If a home renovation is in your plan, you’re likely bursting with excitement. Everybody enjoys a new home layout, but to achieve that, you need to make your way through the demolition first. Some residential remodels may take several weeks or months to finish based on how demanding they are, and within spaces such as the kitchen or bathroom, that timeframe might not be possible. 

Planning a home renovation with a construction company is exciting, but living through the demolition and remodel phase can be daunting. Here’s how to survive—and even thrive—during a remodel, including why you may need experts like Brico contractors along the way.

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 construction companies.

Order Your Fixtures Ahead Of Time

Each renovation will have unforeseen issues that can halt the finishing of the project. One solution experts mentioned to prevent delays when possible is to stay ahead of ordering your materials. “Having a lead time as to when they’ll be here or having them already on site makes a world of difference.”

If you’re renovating a bathroom or kitchen and are considering redoing your vanity, hardware, cabinets, and countertops, having the fixtures chosen before starting is going to save you a couple of headaches during demolition. That way, you’re not stuck with a mess in your house or with regular rooms out of commission for longer than they have to be.

Having trouble narrowing down a few finishes or fixtures? One useful asset is an interior designer who works with the clients at the selection phase before the project. 

“She works with our kitchen and bathroom clients to assist with selections and is the middleman between homeowner and contractor. Having an interior designer who assists with selecting the details is highly valuable.”

Think Ahead For Meals

The most inconvenient thing about home renovations is the lengthy kitchen downtime. It is the lifeblood of all homes, but unfortunately, you can look forward to those inviting home-cooked meals being nowhere to be found during renovation time.

 But that does not prevent you from having some home-cooked meals. You can still be cooking at home with a kitchen renovation in progress; you will simply have to make some adjustments.

Setting up a temporary kitchen in some other room in the house. “Have a coffee maker, an electric griddle, and a plastic table to set up elsewhere in the home. You will also need to move your fridge using an extension cord.”

Of course, there’s always the easy solution of eating out, but if you’ve got a grill in the back, a kitchen remodel is the perfect time to get it fired up. “Cooking is going to get funky in a kitchen remodel. Investing in a supply of paper plates, cups, and utensils for the meantime until your kitchen is somewhat itself again.

Expect Your Normal Routine To Disappear For The Time Being

The result of a brand-new remodel is always a thrill, and every second is worth it, but the trip to the finish line is extremely difficult. When you’re beginning a remodel, keep in mind that your daily life will not return to its normal self until the process is complete. This will be more infuriating for families, but being prepared for this disruption in advance will keep you sane throughout.

“When it comes to remodels, it’s not all about planning the redesign; it’s also planning social calendars as well,” Sinn says. “No matter if everything is going 100% smoothly, you still have individuals who are coming to your home every day. Many times, the aggravation is not that the project is failing, it’s the disruption to the daily life of living in a work zone.”

“Be prepared for there to be a mess throughout the project. “This phase is going to be a mess, dust, all of those things will be there. 

Fortunately, Harold has a good suggestion for escaping all the noise. He suggests taking a holiday at the beginning of your project. “At the beginning of the project, homeowners don’t need to be present for the demolition.

You’ll be cutting a week of aggravation out of your time.” Although he states it’s an additional expense, he’s discovered that it’s well worth it for certain clients.

Harold has the same resonance for people who are having a bigger remodel that might be taking over most of their home. 

“If you’re doing a significant layout modification to the floor plan or expanding the house and you don’t have a basement, you might want to look for an Airbnb.”  

Keep The Air As Clean As Possible

During the demolition stage, you should find an abundance of dust in the air due to sanding and other activities. To prevent those dust particles from making a journey through your duct system and then back out into the air, Sinn indicates preventative measures that can be taken. 

“If you’re working in a bedroom with a return duct, tape it off—though it’s not ideal for permanent use—when a demolition is happening or sheetrock is being sanded, anything that creates a lot of dust should be blocked off.” Although your retaining wall contractors will take their preventative steps to keep the rest of your home dust-free, this step can be a big help in keeping your air clean.

Take Furniture And Valuables Off

This may be a no-brainer, but one of the most important things about living in your home during a renovation is ensuring your valuables. Typically, contractors will install a temporary zipper wall that runs the entire height of the ceiling from the floor. 

This will trap the dust in the room, but as a precautionary measure, Sinn says his team always installs protective flooring, which is useful if you already have brand-new floors. For carpet, they will put down a plastic roll-out cover, or rosin paper on hardwood floors.

Demo One Bathroom At A Time

In contrast to the kitchen, bathroom remodels should not be very inconvenient at all, especially if your house contains more than one full bathroom. Demolishing one bathroom at a time is really the best course of action when it comes to these projects, so you at least have one full bathroom for your showers and other requirements.

 But don’t worry, delays are not impossible in the one you are renovating, which will delay when it’s back available.

“If you’re having plumbing relocated or doing electrical, that’s going to add to your downtime,” says Sinn.“It just depends on how much you’re redoing. If you’re installing tile in a shower, it’s going to take you four to five days longer to finish the job. If you’re installing a custom glass enclosure around the tile, this is going to add five weeks after the tile is done.”

Having an idea of how long your project is going to take before the demo begins is one way to get a sense of what to expect. “Small bathroom remodels, where you’re replacing the countertop, hardware, and paint, you’re looking at six weeks. More intrusive bathroom remodels that are getting new tiled floors, vanities, countertops, toilets, and showers take ten to fourteen weeks.”

Stay Out Of The Construction Site

Kids or pets living in your house? You must be wondering how safe your residence will be while it is being constructed. According to Sinn, if you have contracted a good contractor, the house is fine. The exception to this rule would be if asbestos were present. If your contractor has reason to believe that asbestos is present, they’ll test before demoing out the material.”

Although Sinn indicates his team tidies up the work site at the end of each workday, some homeowners do not mind having tools left behind.“We discuss with homeowners to obtain permission to leave tools. If we are actually on their property for a few days, we will leave tools if homeowners indicate it is alright to leave them, but we organise them.” 

If your contractor requests permission to leave tools, Sinn suggests making sure there are no screws or nails on the floor when your staff is leaving, particularly if you have kids around.

Select A Reliable Contractor

Renovations take time, there is much noise and dust, and loud power tools are going to surround you. One thing that can diminish the stress is selecting a reliable contractor right from the beginning. “Check the licensure board in your state for an active license and read reviews online,” advises Harold. “Visiting job sites and seeing in-progress or completed work is also a good idea.”

Conclusion

It can be a difficult experience to stay in your house while it is being remodelled, but with careful preparation and planning, you can survive unscathed. Establish expectations with your remodelling crew so that you realise how your daily life will be affected and make arrangements to safeguard your treasures and furniture. Making a habitable area out of the mess is important. Create safe areas for children and pets, and install temporary kitchen and bathroom facilities if necessary.

Don’t forget to take care of your sanity and health during the remodel by instituting cleanliness practices to cut down on dust and debris, and creating a construction-free zone to retreat to. Remembering these tips will help you survive and even thrive during a home remodel.