10 Tips for Living Through a Remodel
While good contractors genuinely work to keep your home clean, safe and comfortable during a remodel, you need to play an active role in the process. Talk with your contractor before work starts about things such as scheduling, dust control and communication preferences. By planning ahead, you can help minimize the disruption to your day-to-day family life. These ten tips should help.
- Make a calendar with your contractor. In addition to a start date and goal end date, a reputable contractor will provide a schedule of what will happen on a day to day basis. This not only sets expectations but also helps with planning what areas of the home will be accessible and when.
- Ask your contractor what protective products will be used. Re-sealable entrances and exits will help keep the dust contained in the work area. Drop cloths, tarps and construction paper help combat dust and protect floors. Covering pathways in and out of the home minimizes extra debris.
- Clean Up Standards. Be sure to speak with your contractor about their policies regarding cleanup. Your property, yard and home should be picked up of debris and dangerous materials daily. Make sure your contractor has a cleanup routine and commits to being responsible for the task.
- Make sure you have made all your selections before you start. Waiting on supplies to be delivered delays the renovation schedule and causes expensive setbacks.
- Pack like you’re moving. Your house should be clean before the remodel begins. Get rid of everything except the things you want to keep. Maybe it’s furniture, kitchen supplies or decor. Wrap and store belongings in boxes. They will feel like new again once the remodel is complete and they are unpacked.
- Set up a temporary kitchen. If doing a kitchen remodel, set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the home. Set up a table for a microwave, toaster oven, toaster, coffee maker and a small refrigerator. If you have a space with a sink for doing dishes, all the better.
- Have a section of your home that stays in order and clean. Remodels are messy and if you aren’t careful, they can spill into other areas of your home. By making an effort to keep the other rooms clean and tidy you will still able to enjoy our home even if the room over is in complete disarray.
- Keep up on your daily routines. Most contractors arrive and leave at the same time every day, so work that into your daily schedule. Sticking with as much of the “normal” as possible — making dinner, going to the gym, set bedtime — can alleviate a lot of the stress.
- Stay organized but forgiving. With all the parts of your bathroom in boxes, unnecessary items packed away, food and dishes in the garage and clothes on garment racks in your living room–it is natural to feel overwhelmed. That’s okay. Part of being forgiving of yourself is recognizing you’re in a stressful situation.
- Don’t be afraid to check on the progress. It’s your house, after all. If something doesn’t look right, ask questions or voice concerns.
As with any home improvement project, if you choose a contractor who knows what they are doing, they will do everything they can to make sure you are happy with your home before, during and after the job is complete.
Tags: living through a remodel