Whether it is a bathroom renovation or a kitchen extension, home improvement projects can take over your home and your life if you let them. But with plenty of preparation, a home renovation should go relatively smoothly and shouldn’t disrupt your life too much.
Once your chosen contractor provides you with a start date, it is time to begin preparing your home for a renovation. Here are our top tips:
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Declutter the Space
During a renovation, you may find that your home constantly feels untidy. With builders in and out, tools dotted around the place and thick layers of dust on every surface, it’s hardly surprising! But decluttering the renovation space and the rest of your home before the renovation begins can make a huge difference.
Hiring a skip will make it much easier to declutter your home and get rid of any unwanted rubbish. Aside from preparing the renovation space, decluttering your home will also make the living areas you are going to be using feel more comfortable and spacious.
Find Suitable Storage for your Furniture
If there is furniture in the renovation area that you would like to keep, find a suitable home for it before the renovation begins. Moving the furniture into a room you are going to use regularly throughout the renovation will only make the living space feel crowded and cluttered, which is the last thing you want.
Instead, if possible, store the furniture somewhere out of the way. This may be a spare bedroom, garage or garden shed. You may choose to wrap your furniture in protective plastic to ensure it does not get damaged when in storage.
Seal Off the Renovation Area
Unless you want your home to be completely taken over by dust, we strongly suggest sealing off the renovation area. Otherwise, you will spend the whole time vacuuming, mopping and dusting… to no avail! Simply attach plastic sheeting or a dust barrier door kit to the doors of the room that it is getting renovated to seal the area off.
If it is an open plan area, use plastic sheeting to close off the area. You can attach it to the walls or ceiling using staples before taping down the edges. To minimise the amount of dirt and dust being spread through your home, talk to your contractors about which entry/exit they should use when working in your home.
Protect the Furniture in Surrounding Rooms
Even with dust barriers in place, there is still a chance that dust will gather around your home, particularly in the rooms closest to where the renovation is taking place. To protect your furniture, such as your sofas and lamps, you may want to wrap them in plastic wrapping.
If you have carpets, cover them with a carpet protection film. Similarly, cover any hardwood or laminate floors with plastic sheeting.
Ensure Children and Pets Cannot Access the Renovation Area
A renovation area can be a dangerous place, especially for children and pets. If you have children, you should explain why the renovation is taking place and outline why they should stay away from the area during the renovation. Young children may be overwhelmed by such a big change, not to mention the strange people in and out of their home. When it is safe, show the children how the renovation is coming along and encourage them to be excited about the new part of their home.
Installing safety gates may be necessary to prevent children or pets from accessing the renovation area.
Notify the Neighbours
A home renovation is as noisy as it is messy, so it is only right that you notify your neighbours beforehand. Let your neighbours know that there will be contractors in and out of your home throughout the day and provide them with information on how long the renovation is expected to take.
Although it may be inconvenient at times, your neighbours should be understanding. You may also want to talk to your contractors about where they can and cannot park whilst working on your home. This way, there is no chance of them parking in your neighbour’s “usual” spot or blocking anyone’s drive.
Ensure you Have the Facilities You Need To Live Comfortably
Living in a home that is getting renovated is certainly not ideal. It is messy, challenging and often downright stressful. But it’s only for a short time. Some people contemplate staying with a friend or relative, or even checking into a hotel. However, you need to oversee the project and regularly communicate with your contractor, which means your home is the best place to be.
The key is to have everything you need to live comfortably for the foreseeable future. This may mean creating a makeshift kitchen in your office with a camping stove and kettle or sleeping on a pull-out sofa bed in your spare bedroom. Whatever sacrifices you have to make for your home renovation, keep reminding yourself that it will all be worth it!
Communicate With Your Contractors
For your privacy and comfort, brief all contractors on what areas of the home are off-limits. If it is only a small project, you may decide to let the contractors use your guest bathroom. Otherwise, a portaloo will be used. As mentioned previously, you should discuss parking with your contractors, as well as agreeing on an exit/entry for them to use.
Also, you should raise any concerns you have with your contractors. Building a good rapport with the contractors will help the project run smoothly.
