So you’ve decided to make some changes to your home aesthetic. Congratulations! Making a home renovation plan can be very exciting, especially when you have a vision of what your final presentation will be. I have helped several clients update their spaces, and it’s always a welcome change for their families and lifestyles once everything is complete. There is a catch to home renovation, though: the often challenging process before the final reveal. Many homeowners don’t think about that aspect. Before all the work begins on your home, here are some tips you may want to consider to thrive and survive during your renovation.
Deadline and Dollar Delusions
Stop. Before anyone knocks a hole in anything or starts cutting, stop and think. Did you thoroughly consider how much time your home renovation would take? Have you combed through EVERY financial step of the process? You did? Good. Throw all of that away.
Now, start over, double your deadlines and budget, and make those your reality. It’s the best way to sincerely prepare for everything your reno will entail. Trust me: it’s always better to over-prepare and over-consider with time and money. Why? Simply put, anything can (and usually will) happen during the work—and not in a good way. You may find structural issues. Products get delivered late. Wrong materials get sent. While it is great to assume all will go perfectly, you should prepare for them not to.
This is a consideration I make for my clients, but many designers don’t. It’s always good to expect things to take longer and cost more. If you begin with that in mind, you ultimately prepare yourself mentally and emotionally and avoid unnecessary stress. Even when I double the time it may take for some projects, the work goes beyond those expectations. It’s a part of the process, especially in a post-COVID world.
Dust–Lots of Dust!
Now that your home renovation is underway, let’s talk about dust. There will be LOTS of it! The amount of dust construction and renovations make gets highly underestimated, in my opinion. Prepare for it to be all over—even in places you least expect!
Simply put, dust travels. Neither rooms, walls nor floors can contain it. Know this: the moment you cut into drywall or almost any material for that matter, it will appear and exist everywhere. EVERY. WHERE. For example, let’s say you’re having work done with countertops on the first floor of your home. I promise you will see dust in your third-floor bedroom on the other side of the house. It’s inevitable. Living in your home during a home renovation means you should make arrangements to cover most everything. Even with that, you might be doing a deep-dust clean when it’s all said and done. It’s part of the process, but I can promise that it’s totally worth it in the end.
Water Woes
A helpful tip that may be a little controversial when it comes to your home renovation concerns your bathrooms. I highly recommend NOT taking them all down at the same time. Some might disagree with me about that because it is much more expensive to renovate bathrooms individually. I understand that. But if you’re going to be in the home while work is being done, you WILL need at least one working bathroom! To some, it just makes sense for a contractor to work on all toilets, sinks, and water-related fixtures simultaneously. More work occurring at the same time could potentially accelerate the process. However, lack of access to running water will always be a problem if you’re going to live in the space while the home renovation is going on. If financing separate work on bathrooms is a problem, you may want to highly consider my next home renovation tip!
DON’T Survive Your Home Renovation
Have you considered maybe NOT living through your home renovation? In other words, have you contemplated staying elsewhere while the work in your home is being done? This is not an option many renovation rookies tend to think about, but they should, in my opinion. Renovations entail SO much that makes your home uninhabitable, if only with respect to normal, everyday operations. If you can afford to stay away while your home is being worked on, I highly recommend doing so. Or, if you have a relative or family friend willing to host you for the duration of the home renovation, it will make life so much easier. The amount of time and energy you will save is priceless. When you have to get up for work every day and your coffee machine is next to your bathroom sink because the kitchen tile is late coming in, or something fun like that, you will thank yourself. Your peace, comfort and sanity deserve to be taken into account. Don’t be afraid to prioritize those things while you give your home a facelift. Simply put, if you can be completely out of the way during your home renovation, do it.
Home renovations are exciting, but they can also be uncomfortable. Use these tips for a less frustrating remodel while your new masterpiece is being created. If you’d like further help with ideas for your home makeover, or specific tips to help during the process, let’s talk! I’d love to help you get more beauty with less stress!
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