If a home remodel is on your horizon, you're probably filled with excitement. Everyone loves a new residential design, but in order to get there, you have to get through the demolition first. Some home renovations can take up to a few weeks or months to complete depending on how intense they are, and in rooms like the kitchen or bathroom, this timeline may not seem feasible.
However, with a little planning and proactiveness on your end, you'll find that living at home during a remodel is easier than you think. All that's required is mental fortitude and these expert tips from some of our favorite contractors. We spoke to three experts about the best ways to prepare for your project for an enjoyable experience.
Order Your Fixtures Ahead Of Time
Every remodel will face unexpected problems that can delay the project's completion. One solution all three experts voiced for preventing delays as much as possible is being proactive with ordering your parts. "Make sure you're prepared for the project by having all your parts selected and ordered prior to the start of your project," Diblieux says. "Either having a lead time as to when they'll arrive or already having them on site makes a world of difference."
If you're remodeling a kitchen or bathroom and are looking at upgrading your vanity, hardware, cabinets, and countertops, having the fixtures selected ahead of time is going to save you a few headaches during the demolition phase. That way, you're not left with a mess in your home or with everyday rooms out of use for longer than they need to be.
Think Ahead For Meals
The biggest inconvenience in home remodels is extensive downtime in the kitchen. Other than the bathroom, the kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house. It's the heartbeat of every home, but sadly, you can expect those comforting home-cooked meals to be non-existent during a renovation. But, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy any home-cooked meals. You can still cook at home with a kitchen remodel going on, you will just need to tweak a few things.
DiBlieux recommends creating a makeshift kitchen in another room. "Have a coffee maker, electric griddle, and a plastic table to set up elsewhere in the home. You also will need to relocate your fridge with the help of an extension cord."
Of course, there's always the obvious option to eat out, but if you have a grill out back, Canter says a kitchen remodel is the perfect time to fire it up. "Cooking is going to get funky in a kitchen remodel. Plan out meals for grilling out, date nights, or family nights, or invite yourself over to a friend's house for dinner."
Canter also recommends investing in a stash of paper plates, cups, and silverware for the time being until your kitchen is somewhat back to normal.
Expect Your Normal Routine To Vanish For The Time Being
The final product of a brand-new remodel is always exciting and worth every second, but getting to the finish line is very challenging. Before starting a remodel, it's important to understand that your daily routine will not go back to normal until the project is over. This can be more frustrating for households with families, but preparing for this interruption beforehand will help you stay sane in the process.
"When it comes to renovations, it's not just about planning the remodel; it’s also planning social schedules as well," Canter says. "It doesn’t matter if everything is going 100% right, you still have people that are showing up to your house daily. A lot of the time the inconveniences are not that the project is going bad, it’s the thrash to the everyday life of living in a construction zone."
Keep The Air As Clean As Possible
During the demo phase, you can expect there to be a lot of dust in the air coming from sanding and other work. To keep those dust particles from traveling into your ductwork and coming back out into the air, Smith says there are preventative steps you can take. "If you’re working in a bedroom with a return duct, tape it off—though it's not ideal for permanent use—when demo is happening or sheetrock is being sanded, anything that creates a lot of dust should be blocked off." Although your contractor will take their own preventative steps to keep the rest of your home dust-free, this step can be a big help for keeping your air clean.
Remove Furniture And Valuables
This might seem like a no-brainer, but one important aspect of living at home during a remodel DiBlieux and Smith stressed is protecting your valuables. Smith says the best thing to do is remove large pieces of furniture out of the construction room or you can wrap them in protective wrapping to keep them free from dust and paint.
Most of the time, contractors will put up a temporary zipper wall that goes all the way up the ceiling from the floor. This will keep the dust from escaping the room, but for added protection, Smith says his crew always puts down protective flooring, which comes in handy if you already have brand-new floors. For carpet, they'll lay down a plastic roll-out covering, or rosin paper for hardwood floors.
Choose A Trustworthy Contractor
Living at home during a remodel is not for the week. Projects take a while to complete, there's a lot of racket, and dust plus power tools are going to be everywhere. One way to reduce the stress is by choosing a trustworthy contractor from the start. "Check the licensure board in your state for an active license and read reviews online," says DiBlieux. "Going to job sites and observing current or finished projects is also a great idea."
No matter what kind of renovation you're undergoing, it's important to work with a contractor you feel comfortable communicating with. "When I leave a job site, we're friends now," DiBlieux jokes.
