Renovating Your Home in Morocco: The Electrical, Security, Comfort and Finishing Checklist

Buying an older apartment in Casablanca, taking over the family house in Driouch or modernising a villa in Tangier: a successful home renovation in Morocco comes down to organisation first. Doing the work in the wrong order means breaking new tiles to run a forgotten cable, or opening a freshly painted wall for the air conditioning. Here is our works checklist to renovate an apartment or a house step by step: planning, demolition, home electrics, plumbing, air conditioning, wall and floor coverings, finishes, security and smart home.

1. Assessing the property and planning the renovation

Before you break anything, walk around the property with a notebook:

• Electrics: age of the consumer unit, residual current protection, sockets without earth, breakers that keep tripping.
• Plumbing: leaks, damp patches, water pressure, condition of the drains.
• Walls and floors: cracks, hollow-sounding tiles, rising damp.
• How you live: where will the bed, TV, desk, air conditioners and water heater go? This plan decides where sockets and light points are placed.

Draw a simple room-by-room plan showing sockets, switches, light points, water supplies and air conditioning positions. It will serve as the basis for quotes and help you avoid omissions.

2. The order of works, step by step

On a renovation project, you always work “from inside the walls outwards”: first what will be hidden, then what will be seen.

3. Electrics: consumer unit, boxes and circuits

Electrics are the heart of a renovation: the hardest item to redo once the walls are finished, and the one the whole family's safety depends on. Hand it over to a qualified electrician: they size the circuits, cable cross-sections and protective devices.

The consumer unit

A renovated consumer unit groups the breakers for each circuit and the residual current protection. Choose an enclosure with spare spaces for future additions (AC, charging point, home automation). At Brico MIM, the Hager 12-module flush enclosure starts at 220 DH and the Hager 24-module enclosure with transparent door at 390 DH: its door lets you spot a tripped breaker at a glance. For internet, phone and TV, a 400 × 750 mm VDI communication enclosure (1,050 DH) centralises incoming lines and outgoing cables to RJ45 and TV sockets. Everything is explained in our guide to choosing an electrical enclosure and in our electrical enclosures collection.

Flush-mounting and junction boxes

Every socket and switch is fixed in a flush-mounting box, such as the LAP 7312 square box (3 DH). Connections are made in accessible junction boxes, never buried in the wall: a 10 × 10 cm flush junction box (7 DH) indoors, and an 8 × 8 cm waterproof box (9 DH) for damp areas or outdoors. See our guide to electrical boxes: junction, flush-mounting and waterproof.

Points to check with your electrician

• Separate circuits for large appliances (water heater, air conditioners, oven, hob).
• Residual current protection and a verified earth connection.
• Enough sockets per room to avoid chains of power strips.
• Power supplies planned where cameras, intercom, gate or outdoor lighting will go.

4. Plumbing, water heaters and air conditioning

Choose the water heater before running the pipes

The location and type of water heater affect the water network and sometimes the electrics. An electric water heater such as the Thermor 50 L (1,300 DH) needs a dedicated circuit; a gas water heater such as the StarLux automatic 6 L (from 799 DH) must be installed by a professional in a ventilated room, with a compliant flue for combustion gases. Never put a gas water heater in a closed bathroom. To compare: electric, gas or solar water heater.

Preparing air conditioning during the works

This is the most common mistake: installing the AC after painting, with trunking and a drain pipe running down the wall. During the “networks” phase, have a Solera ref. 178 air conditioner pre-installation box (50 DH) recessed behind each future indoor unit. It brings together the power supply, the refrigerant line passage and the condensate drain: once the split unit is fitted, everything is hidden. You can even choose the unit later. Carrier air conditioners (wall-mounted, cassette, ducted) are available on quote; our guide to BTU capacity and types of air conditioners helps you size each room.

5. Coverings, tiling and finishes

Once the networks are in and the walls filled, it is time for coverings. The result depends as much on the tools as on the tiler:

• Straight lines: the TOTAL 30 m self-levelling line laser (1,250 DH) projects one horizontal and four vertical lines.
• Clean cuts: the TOTAL 1400 W tile and marble cutter (619 DH) cuts up to 34 mm deep.
• Even joints: 2 mm or 3 mm tile spacers (20 DH), removed before grouting.
• Protected edges: Migo, King or Norili trim profiles (25 DH) hide the tile edge on corners and wall-tile ends.
• Drilling and fixing: the TOTAL TRHLI2201 cordless rotary hammer (1,334 DH, battery and charger not included) drills up to 22 mm in concrete.

For the laying method, read tiling: tools, spacers and trims, and to equip your toolbox, essential tools for home and building site. Finishes (paint, sockets, light fittings) come last, once the dust has settled.

6. Security and smart home

A renovation is the best time to secure your home, because cables can still be run:

• Change the lock at the end of the works: many people had keys during the project. A smart lock such as the X5 Pro Wi-Fi (1,690 DH) opens by fingerprint, code, RFID card, backup key or the Tuya app. Compare models in our smart lock buying guide and our smart locks collection.
• Plan cameras and alarm: conduits and power supplies to the positions of cameras, intercom and recorder (see video surveillance and alarms).
• Think “connected”: good Wi-Fi in every room and space for smart switches and modules. Our article smart home: where to start covers the first steps.

7. Budget, quotes and professionals

• Ask for several detailed quotes, item by item, specifying whether materials are included or not.
• Compare like for like: number of sockets, brand of consumer unit, type of tiles, timescales.
• Keep a margin for the unexpected: in renovation, surprises are often found behind the walls.
• Pay in stages, according to actual progress, and keep written records of agreements.
• Check with your municipality if the work affects the structure, the façade or shared parts of the building.
• Electricity and gas: qualified professionals only. A mistake can cause fire, electrocution or poisoning.

Buying the materials yourself (enclosure, boxes, trims, water heater) often gives you better control over quality and budget: just check the references with your tradesperson before ordering.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I start when renovating a house?

With the assessment and plan, then demolition and the hidden networks (electrics, plumbing, AC pre-installation). Coverings and painting come next, equipment last.

Do I need to rewire an old apartment completely?

Not always, but an old installation without residual current protection or earth must be checked by a qualified electrician. Using the renovation to upgrade the consumer unit and circuits costs far less than opening the walls again later.

Can I prepare for air conditioning without buying the unit straight away?

Yes. A pre-installation box recessed during the works prepares the power supply, the refrigerant lines and the condensate drain. The unit can be installed later.

Do you deliver everywhere in Morocco?

Yes, Brico MIM delivers to every city in Morocco, with cash on delivery.