How to Live Through a Renovation

Living through a home renovation is very tedious and can be very stressful. Home is the epicenter of our lives, our hub, where our days begin and end, and so it is important to go into a home renovation with the right mindset, preparation, and expectations.

Have a Plan

You want to begin your renovation with an iron clad plan to remain organized through the process. The most difficult renovations to live through are kitchens and bathrooms. When your kitchen is being renovated, what is your plan? It is a good idea to set up a table in another room to house essential items that will continue to be used such as prepared food, utensils, and plates. It is an even better idea to function with paper and plastic ware while the renovation is underway. Planning meals ahead of time can be a lifesaver. Do you have a crockpot? Use it! You’re also going to want a game plan for washing your kitchen items, such as a utility sink in your laundry room or garage.

As for bathroom renovations, it is always wise to have another bathroom set up in your home to function properly for your needs while your main bathroom is being renovated. Perhaps this bathroom will be smaller, or not as nice, but it is going to get you through the renovation and that is what’s important. Don’t have a second bathroom? Hopefully you have good neighbors. Having neighbors that will allow you to shower and prepare for your day will be a God send. As for the toilet situation, you can purchase buckets with toilet seats from Home Depot or Amazon that can serve as temporary bathrooms. This is something you would hopefully only need for an extremely short amount of time. The preference would obviously be to have a second bathroom, or a friendly neighbor, but these come in handy when needed.

Hang Out Outside

The spring and summer are the best time for renovations, so you can spend as much possible outside of your home. You can grill your food, and use outdoor tables and furniture. This is a great way to continue to gather with your family and spend time together without being uncomfortable.

Not only will you be more comfortable, but you will be away from construction and noise within the home. You also won’t have to worry about all of that pesky construction dust!

Pack Away What You Don’t Need

This is a great time to route through things that can be donated, sold, or thrown away. But most of all, you can pack away things that you can live without for a month or so while your renovations are going on. This will keep your things out of the way, allow for less clutter, and reduce the dusting you have to do when the construction is over.

Cover Areas with Drop Cloths and Plastic

Hang and lay as much protective gear as possible to reduce the mess that home renovation brings. Let’s be honest, contractors can be messy guys (I know, I’m married to one). To reduce the mess of dirty boots, dusty hands, and just plain flying dust and debris, lay drop cloths on all of your exposed flooring. It is also a good idea to partition of the spaces with the most going on by hanging plastic to quarantine the mess within. This will help to minimize your frustration while dealing with all of the moving parts of living in a construction zone.

Living through home renovations is never easy, but it is the visualization of what lies on the other side of the difficulties that propel us through these renovations. Although it can make for a difficult couple of months, the reward is always breathtaking and rewarding. After all, you are paving the way to live in ultimate design, functionality and beauty in your home every day thereafter.