How many of you out there have renovated your home while living there? If you have not, it might seem like no big deal, but trust me, it is no easy feat. Whether you are handling the renovations yourself, or hiring professionals, things do not always go according to plan.
Renovations typically mean dust, noise, and general disruptions to your daily life. This can add unnecessary stress, which is not exactly what anyone hopes for. With a little strategy and planning, however, you can ensure everything runs a little bit smoother for you and your family.
Expect the unexpected. Anyone who has done a project in their home, big or small, will likely tell you that they ran into an unexpected issue, or ten. This is especially true if your house is older, or you don’t know a lot about the history of work done before you. When walls are being torn down, or electrical is being worked on, there is a lot of opportunities for new problems to arise during the process. If you go into the project with this knowledge and try to roll with the punches, you will have much less grief in the end.
Over budget. Our previous tip leads me to this next one. Plan to spend more than your original budget. Set aside some money for problems that can and will arise. There is no way to know exactly what might pop up but having some extra money to handle those issues will make it easier. Best case scenario is that you don’t need to spend that extra money, worst case is you do, but you were half expecting to, right?
Schedule flexibly. It is important that you plan a schedule for your renovations, but there needs to be room for flexibility. If you put too strict of a timeframe on a project, you run the risk of things not being done properly or not being done at all. Be reasonable with your time frame expectations and account for extra time for those unforeseen issues we mentioned earlier.
Designate Areas. This one is especially important for safety reasons as well as the sanity of those in your home. Designate specific areas for work and play separate from the renovation area. You don’t want to feel like you are working, relaxing, eating, etc. in a construction zone. You can always repurpose a space temporarily to help achieve this. Creating clear spaces will help your home feel more calm and less chaotic during the renovation process.
Close off the renovation area as best you can to prevent injury to family and pets and follow any necessary safety protocols when construction is under way.
Research. This goes for both DIYers and those hiring professionals. If you are attempting any projects by yourself, make sure you prepare by learning the correct way to do it. There are countless books, blogs, and videos out there that can teach you how to properly do pretty much anything. In today’s world with so much information at our fingertips, there is really no excuse to go into any job blindly.
As for hiring a contractor, make sure you get recommendations from those you trust, or hire a highly reviewed professional. Make sure whoever you hire is properly licensed and insured, and it is a good idea to get a few quotes from different companies to ensure you are getting a fair price.
Make time for fun. It is extremely easy to get wrapped up in the minutia of home renovations and spend all your free time focusing on that alone. Make sure to get out of the house and spend time doing things that you love. Whether that’s being outdoors, seeing friends, or just having a meal with your family, that time away is so important to help you decompress.
Hopefully, these tips will help you if you plan to renovate your home while living there. Do you have any tips that we missed or stories about your own home renovations? We would love to hear them!
If you’re anything like me, a constant goal of yours is keeping a tidy home. The concept may seem simple, but when you factor in all the tasks you need to accomplish in your daily life, it can feel overwhelming. We have gathered some tips that will make it make it much easier to keep your home neat.
