Tips for Living in Your Home During Renovations

When you plan for a significant renovation of your home, you’ll need to decide where to stay. Living in a house during renovations is certainly possible, but it requires some planning ahead. Many people try to stay home during renovations because finding other accommodation can be complicated, time consuming, and expensive.

Of course, staying at home is not always easier. You have to determine where you will live in the home and how to keep pets and children safe during construction. You’ll need to find time for breaks between the noise and dust, so you can stay positive throughout the process. In exchange, you get the benefit of being on-site to watch it progress, provider a greater understanding and ability to get updates. With these tips, you will know how to manage daily tasks while living in a home under renovation.

Managing Daily Life During Renovations

The best thing to do to keep your comfort and health is to follow your normal routines as much as possible. If you usually take the kids to school and then head off to work, try to adjust home activities to work with that. When you won’t have access to hot water in the morning, take a shower at night. Create comfortable spaces for each family member that offer comfort, familiar items, and privacy whenever possible.

If you need quiet time at home due to work or sleeping children, ask for the daily schedule and inquire about noise-producing activities. Create a haven in another part of the home to provide the quiet you need or consider heading to a friend or family member’s house for some peace and focus.

Keep meal preparation simple, especially during a kitchen reno. Buy foods that you can easily microwave and serve, like frozen chicken and vegetables or noodle bowls. Fill a drawer or cupboard with shelf-stable snacks, like protein bars, dried fruit, or nuts. Although you can easily get food delivery, relying on it for too many meals could cost you thousands.

Ensuring Child and Pet Safety

Children and pets pose some risks to the living arrangement under construction, so you’ll need to plan ahead. For very young children and pets, designate a room or two as a safe space where they can have freedom to move. Use gates or doors to keep them from getting into the rest of the house and provide additional supervision to make sure they can’t slip past. For older children and teens, you may not need to block them from approaching the areas under renovation, but you should emphasize the importance of not getting in the way or causing damage.

Children and pets rely on routines, which may be somewhat disrupted in a house renovation. During active construction or demolition, you may want to go to a park or a trusted friend’s house, so that the noise does not cause undue stress. These periods can also be the most risky, as there could be uneven floors, sharp edges, or dangerous debris.

Organizing Your Home During Renovations

Keeping the home functional and organized during renovations calls for some advance preparation. First, if at all possible, you should perform a deep decluttering of the home. For everything else, be judicious about what you keep inside. Clear target rooms completely. For safety and comfort, plan to keep untouched rooms relatively clear and uncluttered, so they can function as a designated living space.

Consider renting temporary storage to hold furniture and décor that you plan to bring back to the home once it is ready. Make sure to load it in an organized fashion, so you can easily find what you need and pack it up with minimal hassle. If you notice that you haven’t missed many of the items you packed away, you may want to do an additional decluttering before you unpack.

Professional home renovation contractors at Bryant Construction specialize in expert work to restore your home and make it ideal for your needs. Contact us to learn more about our services or to get a quote.