporate conference room or classroom as it is a family gathering place. Even when work and school return to their normal locations, people who’ve reorganized their homes for today’s conditions are likely to want to maintain some of the habits inspired by 2020.

Ask your builder about home Wi-Fi connectivity and what is included in the house to help everyone connect to your service provider without kicking off another family member.

What enhancements can be made for wiring, router or satellite installation that will make it easy for Mom, Dad and two or three kids each to attend different video calls simultaneously?

Will Grandma and Grandpa also need simultaneous connectivity in their secondary master suite? Can Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant seamlessly continue making their necessary reminders or automatic adjustments to household settings?

What office supplies and appliances have become part of the home furnishings in 2020 and may never leave? Think about where they will live and whether standard electrical outlet placements would require the use of adaptors or power strips.

The fewer tangled wires you have, the happier and safer your spaces will be. It’s easier during construction for the electrician to add outlets or to switch out some outlets to different capacities than standard.

What about all that device charging? Ask for built-in charging stations now.