You recently had a great idea; you were going to renovate your home! What you didn’t consider was how long the renovation would take. You also did realize what it would be like living in the house during all of it. Now your mid renovation and there is dust everywhere. You have tools and plastic sheets everywhere you turn. Your life feels disjointed and chaotic. Although it may not be fun now the end results of a beautiful home will be worth all the trouble.
Maybe you thought about staying at a hotel, Airbnb or a family members house during all the renovations. Staying at these places also come with their own challenges. The best thing to do is plan ahead and enjoy the process of renovating your home.
To help prepare you for your home renovation I will share my 5 tips on surviving and thriving at home during a renovation. The key is to prepare so you can stay sane and happy when the house is in disarray.
1. Set Serious Expectations
First off when you start a renovation project set realistic expectations with your designer and contractors. When you make a plan, you can get a timeline for how long things will take. It is important to understand what rooms will be disrupted. You will want to know if you will be able to access different rooms in the house. When you know there will be limitations and disruptions you can plan accordingly during these periods of time.
When doing home renovations, you always have to keep in mind that timelines may change. Unexpected delays or issues are just the reality of it all. It’s important to have clear communication throughout the process to help navigate through setbacks. During each step of the renovation set expectations so everyone is on the page. This will be helpful for you as the homeowner living through it all.
2. Designate a Dust-Free Zone
Dust takes over a home during a renovation which can be frustrating. Homeowners should designate a space in their home that remains neat, clean and organized as a sanctuary from the dust and noise of the project. This location will help maintain sanity throughout the renovation process.
There will be days where you feel like you made the wrong decision to renovate your home while you lived there because of all the chaos. When you have a dedicated space that can provide you with some sense of normalcy it will help. This space will give you the ability to escape when you feel overwhelmed by the project. It will also help you maintain your sanity and take a deep breath.
3. Take Time to Pack
Like I said the whole house is going to be covered in dust during the renovation. So you will need to protect your possessions. Everything in and near the rooms that are being renovated need to be packed away or covered carefully with drop-cloths. Dust can find its way into anything! So don’t be lazy and make sure everything is properly protected.
If you decide to primarily use drop-clothes to protect your belongings you may need to bring in professional cleaning when the renovation is over. Drop cloths are nice but they unfortunately do not keep all the dust out. We suggest packing up and moving as much as you can temporarily. This will limit the amount of dust left on your things.
4. Don't Stray from Daily Routines
Although your life might seem like it’s been turned upside-down during a home renovation it is still important to maintain your normal daily routines. When living in a construction zone its more important than ever to keep your life on track. When you keep your daily routines, your life will feel slightly less disruptive. And it will help you navigate the stress of the whole process.
To keep these daily routines, you might have to get creative. Continue to wake up at the same time. If you make a cup of coffee every morning but your kitchen is off limits brew it in the bathroom. Just try to keep some type of normalcy. If making family dinner is your thing create a makeshift kitchen. Use a hot plate and microwave in the basement, whatever you have to do.
5. Document the Disruption
It’s not always fun living through the renovation but try and make the process fun and exciting. As homeowners, take pictures of the progress along the way. And ask your designer and contractors questions. Embrace the chaos as it will be short-lived and is all leading toward the end goal of a beautiful home.
When it is all said and done, if you have documentation of the process you will be able to look back. You’ll remember at all the crazy things you lived through. You will look back fondly at the time you had to share a bathroom with your kids. Or wash your dishes in the bathroom sink. All of it was worth it to create the beautiful home of your dreams.
Now that you know how to prepare to live through the chaos of a home renovation it’s time for you to start yours. Remember to be flexible and trusting of the process. Because you will survive, and it will be worth it in the end. If you need a little extra help, we would love to help you along this journey of renovating your home. We will make sure you survive and thrive through the whole thing!
If you’re ready to get started on that home renovation, we’ve got your back! Contact us and let’s get to know each other.
Xoxo, Jill