6 High-Value Electrical Upgrades for Your Home

Table of Contents

1. Electrical Upgrades for Your Home
2. Upgrading the Electrical Panel
3. Adding More Outlets
4. Investing in Lighting Upgrades
5. Installing a Generator
6. Installing an EV Charger
7. Installing Solar Panels

Electrical Upgrades for Your Home

Determining which home upgrades are worth the investment can be difficult. There’s always something to improve as a homeowner, but it’s important to find that balance between what you want now and what a potential buyer might want in the future.

Electrical work is nuanced and requires a professional touch. It also offers a significant return on investment, both in your quality of life and utility costs and when positioning your home to attract potential buyers.

Here are some high-value electrical upgrades to consider for your home.

Upgrading the Electrical Panel

Upgrading an outdated electrical panel offers several benefits, the first of which is safety. If your panel is outdated, it’s likely unsuited to deal with the increased power demand of large, modern appliances. Consider the fact that many laundry machines, fridges, and stoves were significantly smaller 30 years ago. While your panel might still be fully functional, it might not be the best option for your modernized home.

According to the experts at Travis Electrical, an electrician in Woodlawn, TN, a common sign that your panel isn’t up to the task is dimming or flickering lights. Most notably, if the lights tend to flicker or dim when you turn on the microwave, dishwasher, or flush the toilet. While this isn’t an emergency issue, it showcases that your existing panel is under more stress than it can handle.

Another sign that you should upgrade your electric panel is any sort of visible degradation, such as rust or ash. This issue indicates that the panel has been exposed to excessive moisture over time and lacks the integrity to keep your home safe. An electrician will be able to identify the cause of degradation and replace the panel, potentially moving it to a safer (or drier) location.

Finally, if you still have a fuse box rather than circuit breakers, it’s time for an upgrade ASAP. Fuse boxes don’t offer the same level of protection as switches and could be putting your home and safety at risk. This feature could also be a deterrent for potential buyers, who will often put in a contingency regarding a panel upgrade, costing you time and money.

Adding More Outlets

The world has changed a lot over the past twenty years. We have small appliances that didn’t exist a decade ago, dramatic changes to the size and shapes of our televisions, and significantly more access to electronics. If you live in an older home, you may feel as though you lack sufficient outlets or don’t have them where you need them for convenience.

Adding more outlets to your home is a cost-effective upgrade that makes a significant impact. The most common areas in need of additional outlets include the kitchen, bedroom, and home office (or equivalent). As many people are spending more time at home working on their yards and gardens, having a few additional exterior GFCI outlets is also beneficial.

Try to be proactive in solving common inconveniences that people experience when plugging things in. Rather than having outlets installed flush with the wall, ask your electrician if they can be recessed. This feature allows you to have furniture pushed against the wall without the risk of damaging or showing wires.

Another aesthetically pleasing innovation is to have a pop-up or pop-out outlet installed on countertops and kitchen backsplashes or placed in drawers and cupboards. Some states have regulations regarding outlet placement, so be sure to investigate your limitations before calling an electrician.

Finally, it’s worth investing in a few USB outlets as well. With so many rechargeable devices in our everyday lives, having a few strategically placed USB outlets will reduce the need for charging blocks. Many modern power strips include USB outlets as well.

Investing in Lighting Upgrades

It’s common knowledge among real estate agents and home stagers that lighting can make or break a home. While natural light is ideal, having better lighting in your house will make it feel fresh, spacious, and welcoming. Furthermore, old brass fixtures and wooden ceiling fans with wicker elements date a house faster than oak cupboards with cathedral-style doors. They’re basically the 2000s version of shag carpet and wood paneling.

Lighting upgrades have one of the best returns on investment for electrical work. You can find reasonably priced, modern fixtures by shopping around and having them bulk-installed by a skilled electrician. Consider adding variations to your lighting scheme for more versatility in each room. Innovations like baseboard night lights can add a wow factor to your home.

When exploring your lighting options, don’t forget to address the exterior of your home. Adding motion sensor lights to dark areas in your yard can improve your home security, protecting your family and belongings. Additionally, installing some aesthetically pleasing outdoor lights can showcase the extended living space and appeal to buyers while helping you make the most of those lovely summer nights.

Installing a Generator

If you live in a place that’s prone to seasonal storms, adding a backup generator is an incredibly valuable addition to your home. Work with an electrician to determine whether a whole-house generator is right for your home. While you might not see the need to keep all of your appliances operational in the event of a blackout, at the minimum, you should have a generator to run your fridge and HVAC system.

Keep in mind that just because you haven’t experienced a powerful storm yet, doesn’t mean it’s not coming. Many homeowners in Texas were caught unprepared when the unexpected winter storm hit in 2021, causing $195 billion in damage. As demand for generators tends to spike after a significant storm, it’s better to be prepared.

Installing an EV Charger

The demand for electric vehicles is growing at an exponential rate. Rising fuel prices and shortages are pushing more people toward this futuristic solution. It’s expected that most major car manufacturers will shift solely to producing electric cars by 2030.

Whether you’re planning to stay in your home for a while or you hope to sell in the next few years, adding an EV charger is a wise investment. Similar to dealing with generators, you don’t want to wait until there’s too much demand, resulting in significant delays. At some point in the near future, buyers will expect to see EV chargers at houses.

Installing Solar Panels

Another modern innovation is the addition of solar panels to the home. These panels are more accessible than ever and pay for themselves over time. Solar panels are a great source of supplementary power and can help homeowners cut back on utility costs.

With these savvy electrical upgrades, you can enhance the value of your home and improve your quality of life. Talk to a skilled electrician to create a strategic improvement plan that sells.

Thank you for reading!