Tips for Living in Your Home During a Renovation
Living in your home during a renovation may seem completely bonkers, but with the right mindset and planning, it can actually be an enjoyable experience with little disruption to your day-to-day life. So, to help you survive living through a home renovation, we have compiled our top 5 tips to help the process run as smoothly as possible.
Here are 5 tips to help you live in your home during a renovation:
Set clear expectations from the very start
Plan to renovate during the warmer months
Set up a designated living area
Protect your belongings
Communicate with your neighbours
1. Set Clear Expectations From the Very Start
Before any sort of renovation begins on your property, you want to set clear expectations with your chosen contractors about a number of things. Communicate openly about your living situation and establish expectations such as ideal timelines, noise levels which may disrupt neighbours, work times and other concerns you may have as a result of the work.
Another crucial set of expectations you must clearly communicate with your contractors is of course, your goals. Prior to meeting with a contractor, have a clear vision in your head of what you want to achieve with the home renovation, room by room. Establish your goals, priorities, and the specific changes you want to make to your home and communicate them as clearly as possible.
This is done best by writing down a detailed description of the work you want done, including specific material details, colour schemes, layouts and any other essential details you want to mention.
The more detailed you are, the easier it will be for the contractor to understand your expectations.
2. Plan To Renovate During the Warmer Months
There are a number of reasons why, if you can, you should plan to renovate your home during the warmer months. Firstly, summer days are longer and provide much more daylight for work to get done. In fact, we typically see around 18 hours of daylight in midsummer compared to only six and a half hours in midwinter - that’s a huge difference! If contractors have more daylight hours to complete tasks, this will typically result in quicker project completion. The brighter summer days also allows for better visibility, making it easier for contractors to work efficiently and ensure high-quality craftsmanship.
What’s more, when the weather is nice, you’re much more likely to spend time outside away from the construction site that is your home. You can even set up temporary outdoor kitchens or living spaces in your garden, which can make living in your home during a renovation much more enjoyable.
Summer is also a very popular time for going on holiday, which can be super beneficial during a home renovation as it allows contractors to work without interruptions and reduces the inconvenience of living in a construction zone.
3. Set up a Designated Construction-Free Living Area
Unless your whole home is being renovated at the same time, in which case it’s best you find a temporary place to live, designate specific parts of your home for living where you can complete your normal day-to-day routine and escape the chaos of the renovation. We recommend setting up a temporary kitchen, living room and bedroom (sleeping) area to maintain some form of normalcy. Here are some more tips on how to live without a kitchen during a renovation.
If you can, close off the areas that are being renovated with plastic sheeting or temporary walls to contain the dust and debris within those areas. This closing off will help keep the rest of your home clean and minimise the impact on your daily routine.
If you can set up exit and entry routes of labourers, this will also make your life a whole lot easier. For example, they might come in and out through the back door of your guest bedroom to cause as little disruption to your living arrangements as possible.
Giving workers their own entry and exit routes will also keep mess to a minimum, which is something you will appreciate more than you think.
4. Protect Your Belongings
It goes without saying that renovations can be messy, so it is highly recommended that you cover any furniture and other belongings with drop cloths or plastic sheets to protect them from paint splatters, dust and general damage during the renovation. Ensure the covers are properly secured to prevent them from slipping or dislodging.
Even better, if these items are light enough, move your belongings to a location away from the construction zone, to keep them out of harm's way, whether that be another room or an off-site storage facility.
It’s especially important to move and relocate any fragile or valuable items that are particularly susceptible to damage, rather than just throwing a drop cloth over it and hoping for the best.
5. Communicate With Your Neighbours
If the renovation project may cause noise or inconvenience to your neighbours, it's important to inform them prior to the work starting and ask for their understanding, especially if they have small children. This will give them time in advance to prepare and adjust their schedules if need be. Consider providing a written note or personally speaking with them to ensure the information is communicated clearly and any concerns are addressed straight away.
It’s respectful practice to discuss the expected construction hours with your neighbours and try to accommodate their schedules as much as possible. If there are any time restrictions imposed by your community or local regulations, you must adhere to them and inform your neighbours accordingly.
And there we have it! I hope this blog has given you a wider understanding of how to live in your home during a renovation.
Cwtch Haus dedicates time and attention to understanding our customers’ lifestyles and habits to create a space that is perfectly tailored to their needs. We work to ensure that your space is not only beautiful but practical for your everyday use.
Get in touch for your free consultation and design from one of our experts. For more advice, head to our blog page or get in contact about our renovation services.
Written by Kate Jones for Cwtch Haus.
