Home renovations are exciting but can disrupt daily life, making it hard to maintain normalcy. Navigating this period smoothly is crucial. Here are practical tips to live through home renovation to help homeowners stay comfortable and organized during renovations.
Create a Temporary Living Space
During a home renovation, establishing a functional temporary living space is crucial to maintain some semblance of normalcy. This area serves as a haven from the chaos of construction and helps homeowners navigate the challenges of living through a renovation.
Designate a renovation-free zone
To live comfortably through a home renovation, it’s essential to create a renovation-free zone. This area should be a gathering place for the family, offering a respite from the ongoing work. It’s advisable to set up this space with all necessary amenities, such as a kettle or microwave, to ensure one functional area for eating, relaxing, and unwinding at the end of the day.
This zone provides a sense of comfort and routine amidst the disruption caused by the renovation process.
Set up a makeshift kitchen
A makeshift kitchen is vital for maintaining daily routines during a renovation. Even with limited space, it’s possible to create a functional temporary kitchen that resembles a campsite setup. A folding table can serve as the heart of this space, holding essential appliances and providing some prep area.
Storage solutions like drawer units or rolling carts can keep kitchen essentials organized and easily accessible. Key appliances to consider include a multi-functioning toaster oven, a single burner, a slow cooker, and a coffee maker. These items allow for basic meal preparation, helping to maintain a sense of normalcy during the renovation process.
Establish a temporary bedroom if needed
If the renovation affects sleeping areas, setting up a temporary bedroom becomes necessary. This might involve converting a spare room or creating a sleeping area in a living space. The goal is to have a comfortable place to rest and recharge during the renovation period.
Ensuring this space is separate from the construction zone helps maintain a sense of privacy and normalcy, which is crucial for living through a home renovation.
Protect Your Belongings
During a home renovation, safeguarding possessions is crucial to live through the process smoothly. Homeowners should take steps to shield their belongings from dust, debris, and potential damage. This section offers practical tips to protect items during the renovation.
Cover or remove furniture
To protect furniture during renovation, homeowners have several options. Plastic furniture covers are highly effective and come in various sizes to fit chairs, love seats, and sofas. These covers slip on and off easily, providing reliable protection against moisture, dirt, paint, and dust. For smaller projects, covering furniture and leaving it in place might suffice.
However, in most cases, it’s more practical to move items out of the way entirely. Using a spare bedroom, garage, or storage shed for temporary storage is advisable. Even when moving furniture, using protective covers is still recommended to ensure maximum protection.
Seal off non-renovation areas
To live through a home renovation comfortably, it’s essential to seal off non-renovation areas. This prevents dust and debris from spreading throughout the house. One effective method is to close the door of the renovation area and tape a plastic sheet on the outside, sealing the room with blue painter’s tape.
If there’s no door, sealing the doorway with a plastic sheet works well. For doorless areas, products like Fastcap’s The 3rd Hand can help build a dust wall. Adding a fan to the window of the renovation area can also help control dust by creating negative air pressure.
Store valuables safely
To protect valuable or fragile items during renovation, consider renting a climate-controlled storage unit. This provides a secure environment for furniture, electronics, and sentimental items that could be affected by dust, debris, or accidental damage. For items that must remain in the home, use a spare room as far from the renovation area as possible.
Choose a room that can be locked for added security. Remember, homes undergoing renovations can become targets for theft due to increased foot traffic and exposure. By taking these precautions, homeowners can better protect their belongings and live through the renovation process with peace of mind.
Maintain Essential Routines
Living through a home renovation requires maintaining essential routines to minimize disruption and stress. By planning ahead and making necessary adjustments, homeowners can navigate the challenges of renovation while keeping their daily lives on track.
Plan meals and cooking alternatives
To live through a home renovation, it’s crucial to have a strategy for meal preparation. Setting up a temporary kitchen with essential appliances like a microwave, hot plate, and mini-fridge can help maintain some normalcy. Utilizing outdoor grilling during warmer months is another great alternative.
Stocking up on easy-to-prepare foods, such as pre-chopped vegetables and fruits, canned goods, and snacks, can simplify meal planning. It’s also wise to prepare and freeze meals in advance, which can be easily reheated during the renovation process.
Establish a bathroom schedule
When renovating a bathroom, creating a schedule is essential to ensure everyone has access to facilities when needed. This might involve setting alarms earlier to allow family members to use the bathroom in shifts.
If possible, arranging alternative bathing solutions or using a neighbor’s or friend’s bathroom on a rotating basis can help minimize inconvenience. Maintaining regular sleep and meal schedules despite the renovation can provide a sense of stability amidst the chaos.
Create a work/study area if needed
To live through a home renovation comfortably, it’s important to designate a quiet space for work or study. This area should be as far from the construction zone as possible to minimize noise and dust exposure.
Setting up this space with necessary equipment and ensuring good lighting can help maintain productivity during the renovation process. Using a white noise machine or noise-canceling headphones can further reduce distractions and create a more conducive environment for concentration.
Communicate Effectively with Your Contractor
Effective communication with contractors is crucial for living through a home renovation smoothly. Clear and consistent communication helps avoid misunderstandings, delays, and unnecessary costs. To navigate the renovation process successfully, homeowners should focus on establishing strong communication practices from the start.
Establish clear expectations
Setting clear expectations is key to a successful renovation. Homeowners should discuss the scope, timelines, budget, and desired outcomes with their team. Agree on how and when updates will be communicated to ensure everyone is aligned on project goals.
Set up regular check-ins
Scheduling regular meetings with the contractor is vital for staying informed about the renovation’s progress. These check-ins provide opportunities to ask questions, review progress, and discuss any potential roadblocks or changes in the plan. Weekly site visits or scheduled phone calls can help ensure the project stays on track and that any issues are addressed promptly.
Address issues promptly
When problems arise during a renovation, addressing them quickly is crucial. Homeowners should maintain open communication with their contractor, promptly discussing any concerns that may come up. This proactive approach helps prevent small issues from escalating into larger problems that could impact the project’s timeline or budget.
By fostering a transparent and collaborative atmosphere, homeowners can navigate the challenges of living through a home renovation more effectively.
The key to surviving a home renovation lies in careful planning, flexibility, and a positive attitude. By implementing these tips, homeowners can better manage the temporary inconveniences and look forward to enjoying their newly renovated space. Remember, the challenges of living through a renovation are temporary, but the benefits of a refreshed and improved home will be long-lasting.