Deciding where you should install electrical outlets in your new home seems like a fairly small detail. However, you might encounter some problems if you fail to correctly plan your electrical outlets’ placement. Imagine finding out that your furniture plan doesn’t work well with your outlet placement. If you’re wondering how to strategically plan your electrical installations without calling a licensed electrician, here’s a simple guide that should help you.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms are one of the most important places that require the proper placement of outlets. Think about where you’ll place beds, dressers, and other furniture. Otherwise, you’ll end up using a lot of extension cables, or worse, an awkwardly placed bed or desk just to accommodate the outlet. Consider your typical habits in these rooms before finalizing anything.

Kitchen

Compared to any part of the house, the kitchen is perhaps the area that requires the most electrical power in one room. However, that just makes outlet planning a little bit easier and more straightforward. All you need is to decide where your major appliances, like your fridge, oven, or dishwasher, will be located. These areas will need to have durable, specialized outlets to handle the powerful appliances. In kitchens, all outlets that serve countertop surfaces should be equipped with GFCI outlet protection.

Bathroom

Most homeowners tend to overlook this area since it’s not exactly the first palace you’d think would need an outlet. However, it would be highly beneficial to ensure ample coverage in this room, too. Consider your family’s needs when getting ready for the day. They may need to plug in a blow dryer, electric shaver, or an electric toothbrush. Just make sure that you put the outlets in a safe area without any risk of getting wet.

Living Room

For the living room, you’ll probably want a couple of outlets in several locations for charging stations. Ideally, you should put outlets in all corners of the living room as well as at the center of each wall. This is perfect if you want to put up a flat-screen TV and hang it on a wall to hide the cables and the outlet. In-floor outlets are also an option and should be placed in the center of the living room in case you want a display coffee table for mementos. They should also come in handy during Christmas as you’ll have plenty of outlets for a Christmas tree or some lights.

Home Office 

The home office can be tricky when planning electrical outlet locations. Many homeowners place them along the walls for lighting and a desk that will sit against them. You can also put in-floor plugs in your home office but make sure they don’t impede your desk or your chair. After all, not everyone wants their work desk against the wall, which makes floor plugs your best option if you have a lot of electronics to plug.

Garage

The garage is a frequently forgotten area when it comes to electrical planning. Aside from light fixtures, you may also want to put a few outlets in the garage, especially if you’re going to be storing power tools inside it. That way, you don’t have to worry about using extension cables when working with power tools. If you plan on having a garage door opener, an outlet in the center of the ceiling will be necessary.