Surviving a Home Renovation

Written by Artisan Contracting on May 4, 2016

Renovating part of your home is an exciting time. Designing and choosing your newly renovated house is the fun part. But when it comes to actually having the work carried out, it can be quite disruptive and stressful.

Depending on the size of the job, the amount of disruption to your everyday life can vary. If, for example, you are renovating a living room, there is a lot less disruption than a bathroom, kitchen or entire house.

But it’s not just about the physical disruption of dust or lack of access, there are also issues such as noise and the fact that you might have a few hundred workmen traipsing through your home at any given time.

“So why go through it all?” I hear you ask. Well, because in the long run, it is worth it. To have the home of your dreams. To have everything working how it should be, where it should be.

But having your home renovated doesn’t have to be the thing of nightmares. Here are some tips for surviving a home renovation with the minimum stress and disruption as possible:

• Plan, plan, plan – As with everything, try to have as much planned out as possible. This way you can reduce the risk of nasty shocks which in turn can cause more stress for you. It is also worth remembering that any renovation work such as house extensions, will probably have certain things that won’t go to plan – whether it’s finding the right materials, not meeting timelines, or under-budgeting. It is important that you try to stay as relaxed as possible. These things happen, so try to deal with it and move on.
• Think about the disruption – There is disruption with almost any building work, so think about how this might affect you and the others in the house. Your bathroom might be out of bounds, or you might not have use of your kitchen, or temporarily be without electricity or water. Maybe it would be best to move out for a few days? Noise. Will someone need to reduce their working hours to keep an eye on the progress of the project? Try to predict issues and then solve the problem.
• Kitchen and Bathroom – Amongst the most disruptive for most people is not having use of your kitchen or bathroom for a certain amount of time. Will you need to buy a camping stove to cook on? Can you wash the dishes in the bathroom sink? Do you have more than one bathroom? Maybe you could use a microwave?
• Keep doors shut – If you are having work done in just one room or area, try to keep the door shut as much as possible to deter dust from entering the rest of the house.
• Communication – In the interest of your sanity, make sure that you communicate with your builders – show them where the toilet is – ask them to take off their boots before entering, show them where they can make tea (and buy plenty of tea bags!), and let them know what is expected of them.
• Kids – It might be a good idea to arrange for the work to be done whilst the kids are at school to avoid exploring children and potential accidents. If your children are younger, it might be less stressful for you if you go to stay will family or friends for a few days.

Renovating your home can be exciting, but this can often be taken over by stress. At Artisan Contracting, we rennovate all homes for a fair price that won’t break your bank. Check out our Previous Work or Contact Us to get started today!