No doubt about it, remodeling is disruptive to your house, your family, your personal routine, and even your pets. But with some planning, it is possible to survive major renovations without excessive stress.
Callen offers some tips to minimize the inconvenience. First, and very important, have a designated place to keep the paperwork relevant to the remodel – quotes, invoices, receipts, contact information, contracts, and the like. While some correspondence will be done electronically, you will still have hard copies of items that you will want to access. When it comes to email, create a separate sent and received folder designated specifically for remodeling correspondence.
Staging your temporary kitchen
If you plan to stay in your home during a kitchen remodel, set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere – living room, dining room, spare bedroom, even the basement, with your microwave, electric frying pan, slow cooker, and toaster oven. You may be getting a new fridge with your project, so have your old one relocated to the garage or within another area of the house if you have room for it.
Stay organized when packing goods from the cabinets and pantry. When storing items you won’t need during the remodel, label the storage boxes specifically with what is inside them. Avoid the word miscellaneous. It will be much more pleasant when you are putting things back after the project is finished.
Prepare as many meals in advance as possible, freezing them in individual portions for easy-to-fix dinners. Keep a stash of granola bars, fruit, peanut butter, and crackers for easy snacking.
Plastic and paper rule as dishwashing will be a challenge. Pots and pans will most likely be washed in the bathtub or laundry tub. Be prepared with a dishpan, dish drainer, and lots of cloths for washing and wiping.
There may be times when water and electric will be shut off. Your project manager should alert you to those so you can make alternate plans, staying with relatives, arranging a sleep-over for your children with their friends, or booking a motel.
Bathroom strategies
Remodeling a bathroom may pose no extra inconveniences if you have a second full bath or at least a powder room. But if it’s your only facility, you need to plan in advance.
If your home has only one toilet, arrange with your project manager to take out and reset the toilet on a daily basis. However, there will be at least several days when you won’t be able to access the toilet at all, such as when flooring is installed.
Your contractor may also be able to arrange a temporary shower and toilet in the basement. But this may not be possible in every situation and you should inquire in advance.
If you had been thinking of joining a gym or health club, this might be the time to do it to get some time away from your house. Take advantage of showers, toilets, and play areas for the children while you work out.
Keep children and pets safe
If children are in the home while the workers are there, they no doubt will be fascinated by what is going on. But a work zone is hazardous and you will need to make sure they know their boundaries and stay clear of the project. Plus, distraction and interruptions to tradesmen on the job will prolong its completion date.
All the noise and strangers in the home can be very stressful to your pet. Have a place in the home where it can be contained away from the project. Have soothing music playing or the television on to help mask noises, and make sure the pet gets exercised more than normal to expend pent-up energy.
Remodeling may involve sprays, fumes, paints, and other toxic or irritating substances that could harm your children and pets. Have your project manager alert you when this may occur and insist on proper, even excessive ventilation. While this work is going on, it’s best to get everyone out of the house for the day.
Even though there will be plastic sheeting between the work area and the rest of the home, fine dust particles will still filter out. It’s advisable to remove or cover electronic equipment, fine furniture, or other valuables.
There will be many deliveries during the project. Let your project manager know where the staging area will be; inside the garage is a good choice. Keep your driveway clear of your own vehicles to facilitate delivery and parking of construction vehicles. If your community doesn’t allow on-street parking, visit the police department to get a variance for temporary parking.
Knowing what will occur and when, and planning in advance for disruptions, will help keep your family’s routine as normal as possible under the circumstances. The key to any successful remodel is extensive communication with your contractor and project manager. Planning to the most infinite detail, selecting and making product and material purchases well in advance, and having a start and completion date as well as a production schedule, are important elements that will ensure a predictable remodeling process that provides you and your family the home you desire.
Callen’s design specialists can assist you throughout the remodeling process. Call Callen, the leading remodeling company in Brookfield, to get the process started.
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