Planning for a home renovation is an exciting yet potentially stressful adventure. Exciting because your home will get a new look; stressful because there are many moving parts involved with a renovation. There are many factors to consider: are you going to stay at home during the renovation? What about the kids and your pets? Will you need an expert’s help or not?
The renovation itself may be a busy time, but as long as you’re prepared, you’ll be fine. You can choose to work with contractors who’ve completed their CSCS green card courses online or first figure out how the renovation will start in the first place. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a plan.
Even before your contractor signals that it’s time to pack up, you need a plan. You have at least two to three days to completely pack up your space before the renovation begins. The last thing you want is to cram the move while dealing with the renovation.
So make renovation less stressful by considering the following factors.
Decide If You’re Going to Stay in the Home During the Renovation
Renovations are loud, dusty and inconvenient. You may want to stay with family or some friends if you’re planning a major renovation. If this isn’t an option, you can also rent an Airbnb or an apartment or stay at a hotel. Wherever you stay, think of the renovation as a perfect excuse to enjoy a short vacation.
On the other hand, if you’re going to stay in your home during the renovation, decide which rooms you’ll stay in. If you have a larger family, work on a bathroom schedule to avoid lines or fighting. Condensing your home to a room or two during the renovation can be stressful so make sure to keep your space clean so you can reduce your stress levels.
Where Will You Prepare and Eat Your Food?
In most home renovation projects, the kitchen is part of the remodeling agenda. This means you have to decide where you’ll cook your food. Do you have a space in your garage, bedroom or loft? Will you be using the same room to sleep in? No matter where you want to prepare your meals, you must set up a temporary kitchen.
But what if you can’t prepare your food and eat in the same place? If you are planning to cook in a garage or in the loft area, can you eat your food there, too? Or is it possible to set up a small table in your backyard? It’s important to answer all of these questions to avoid making last-minute decisions.
Also, plan your meals during the renovation. If you’re remodeling the kitchen, you won’t have pans or pots or even a dishwasher! Instead of worrying about what to cook for the day, prepare your meal plan.
Prepare Your Adjacent Rooms for Remodel
Prevent heartbreak and disaster by removing items from your walls. During the renovation, your contractor will use tools that will cause the walls to vibrate. Also, expect a lot of foot traffic in your hallways from the project managers, inspectors and installers. This is why it’s important to remove all décor attached to the walls and any tripping hazards on the floor.
Renovation can get dusty, too. To avoid getting dust on your belongings and upholstery, box your belongings and apply labels. If you can’t box up an item, wrap them with a thin plastic wrap. If you’re not a big fan of investing in plastic wrap, you can also drape old sheets over your furniture.
Have a Back-Up Plan For Your Kids and Pets
Both kids and animals are curious by nature so you’ll have to restrict them from the renovation zone. If you have a young child who naps during the afternoon, the renovation may pose a problem. Make alternative plans if your child needs a place to sleep or if you have a lot of kids you can’t supervise.
Also, restrict your pets from entering work zones. They easily frighten by loud noises, too. So, if your pet gets upset easily, find care for them outside of your home.
Get Ready
Your home remodeling project won’t be a walk in the park. It will be dusty, loud and filled with concerns. You’ll experience an interruption of your privacy, too. On some days, you’ll want to drink a glass of wine and put your feet up.
All of these are normal, so don’t beat yourself up when something goes wrong. Instead, keep a positive attitude, work with your contractor and remember that the remodeling process is temporary!
