I hear you on the overkill—my first rental property, I went wild with outlets in the detached garage thinking I’d need a plug for every possible tool or gadget. Now half of them are just collecting dust behind shelves. It’s tempting to plan for every scenario, but honestly, most tenants just want a spot for a fridge and maybe a workbench light. If you ever do need more, surface-mounts are way less hassle than tearing up drywall later. Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough...
If you ever do need more, surface-mounts are way less hassle than tearing up drywall later. Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough...
Totally get what you mean about going overboard. I did the same thing in my own garage—put in a dozen outlets, thinking I’d be running all kinds of power tools every weekend. Turns out, I mostly use two by the door and one for my electric mower charger. Funny how that works. Sometimes “just enough” really is all you need. And you’re right, surface-mounts are way less hassle if you ever want to add more later.
Funny how we always think we’ll need a dozen outlets for all those “future projects” that never seem to happen. I did the same thing—ran extra circuits, even put in a 240V outlet just in case I ever got a welder (spoiler: I didn’t). Now it’s mostly just the fridge and a battery charger hogging all that power.
I get wanting to future-proof, but honestly, surface-mounts are such a lifesaver if you ever change your mind. No drywall dust in your hair, no patching up holes... just tack it to the wall and call it good. The only time I regretted not going bigger was when my neighbor borrowed my garage for his woodworking binge and tripped half the breakers. But for day-to-day stuff? Less is more, as long as you can add later without turning your garage into a construction zone again.
It’s easy to overthink this stuff, but sometimes “good enough” really does mean less headache down the line.
Less is more, as long as you can add later without turning your garage into a construction zone again. It’s easy to overthink this stuff, but sometimes “good enough” really does mean less hea...
I get the “less is more” idea, but in my old house, adding anything later is a pain. Surface-mounts are handy, sure, but they look out of place on plaster walls. I’ve regretted not running more circuits up front—especially when I tried to add a heater last winter and realized I’d maxed out what was there. Sometimes overdoing it early saves you from headaches down the road.
Sometimes overdoing it early saves you from headaches down the road.
I totally get where you’re coming from. I used to think “less is more” too, but after fishing wires through lath and plaster (never again), I’d rather have a few extra circuits just in case. It’s not always about overthinking—sometimes it’s just future-proofing.