How to Survive a Home Renovation

A home remodeling project can actually be a nice experience rather than a horrible one. Watch this video to learn how to survive a home renovation.

Living with the Home Remodeling Process

Making it through a remodel, even a smooth one, can be a challenge. Patience, realistic expectations, and a sense of humor will help you live through the process. Here are a few points to consider:

• Open communication with the remodeler is key. You should talk often and in detail about what you want. Keeping a project journal or communicating by e-mail is helpful. Keep a list of contact phone numbers for your contractor and designer and emergency numbers, including utility companies.
• You will need storage space for your displaced furniture and accessories. You can use a pod or mobile storage unit if you do not have sufficient space to move them to another room. Find out if you or the remodeler is responsible for moving your items. If they cannot be moved, they (and the floors) should be properly covered.
• Be careful about sharing spare keys and security codes to your home. Store your fragile items and valuables away from the work area in a secure location.
• Check materials as they arrive and are unpacked to make sure you have what you ordered.
• Keep track of the remodeling process so you will be aware of any problems or delays in the work. Find out ahead of time when your water or power will be turned off so you can make arrangements. If construction vehicles will be used, find out where they will be driving to make sure they will not cause unnecessary damage to your neighbor’s property or your own.
• Find out how daily cleanup will be handles and whether a garbage bin will be set on your property for handling trash removal.

Here are some more tips on how to survive a home renovation.