Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Get back to the basics when you begin any home remodel or total renovation project. This will lay an important foundation for the more decorative aspects of making the home your own.

Electric and plumbing are the arteries of the house. "This is the first logical step in a remodel," says Anita Dabbs, a real estate agent with Ron Morgan Properties who specializes in buying and selling older homes in Bucerias, just north of Puerto Vallarta.

You'll need to plan carefully. "The structures are all concrete and brick. The solid walls and floors will need channels dug out to accommodate the plastic electrical tubes, which is where the wires are run, as well as for the plumbing pipes. Your contractor will be chipping cement and the dust will be flying. This is the starting point because you don't want to be doing this after you have remodeled," Anita adds.

A big difference between contractors in Mexico and those in the US or Canada is that, in Mexico, the electrician and plumber are usually the same guy. Anita can assist you in selecting the right contractor. It is important to be able to communicate with him and make sure he doesn't go over the price quoted. Anita can work with you from beginning to end, she likes to add her two cents and practical experience. Think about your needs and get these wires, tubes and pipes in place.

Don't be shocked about wire colors because electricians use what is available. Consider your future electrical use and whether it includes mini splits, swimming pool and Jacuzzi pumps, household water pumps and numerous outlets.

Be sure your house is running at 220 volts, especially if you are operating one or more of the above. Some homes could still be using 110 volts. This may require a number of new boxes, circuits and adequate breakers or updating existing ones. Don't forget to check the number of outlets in a room, too, and whether you want to update the old or add new ones. While the walls are torn apart, you can have the cable or satellite TV cables installed, too.

Cement covers in all of the channels, the walls are sanded to make them smooth, and then paint is applied. This process is labor intensive and messy, that's why you want to anticipate the next phase of your remodel. "Once you see the amount of dust and debris, you won't really want to do this again," says Anita. "It is really important to lay the ground work, then the rest will be a breeze."

Part 2 of 'The Wires and Pipes of Home Remodeling' will be posted soon, and the topic is plumbing, so keep checking back to learn more about remodeling houses in Mexico.

About Anita Dabbs

Anita bought her Zona Dorada home in 1998, rehabbed it to her liking and eventually moved into it full time in 2004. She knows the town, the properties and specific blocks intimately and is the perfect real estate agent choice, especially if you are looking for an older home that is only awaiting your personal touch.

For more information, you can contact Anita at the Ron Morgan Properties office in Bucerías at (329) 298-0492, or by calling (314) 723-5187 from Canada or the US.

Ron Morgan Properties specializes in luxury real estate in the Marina Vallarta area and beyond to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Punta de Mita, as well as along the southern shores of Banderas Bay, from the Romantic Zone, Amapas and Conchas Chinas down to Mismaloya and even Costa Alegre. For more information, visit RonMorgan.net.

Click HERE to learn more about Ron Morgan Properties.