Pros
1. Get to Know Your Contractor
Staying home during a renovation means that you are able to keep a close eye on everything that goes on in your home. In this time you’ll be able to get to know your contractor and their team very well, and build up an important relationship of respect and trust. Trusting your contractor is a key component to a successful remodel. This is someone who you are allowing into your life, and your home, for an extended period of time, building a relationship with this team is important to keep the process running smoothly and tension free. Staying home is also a great thing if there are any problems that arise! You’ll be able to deal with these issues quickly and efficiently in person, rather than playing a game of phone tag with your contracting office.
2. Save Money
Living in during a renovation will definitely save you some major money since you won’t be paying for a hotel. Depending on the type of renovation you are doing you may still be able to cook at home, allowing you to save even more money rather than eating take out! Renovations can definitely get costly, so if budget is a concern for you, staying home may be a good option to save some money. It’s definitely possible to stay home during a renovation, though it is likely your routine will have to change for the time being until the remodel is complete.
3. It’s a Great Way to Know the In’s-And-Out’s of the Whole Process
This may be our favorite reason to stay home during a remodel. If you’re constantly around the renovation, and involved in the process it’s a perfect way to really understand what exactly is going on. You’ll get to know the construction schedule completely, such as when things have been delivered, when install is, when your water will be cut off, etc. During this time, you will be able to ask your contractor questions directly and get some useful info in person. You can even pick up a few handy tips during the process! By being right in the middle of the action, you’ll be able to see all of the hard work that is going into your beautiful new space. Though it may get rough staying in for the duration of your remodel, it can definitely make you appreciate the final product even more!
Cons
1. Noisy and Messy
It is an unfortunate fact of life that when you renovate, things get messy. Dust, noise, and mess abounds during the time it takes for your renovation to be completed. If you’re planning on staying home during your renovation it is important to think about the impact that these factors can have. Fewer mornings to sleep in, possible dust where dust shouldn’t be, etc.
2. Limited Access
This is probably the main disadvantage of staying home during a renovation. During your renovation, no matter what space you’re remodeling, there will be reduced access to certain parts of you home. Before you commit to hunkering down and waiting out the remodel at home, think about if you can live without access to your full kitchen or bathroom. Do you have somewhere you can go, like a neighbor’s house or the gym to shower? Will you be able to live with a mini fridge, takeout, and a microwave for a few months? These are important questions to ask yourself before you make a decision whether to stay or to leave during your remodel.Renovations not only disrupt schedules, but everyday living comfort can as well. Staying home during a renovation may impact the amount of comfort you feel in your home during every day events, like making coffee, brushing your teeth, even just relaxing after work, and if you believe that this could get stressful or compromise your health, then other options may be a better suited for you!
3. Prolong time of renovation
If you do decide to stay home during renovations you can run the risk of prolonging your overall remodel time. Depending on the scale of your remodel sometimes giving your contractor unimpeded access to your home can actually make things go faster because they don’t have to think about working around not only the buildings schedule, but yours as well! Generally if you’re doing a kitchen or bathroom remodel individually this shouldn’t be a huge issue, but if you’re doing more extensive renovations, working around you may be difficult and extend the renovation time to longer than you had originally intended. Though we do not require our clients to leave their homes during renovations, some contractors do. Before you start the process be sure you ask your contractor what their policy is for clients staying in their apartments during remodeling!
Tips for staying home:
Protect your items
We are always extremely careful here at Klein to take the proper measures to ensure that your possessions are well protected and taken care of during your renovation. However if you stay home during your renovation there are always extra steps you can take to ensure you valuables are taken care of. Heavy plastic coverings are a great way to keep items clean during renovations if you can’t remove the piece from your apartment. Another great way to keep things tidy is to create a clean zone; an area in your home well away from the renovation that you can keep fragile items, and things you want to keep as clean as possible. Keep this area blocked off from the renovation by keeping the door closed as much as possible and blocking the bottom of the door with a towel or plastic. Another way to keep dust where it’s supposed to be is to ask your contractor to be sure that vents are covered so that dust doesn’t travel into other rooms of the house!
Have a backup plan
Even if you decide to stay at home, you may realize sometime in the middle of it that you can’t handle being around the construction anymore. We suggest always having a backup plan ready to go. Whether it be a hotel, a friend or family’s home, or another apartment to rent, having somewhere lined up to escape to is always a good idea. This tip is particularly important if you have small children, pets, or an elderly person living with you. Not only can construction be extra stressful for these individuals, but if there are any harmful materials that can be transferred through the air such as asbestos, lead, or even mold, these specific individuals in your life are more susceptible to these airborne pathogens than healthy adults!
Know your construction schedule
Getting to know what the timeline for your project is one of the best tips we can give people whether they are staying home or moving out during a remodel. This will help you make sure that everything is staying on track with your renovation, and what to expect at certain phases. Knowing your construction schedule will also help you create a more specific with a day to day schedule as well, and this in particular will help you maintain your privacy during your remodel! Some questions to ask yourself to help get a handle on your remodel schedule are: When do I need to be up and out so my contractor can start work? When is demolition happening? Does my building only allow work during certain times of the day? How long will my water be shut off? The Klein team are experts at making sure that not only your renovation runs on schedule, but that you are informed every step of the way.
Some projects will require you to move out more than others
Certain projects will be easier to live through than others. If you’re getting your floors refinished, or your roof redone you will more than likely have to leave you home. Similarly, if you are looking to remodel your whole apartment, you will definitely need to consider leaving. Major remodels generally involve shutting of one or more major systems of you home, such as heat, gas, water, or electricity. However, if you are renovating a kitchen, bathroom, living room, or combination of two you could very well choose to live in during your renovation! We have had many clients who have stayed in their homes while we renovate their kitchen or bathroom. If you’re planning on renovating your kitchen, consider moving the microwave out of the kitchen so you can use it during the duration of your remodel, this way you won’t have to eat out every night and it’s a great way to quickly reheat leftovers for when you do! In the event of a bathroom renovation make sure you take all essential toiletries with you before the renovation begins. Make plans to shower at the gym or at a friendly neighbors for the time being!
Keep an air purifier and humidifier handy
Air purifiers are a great way to keep the air clean in your apartment during a renovation. Consider placing one in every bedroom and one in a common area. Though not as powerful as an industrial grade air scrubber, air purifiers are easier to get a hold of and cheaper! They are also good to have on hand even after the renovation. Air purifiers help remove allergens, pet odor, and other pollutants from your home. Humidifiers are another great item to have on hand during a home renovation and beyond, these devices can help to dampen the air to prevent the spread of dust particles! They help bring moisture to the air which can not only help your skin and hair stay hydrated, but have also been shown to help reduce asthma symptoms!
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to staying home or moving out during a renovation, it is all about what will make you comfortable. For some people staying home is the most comfortable thing, being able to keep an eye on the renovation and disrupt their routine as little as possible. But for others, staying at a hotel gives them peace of mind away from the hectic construction. The most important thing to consider is what will make the process easiest for you and your family.
If you are renovating a home with young children, check out our blog “5 Renovation Tips for Busy Moms”, or if you have any questions about your own renovation, get in touch with us to talk to a design expert today!
