You may be a bit nervous about trying to keep your space livable while changing up your home. Following these renovation tips can help you keep your household functional when completing your dream home renovation project.
Designate Work and Play Areas
Since the size of your home will decrease during your renovation, it is important to maintain some liveable spaces that meet the needs of you and your household. The best way to do this is to designate sections for specific purposes throughout your home.
For example, all of your at-home desk and computer belongings should stay in one section away from the renovation chaos, and if you have children in your home, you’ll want to maintain a play area for them as well. Since your energetic kids may miss being able to use your whole house as their jungle gym, it is important to utilize the outdoors and other children-friendly locations nearby. Be on high alert during a home reno to make sure you and your children stay away from possible dangers. Keeping sections of usable space in your home will allow everyone to stay safe while keeping some semblance of normalcy amidst the renovation.
Create Temporary Kitchen and Bathroom Routines
Kitchen
Typical kitchen renovations can take around 6-8 weeks which will require you to make some changes to your eating and cooking habits. Try these tips to make mealtime less stressful:
- Make use of a garage refrigerator
- Relocate your small appliances such as a microwave or toaster
- Purchase meals that can be made with small appliance usage
- Save leftovers to consume later
- Order extra when eating out
- Invest in a portable metal cabinet
Stripping away your regular cooking practices may be frustrating, but following these practices can help make the renovation more manageable.
Bathroom
Unlike lengthy kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels usually take only two to three weeks depending on the size of the space. Since this room is vital for daily living, it is important to time appliance removal and replacement correctly. For example, there is no reason to remove your toilet until it is absolutely necessary.
If you do not have more than one bathroom in your household, you may need to change up your bathroom strategies completely. As for sink use, try using your kitchen faucet or another water source to brush your teeth or wash your face. For other bigger tasks such as showering, it may be best to ask a friendly neighbor or close-by loved one for temporary bathroom use. Some other possible resources may include a local community center or gym with full-service restroom usages.
Continue to remind yourself and other housemates that these inconveniences will not last forever and that your renovation will be worth it in the end.
Take Safety Precautions
Implementing safety precautions is necessary during a renovation, especially when you have young kids.
An easy way for all family members to understand where safe, livable spots are in your home is by making a guided floor plan. Mark and section off your floors with blue or green painter’s tapes to vibrantly signal where it is safe and unsafe to walk. Using a combination of two different colors can be useful as a color-coded system may stick better in children’s minds. TapeManBlue’s blue and green painter’s tape are easy to place and remove residue-free. As your renovation progress will be ever-changing, our products make it easy to alter marked safe locations.
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If you have any young toddlers or pets in the house it may be best to section off renovation rooms completely with indoor gates. Once the project is over your small family members will be so excited to explore their new surroundings!
Communicate Openly with Your Contractor
One of the best ways to understand the living limitations your home will incur is by talking to your contractor. Once informed of your restrictions, your general contractor may have a good idea of what usage strategies would work best for your unique situation.
An idea for this would be creating a daily or weekly schedule of when the contractor will be actively working in your space. Having open communication will allow your contractor to know and understand your routine to hopefully align off-times with your needs. Another strategy for this would be to have your contractor help you organize your kitchen and bathroom essentials away from the rest of the project. For example, if the floor under your refrigerator is getting remodeled, your contractor may be able to move your refrigerator to an accessible area during the reconstruction. Working together with constant communication will ultimately keep your place habitable during this time.
Find Comfort Outside of Your Home
One of the best ways to deal with the chaos happening inside of your home is to get out and about throughout the project. Finding a calm place to clear your mind will be important when your typical relaxing space is torn apart.
Start by thinking about your favorite hobbies, family activities, or friend hang out spots. Some ideas could include a nature preserve, park, library, or coffee shop. All of these places and more can bring joy during long days where you would typically use your home for comfort. By post-renovation, you may have some new go-to spots to get some work done or kick back outside of your household.
Clear out the Extras
Before starting your renovation, take a day to do a purge of the areas being renovated. Ask yourself the following questions when determining what to move or get rid of completely:
- Have I used this object in the past 12 months?
- Is this product expired?
- When will I use this product next?
- Will I need this product daily during my renovation?
- Is this object relocatable?
Thinking through these questions when cleaning out can help you determine the needed living essentials once your project begins. Objects that are not typically used or expired can then be tossed out or relocated to clear up space.
Non-essential items that will be wanted post-renovation can be placed in storage containers which can be easily stacked to save space. As this will be only short-term, find an empty spot inside your home or garage to keep these items for the time being. If you come across items that are valuable or often used, such as medicine, find a new accessible location for them away from the work area.
Renovations change the way that your household functions, but not for too long. By staying focused on the end goal and following these clear tips, you can get through your renovation project without sacrificing too much functionality. Check out the rest of our site to find products that will help you complete your home remodeling needs.
