Renovation tip: How to cope with a construction project (and keep sane!)
Let’s face it; a renovation project can be stressful – especially as you often share your home with builders for an extended period. Follow these renovation tips to make the renovation process as stress-free as possible!
1. Safety comes first
First things first: keeping yourself, your family, your pets and your property safe is our key priority when we’re working in your home.
- Children: Keep your little ones out of harm’s way. That might mean supervising them more than you usually do, and containing them in a separate area of your home. Older children need to know that they’re not allowed to go into the construction zone without the permission from mum or dad. And you might need to put up physical barriers to keep small children out of the construction area. (Be sure to check out this other article with more tips on renovating with children around.)
- Pets: As with children, make sure you keep pets away from the construction zone – physical barriers are a must – especially as many pets are frightened of loud noises. It’s also a good idea to brief the builders on the personality of your pet, and what their temperament is like.
- Valuables: Dust gets everywhere in a construction project – even when you have clean and tidy builders working for you! So cover your computer, television, stereo etc. with old sheets or dust covers when you’re not home, and when the builders are at work.
2. Why good communication with your builder is vital
With the builders right there in your home, you might think that open communication is a given. However, that’s a dangerous assumption to make, as not all building companies have equally good communication skills.
To make sure you don’t get frustrated with the progress of your renovation, we suggest you:
- Conduct daily discussions: This is as simple as having a chat with the builders each morning to see how they are progressing. Do keep written notes on any decisions you make: note down what was decided and, when. That way, if you’re concerned about anything later, you have notes to refer back to.
- Attend weekly meetings: Once a week, ask the builder about the overall progress of the project so you are clear whether the timing and budget is running to schedule or not. It is really important that you remain involved in the scheduling of the project, and are in control of any decisions that are made along the way.
3. Be prepared to be flexible
Many renovation projects take some unexpected twists and turns. For example, you might discover that some wooden joinery or cladding is rotten and needs replacing. Or a very old home may need re-piling. Often you don’t discover these things until the project has started, when some walls or stairs have been removed. As much no one wants this “can of worms” experience, it is best to be prepared for it.
Another way in which you might need to be flexible is around the materials purchased from suppliers. Sometimes certain products are out of stock or discontinued, so you may need to choose something else.
A positive outlook will make the construction project a lot more enjoyable.
4. Take photos of the renovation process
When the construction project is over, and you’re living in your beautiful new home, the memories of the construction process will fade away. So it’s a really nice idea to take photos of the renovation process, at various stages as a memento
You’ll be surprised at how many friends and family will be interested in seeing your renovation pictures!
5. Consider going on a short holiday
If you can’t face the idea of having to cope with builders, dust and noise on a daily basis, you might want to consider going on a short holiday.
Having a wee break away from the building site that is your home may go a long way in refreshing you. Plus it can be a good way to keep your children away from the site during periods of heavy construction.
But please don’t go away for an extended holiday – you will need to be on hand to make decisions throughout the renovation process, so that you will love the end result of your renovation!
“We are incredibly pleased with Adam from LC Designer Homes. Helpful advice in the planning stages of the house extensions. Great communication and advice during the build. Sensitive and co-operative with us living on-site during the build.
A fantastic quality, end result ahead of time and on budget. We couldn’t have asked for better.”
Next step:
If you are looking for a builder who’ll be respectful of your home, and easy to live with, speak to us!
LC Designer Homes is a family-owned business, and we understand what it’s like to be living in a construction zone.
Just contact us to discuss your building or renovation project – we’re looking forward to hearing from you!
