Living through a Remodel: 6 Tips to a Happy Remodeling Experience
We have helped many families remodel and create their dream homes with little disruption to daily life. At M&K Renovations, we pride ourselves in keeping workspaces as clean as possible, being respectful of the homeowners’ privacy and comfort while on the job, cleaning up each evening, and leaving no trace of our presence once the project is done – except for the beautifully renovated spaces. Because of this, we have many clients who stay in their homes during renovations, even major renovations. That said, it’s important to prepare ahead for renovations and expect disruption. We recommend the following six steps for a successful and pleasant renovation experience.
- Define the living zone and the construction zone
We will go over with you the best pathway for bringing materials and equipment into the home during the construction. This corridor will be lined with protective materials and plastic sheeting to contain dust and protect the house, but it is best if it is not also accessed by the family. Talk to your family about the areas that will be off-limits during construction and where the kids can play. Determine alternative entry points for the home to keep the family away from the construction area as much as possible.
- Plan ahead for food prep and eating
If you’re having your kitchen remodeled, or if the kitchen will be disrupted by the construction, set up a mini-kitchen elsewhere in the house. Move the fridge (or get a small fridge) and microwave out of the kitchen and try cooking in this new area for a few days so you’ll have time to go back into the kitchen to grab things you forgot – like the coffeemaker, for instance! Find a comfortable place to eat, and pre-plan healthy, easy meals during the renovations. Some of our clients choose a couple of days a week to eat with friends, family, or at a favorite restaurant.
- Pack up and cover
You’ll need to pack up anything that’s in the rooms being remodeled, of course, but we also suggest packing or covering knickknacks and furniture in adjacent rooms. While we work very hard to contain dust, fine drywall dust and dust from sanding can still escape our careful arrangements. It’s better to cover them now than have to clean everything later. This also extends to your landscaping that will be near the entry points. We treat the homes we visit as if they were our own and work hard to protect your property, including your plants, but removing potted plants and covering bushes near the construction area would be helpful precautions.
- Inform the neighbors
In a major remodel, it’s always a good idea to let any neighbors who are close by know about it, so they will be aware that there will be construction trucks around and possibly some noise going on. Give them a timeframe, and invite them to come to look at the progress when the workers are gone for the day. They will be much more understanding of the minor inconveniences because of your courtesy and inclusion.
- Prepare for planned time out of the house
We use environmentally responsible and safe materials, but even some of those emit unpleasant fumes. We work with adequate ventilation at all times, but if we will be using materials that let off fumes, we will let you know beforehand so that you can choose to be out of the house until the fumes dissipate.
- Treat this as an adventure
This is an exciting time for your family! Create an atmosphere of excitement and do something fun with the home. Kids enjoy an adventure and anything out of the ordinary can create lasting, fun memories. Maybe turn a spare bedroom into a temporary living room, have picnics in the house, make friendly “bets” as to what the workers are doing based on what you can hear, and see who wins the bet when you peek at progress at the end of the day. For the adults in the house, plan a date if there’s a day you need to be out of the home. Make your renovation an adventure, and you’ll enjoy the process as much as the results.
Contact us here at M&K Renovations to start your adventure so we can help you reach your goal of your dream home.
PROFESSIONAL HOME REMODELING & RENOVATIONS
Renovating the Philadelphia Area for Over 16 years
Jeff’s experience in Operations Management and Organizational Leadership in the mortgage, manufacturing, and finance industries allows him to bring 15+ years of corporate expertise to the M&K team. His motto is: “Quality is paramount – Process should be simple.