Everyone has that uncle, friend, or buddy who had a nightmare during a home renovation. Everything went wrong… It cost so much more than budgeted…and lasted much longer than it should have. And when this happens, it can really disrupt your everyday life. These projects do happen, but with a little bit of work, you can make sure your home renovation doesn’t turn into a horror story. These projects do happen, and although not ideal – with a little bit of work, you can make sure you don’t have to live on a building site and your renovation doesn’t turn into a horror story.
Be Realistic About Your Home Renovation
Home improvement projects take time. When you are setting out the plan for your project, make sure you are realistic about the amount of time your home is going to be disrupted. An overly optimistic timeline is going to cause even the best-coordinated renovations to seem as if it is taking longer than they should. When you are more realistic, your planning and expectations are going to be met by your contractor.
Check Out Your Timing
During home renovations, certain rooms are going to be in disarray. Trying to deal with other live events during this time is challenging. Holidays, vacations, and other events should be included when thinking about renovating your home. This is very important when timelines are short. Hosting Christmas dinner the day after the scheduled end of your kitchen renovation is risky. It also adds unnecessary stress.
Living in a Renovation
With all the upheaval during a home improvement project, it is critical you plan out how you are going to run your day-to-day life. Kitchens are a big part of your day, and during renovations, it isn’t going to be readily available.
How are you going to eat?
How are you going to prepare the food? Where are you going to eat? You can’t pull off the kitchen appliances throughout you are home and expect to have full meals all the time. Takeout, microwave meals, and visiting family are all options that you can consider. Remember to plan for the additional costs when you do your budget because food costs certainly add up.
No running water?
The hassle of a large project isn’t going to be confined to one room either. Electrical and plumbing upgrades can take up much of the house. Plan on having at least temporary disruptions to water, sewer, and power over the course of your project. Your contractor can provide you with time estimates regarding these disruptions, but that doesn’t always go according to plan.
Having a backup plan is important so that you and your family can deal with disruptions in a suitable way. This does a lot to help your mental health when dealing with a renovation and the inevitable disruption it brings.
Your home renovation isn’t going to go exactly as planned. There are hurdles to overcome and surprises that are waiting for you. But with a realistic plan and some strategies to overcome difficult days, your renovation can get you the home you want.
