Finally getting the kitchen or master bathroom of your dreams is exciting. Living through a home renovation is a little bit tougher. While some people may have the luxury of exiting their home and living elsewhere while renovations are being done, most have to stay put and be around for the whole project. If you fall into the latter category, we’ve pulled together a few tips for living through a home renovation.
Get organized early
Chances are, you’re working with a renovation professional that is overseeing the whole project, especially if you have more than one portion of your house being renovated, or your remodeling is more involved to include plumbing, electrical and more. It’s a good idea to create a calendar so all the moving parts are well organized, and everyone knows what is going to happen when. While it’s not always possible to nail down an exact schedule, it’s good to know when the more intrusive work is being done, like getting that old tile jack-hammered out, so you’re not living with the noise while trying to work from home.
Consider what will be important to access during renovation
Depending on what’s getting done, you may want access to your refrigerator or washer and dryer during a renovation. If that’s possible, communicate that to your contractor early so they can work with you to accommodate that request.
Pack up the room(s) being impacted as much as possible
Workers will do their best to tape off and tarp as much as possible when renovating a room, but it’ll make your life a lot easier if you’re able to pack up and empty out any rooms being renovated as much as possible. Dust debris from a major renovation goes everywhere, and even with the most diligent workers, you’ll find dust that will need to be cleaned. Best to empty out the impacted rooms to keep that issue to a minimum.
Keep a section of your home as a sanctuary
Some homeowners want to get all renovations done at once: we applaud your enthusiasm! However, it’s a good idea during a major renovation to keep a small slice of your home completely untouched so you have a place to retreat to during the time workers are in your home. Noise, dust, and people are all a part of renovating a home. Keeping a small slice of clean and quiet will go a long way in making the process as enjoyable as possible while still being able to keep an eye on progress if you must be present during renovations.
Take pictures of the progress
It’s a good idea to take before, during, and after pictures. First, it’s exciting to see the progress! Second, if there are any issues, questions, or concerns as work is being done, keeping an eye on things with an occasional picture will help keep everyone on the same page and goes a long way in keeping communication on track.
Protect your home
Experienced home renovations specialists know what it takes to keep a home protected as possible during renovations, but it’s a good idea to do your part to help ensure your home stays protected, including covering or padding handrails and corners to protect against errant tools, covering your blinds, shutters and window treatments to keep dust to a minimum (remember, dust goes everywhere!), covering any furniture or countertops with plastic, covering your A/C vents to keep the spread of dust to a minimum, and covering high traffic areas with drop cloths or a paper or plastic cover to protect against any damage while workers go back and forth.
These are just a few tips on how to live through a home renovation to make sure your experience during the project is a good one!
