Important electrical considerations for a new build

Dreaming of building your own home?
But before your dream house can become a reality, there will be countless hours spent planning and going over your home plan with your team of building trades.
As part of the home building process, you will be making a variety of considerations, including:
- Architectural planning
- Plumbing solutions
- Building materials
- And of course, your future home’s electrical plan
The electrical plan is an essential part of the home plan as it affects the functionality of your appliances and fixtures. This week, we’ll walk you through some electrical considerations for your new build.
Is your home bright enough?
Lighting is an important part of your future home’s interior design.
However, some people may absentmindedly focus more on aspects like furniture, wall designs and other design elements.
Don’t forget that lighting is just as big a part of a home’s design as decor or colour scheme.
In the building process, your home’s interior design plan should neatly integrate with its electrical plan.
At the core of the electrical plan should be the perfect mix of functionality and aesthetic. You do not need to sacrifice one for the other to achieve the vision that you have for your home’s design.
You can find out more about lighting designs in the home in this blog post.
Let there be light: light switch placement
In relation to making sure your home has a practical and well-designed lighting system, we also have to make sure your light switch placement is practical.
A light switch is one of the most commonly used fixtures in the home, and it’s only when it’s not working as intended that we really give it a second thought.
Perhaps one of the most used light switches are found in the bedroom.
Given the time we spend in our bedrooms, the placement of both lights and switches should be in practical positions. Many people choose to install dual light switches in the room – by the door and by the bed – offering total convenience from almost any location in the room.
More light switch placement tips:
- – Switches should be on the opposite side of a door’s hinges (makes sense, right?)
- – Consider placing a switch outside the door rather than inside
- – If you’re building a new home, think about how you want furniture arranged
Are your power points in the right spots?
Similar to the case of your home’s switch placement, the placement of power points around your house should also be considered during the planning and design process.
Today’s homes are more electronically connected than ever before, so it’s important that we strategically plan where power points are installed.
In installing power points, always remember that design and functionality can actually (and should) go hand in hand.
Living room
We spend so much time in this room and as such it requires power points for a variety of reasons. One good place to consider installing power points is behind or beside the couch: you can conceal them from view without affecting their function.
Tip: if you’d like to mount your TV on the wall, consider installing power points higher up so you can better conceal cords.
Bedroom
Another obvious example is to install power points beside your bed. Most of us plug our lamps and devices while we are inside the bedroom. Consider how many devices you have as this could help you decide how many power points can be safely installed beside your bed.
Hallway
Many people forget about the hallway, and neglect to count it as a “room” of the home. Keep in mind how you want to light this space – will you install a ceiling-mounted fixture or rely on a lamp, or both? If you want a lamp (or an internet modem, etc.), you’ll need a power point!

Living the lush life with a home theatre?
If room and budget allow, a home theatre is a fantastic addition to the home.
Before setting up, we take into account the size and dimension of a space, ensuring it can be both functional and aesthetic. With our guidance, your vision of having your very own theatre room will become a reality!
To make your home theatre dreams come true, we will plan and install:
- – Projector unit
- – Screens
- – Speakers
- – Audio system
Through careful planning and installation, you will now be able to enjoy the ultimate cinematic experience right in your very own home!
Planning a new build? Call Briggs for all your electrical needs!
For those in the planning stages of their new build (or renovation), don’t forget Briggs Electrical as part of your plans! We’re an electrician in Melbourne working hand-in-hand with the rest of your building trades to turn your home dream into your dream home!
Contact us for a chat today.
Briggs Electrical & Data Solutions is a family-owned business operating across Melbourne and Bayside. We offer all types of commercial, domestic, and emergency electrical services, any time of the day or night! Call us at 1300 300 222 today. Our local emergency electricians are available 24/7!