There are many advantages to living on-site while having your home remodeled. Saving money on renting is the main reason that most people choose to do this. Not only that, but being on hand for builders’ queries and on-site lines of communication are important factors in a home renovation going smoothly. Being at such close quarters to the ongoing work means that you can keep a close eye on proceedings, plus the satisfaction of being up close and personal with any progress made is a highly rewarding feeling, one which will play a key part in keeping you going when times get tough.
It is crucial, however, to know exactly what to expect and to appreciate what a potentially difficult undertaking it will be, particularly if there are children around.
Here are our ten top tips on surviving living on site through a home renovation:
1. Accept that your routine will change.
Attention all creatures of habit! Your peaceful morning routines, such as enjoying coffee while reading the paper, sipping a smoothie while scrolling through your phone, or practicing morning meditation or yoga in the living room, may need to be put on hold for the time being. However, this change is not permanent but rather temporary. Consider adjusting by visiting your favourite coffee shop, enrolling in short-term classes, or working out in the park. These adjustments will assist you in maintaining a sense of normality amidst the current abnormal circumstances.
2. Try and plan your home renovation project for the summer months.
This will not only facilitate temporary outdoor exercise space (should you need it), but with tradespeople coming and going all day long you are likely to feel the chill. Also, if you’re changing windows and doors, you are likely to have big, gaping holes where they should be, so the warmer it is outside, the better. You don’t want to run the risk of depleting any of the cash you’ve managed to save by not renting when your utility bill arrives either.
Planning for the summer months means that salads and BBQs are an easy option should you be kitchen-less too.
3. A good night’s sleep and lazy lie-ins will take a back seat.
Builders arriving at all hours, digging, hammering, and drilling make lie-ins nearly impossible! It's probably best to be productive with all those early starts. It's unlikely that you will have had a decent night’s sleep either. Missing doors, walls, windows, and heating are not conducive to a good night’s sleep, and neither is the anxiety over building schedules, paint colors, and decor decisions. Our advice is to try to manifest dreams about your beautiful new home and opefully, this will see you through!
4. Lower your expectations of domestic cleanliness.
There will be dust, dust, and more dust, and no amount of wiping, dusting, or vacuuming will make a difference. If you are knocking through, a good idea is to make sure you keep all other doors shut and use plastic sheeting to close off different areas. This should help, at least a little!
5. If there are children around, you will need eyes in the back of your head.
Everything is a potential playground. Heavy machinery, unstable structures, piles of rubble, discarded fittings. If you can, have one child-safe room that the kids can play in and set some very stringent rules about no-go areas.
5. Be obsessive about planning.
Treat yourself to a shiny new wall planner. If you are living on site, you will effectively be project managing so try to be on top of your game where deliveries, payment plans, and timetables are concerned. Aim to have to have a structured yet flexible timeline. Your brain will also thank you for giving yourself a sense of control amidst the chaos.
6. Have a decent kitchen strategy.
Be the master of the camping stove, become a microwave maestro! You’re bound to become an expert at feeding the family with very little equipment. Stock up on cans and non-perishable items. Be prepared to cart the dishes upstairs to bathroom for a wash or outside for a hose down. Paper plates and disposable cutlery are a must and try not to blow the budget on Deliveroo!
7. Expect and accept delays and hiccups.
It is guaranteed that not everything will go according to plan. Try not to add to the chaos by losing your marbles if something is thrown off schedule. Hang in there, make sure you have good lines of communication with your tradespeople so that you can come up with cohesive contingency plans and have faith that you will get there in the end.
8. It will be an emotional rollercoaster.
It will be tough living with a house full of strangers and a constant flow of human traffic. You will have decisions to make that will have a lasting impact on how your dream house turns out. Add to that the possibility of fraught relationships with your loved ones, and it could end up being one of the toughest challenges you have ever faced. Everybody handles stress differently, but rest assured that your home renovation contractors are professionals and know exactly what they are supposed to be doing, and it will all be okay in the end. Be kind to yourself and take timeouts if you need them. Allow yourself to be okay with feeling stressed and tired; it’s all part of the process.
The journey from start to end.
Believe us when we tell you that every milestone will bring you immense joy and satisfaction, which will be your driving force. Despite enduring months of unpredictable weather, stress, emotional strain, logistical challenges, and disrupted routines, there will come a day when you can relax in the environment you have built and reflect on all that you have accomplished. You will experience an exceptional sense of pride. You have finally achieved your dream home, and there is no greater feeling than this!
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