Many homeowners find home renovations to be extremely stressful. Of course, there are ways to help make it go smoothly, but it will take some time and planning to make happen. Sometimes, homeowners will opt to live outside of their homes during the renovation process.
While you may be tempted to just leave your home the way it is, it is important to do some prep work first to clean up your home. Not straightening up your home can lead to the contractors not being able to complete the work in your home. In fact, some remodeling companies and contractors have clauses in their contracts that state that they will not be able to complete the home renovations if prep instructions are not followed.
Okay, so what do you do now? Prepping for your home renovation project should be done leading up to the project. You want to avoid waiting until the last minute, as this will only cause you much more stress. Let’s take a look at how you can best prep your home.
Understand Your Renovation Project
Doing some quick research will help you understand the entire scope of your project and what will be involved in it. Knowing this information will allow you to complete step two a lot better. Once you have a good idea of what goes into the project, you can set expectations.
Determine What You Will Do
Home remodeling projects can be quite a pain. Your house will soon become a construction zone filled with dust, noise, and a large inconvenience. Sometimes, staying with a friend or family member is a good choice, especially if you are going to have a very large project done. If you do not have a friend or family member to stay with, you may want to stay at an extended-stay hotel until the renovation is complete.
You will need to determine if you want to leave the home or remain living in it during the project. If you do plan to remain in place, it is important to determine what areas of the home you can live in during this time. The areas that are under construction will not be available to be in, so you will need to avoid them. Therefore, if your bathroom will be remodeled and you only have one bathroom in the home, it is recommended that you have an alternative place to stay.
Moving all of your things and living in just one or two rooms throughout the project can be stressful in itself, but it is doable. Proper planning can assist you in making it all work out.
Prepare Your Rooms
Nothing is worse than finding that a favorite or prized possession of yours was broken or lost during your home renovation. During the renovation, there will be many people in and out of your home along with different tools, vibrations, and other things going on. This means that it is possible for your décor to get knocked over or bumped into.
It is important that you remove all important and treasured décor and items from the rooms that will be involved in the remodel including the adjacent rooms. For example, if your kitchen is being remodeled, you should remove items from the living room and dining room, if they are adjacent to the kitchen space.
Remodeling your home can be very dusty, so you want to make sure to cover up any furniture that must be left behind in the rooms. This will help prevent them from becoming dirty or stained from any dirt that is present in the dust.
Sometimes, homeowners will rent large storage containers to keep their belongings safe during this time. If you are unable to rent a storage container, you can rent a storage unit.
Consider Your Pets and Family
Your animals and family will be important to consider during your remodel as well. They are curious and will likely find their way over to the construction zone to check out what is going on. The problem with this is that there are chemicals and tools that can cause injury.
If you have an infant at home, you want to keep this in mind as the work during the day will likely be an interruption to nap time. It may be best for you to make alternative plans in this instance.
Keeping your pets and children away from the renovation project may prove to be very difficult, so it is important that you think about this and then make arrangements as necessary. For example, if you want to remain in the home during the project, consider a babysitter or family member who can watch your child. You can also board your pet during this time, should you need to.
Take Inventory of Your Stuff
Your belongings are important to you and if you need to prepare adjacent rooms and utilize storage or if you plan to leave your items where they are, you want to make sure you take inventory of your things. This is a good idea for insurance purposes as the insurance company will want to know what was damaged and its value. You should make a physical inventory list and also take pictures.
Consider an Extra Layer of Security
It is unlikely that you can take enough time off work to be home all day when the contractors are in your home. If you plan to stay outside of your home while it is being renovated, you likely will not be able to travel home each day to check on things either.
Because of this, homeowners should consider additional security measures to protect their homes and belongings. While you should feel comfortable with your contractor, you just never know what could happen. If someone forgets to lock the door, this leaves your home exposed.
Relying on someone else to lock up and protect your belongings is never a good idea, so you will want to take steps to give yourself the peace of mind you deserve.
Here are some steps you can take:
- Use a video doorbell monitoring system
- Use an in-home safe to protect your important documents
- Install smart locks so that you can secure your home even if you are away
- Video monitoring systems
Get Ready and Prepare yourself for the Big Day
Your home renovation project is going to be loud and there will be people coming in and out of your home all day. Your home will have dust, lots of it, and maybe even a chemical smell. You will also find that you may not be able to use your plumbing or electricity for segments of the day as work is performed.
It is important to take time to prepare yourself for what will happen as it can be quite inconvenient and stressful. Knowing exactly what to expect can help you be mentally ready for what is to come.
Many homeowners choose to live outside of the home during this time, but if you do choose to remain living in your home, know that construction is not always fun but you can find ways to make it more bearable.