Where to put sockets and lighting points before renovating a flat

Start with the use plan, not the fittings

Before counting sockets, draw the furniture that defines each room at an approximate scale: bed and bedside tables, sofa and television, desk, cupboards and small appliances. Add where phones will charge, the router will connect or the vacuum cleaner will be used. This use plan helps decide positions and heights without hiding outlets behind furniture or running cables across walkways. The practical decision is simple: do not finalise the electrical layout until every point has an intended purpose.

Separate regulatory minimums from the way you live

Spain’s Low-Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation and its technical instructions set safety conditions, circuits and provisions for homes. They are the framework that a qualified installation company must validate, not an interior-design template. Meeting the minimum does not by itself solve the needs of working from home, several audiovisual devices or dimmable lighting. Give the professional a list of real uses and let them verify protections, cable sizes, circuits and documentation; do not turn a planning guide into instructions for carrying out the installation yourself.

Identify the uses that shape the installation

The kitchen, utility area, air conditioning, water heater, oven and other higher-demand equipment should not be mixed into a generic socket list. Their location, expected load and connection method may affect circuits, the distribution board and the budget. Also mark equipment that may arrive later — such as a second workstation or future cooling — so the installer can assess whether provision is worthwhile. The useful decision is to identify these uses before cutting chases, without treating improvised extensions or power strips as a permanent answer.

Review sockets, lighting and joinery together

Check the electrical plan alongside the layouts for doors, cupboards, the kitchen and fixed furniture. A switch can end up behind an open door, a socket inside a headboard, and a lighting point away from the centre of the table it was meant to illuminate. Separate general, task and ambient light according to use, and make the most of daylight whenever the layout allows. Before approving the plan, mentally walk from the entrance to the bedroom and check what you need to switch, turn off or plug in along each route.

What to prepare for comparable quotations

To contact a renovation company, prepare a measured plan or sketch, the intended position of furniture and appliances, photos of the current condition, and a room-by-room list of lighting points, sockets, data and special loads. Say whether you want to retain fittings, replace the distribution board or coordinate the installation with suspended ceilings and joinery, even though the professional must validate the final solution. Ask for the quotation to separate removals, chases and making good, wiring and conduits, board and protections, fittings, tests and documentation. Each proposal will then start from the same scope and show clearly what is included and excluded.

Sources consulted

• Royal Decree 842/2002: Low-Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation
• IDAE: Practical energy guide for efficient and responsible consumption