Can I add extra sockets in a new build flat (apartment) in Spain?

Adding sockets in a new build flat: common after handover

Adding sockets (outlets) is one of the most frequent jobs in the first weeks after you get the keys. New developments in Seville, Spain are handed over with the points listed in the specifications (memoria de calidades), but once the furniture goes in the gaps appear: there is no socket by the headboard, on the kitchen island or on the terrace.

The sockets people add most

• Bedroom headboards, with sockets on both sides of the bed.
• Kitchen island or peninsula, for small appliances.
• Terrace, with a weatherproof socket for lighting or an electric barbecue.
• TV wall, with power, data and aerial sockets together.
• Sockets with USB in bedrooms and the home office.
• RJ45 data points for working from home and games consoles.

How it is done without spoiling the flat

• From a nearby circuit: a box or socket on the same circuit is used. The quickest option.
• With a new line from the fuse board: for powerful appliances or when the circuit is already loaded.
• Through a false ceiling or plasterboard (drywall) partition: where the home has them, the cable goes through with very little work.
• Surface mounted: in trunking, when you do not want to open the wall.

Always following the circuits set by Spanish regulations: a socket for an oven or hob cannot hang off the lighting circuit.

Guide prices

Before you start

• Think about the final furniture layout: moving a socket later costs the same as fitting it.
• Group everything into one visit: light fittings, sockets and data points.
• Keep the home’s boletín (electrical certificate): extensions must be documented by the contractor who does them.

When to call an electrician

Call once you know where the furniture will go, ideally before painting or fitting the kitchen. In Seville, Spain, our handyman electrician adds sockets, we fit outdoor sockets on terraces and install data cabling for the home office.