How to Prepare for Your Home Remodel

A home remodel is thrilling, filled with new possibilities and the opportunity to create the home of your dreams. But amidst all the excitement is also a lot of mess.

A home remodel is thrilling, filled with new possibilities and the opportunity to create the home of your dreams.  But amidst all the excitement is also a lot of mess.  A home remodel will unleash, dust, debris and chaos in your home, if only for a short period.  The end results will be worth it but for a short time it can disrupt everyday life.  So, for this reason, it is best to prepare for a home remodel so that you can anticipate what changes and disruptions will occur in an effort to weather the storm of remodel until you get to the beautiful outcome.

The first thing you need to anticipate with any home remodel project, whether small or large, is dust.  No matter how many dust curtains you hang, dust is bound to make its way through your home through air ducts or on people’s shoes.  The best way to prevent dust is to hang dust curtains throughout your home, lay carpet pieces or plastic throughout your home wherever workers may go to prevent dust from being tracked or embedded in carpet and, if possible, turn off central air or heat while any major dust producing tasks are being completed.  Additionally, sweep and/or vacuum the construction area as frequently as possible to cut down on dirt accumulation.  The next thing you need to prepare for is noise.  If you are living in your home during the renovation, and especially if you work from home, be prepared for an immense amount of noise on a daily basis.  Whether it is hammering, nail guns, sawing, various banging sounds or more, expect to hear noise all day long.  If you work from home or have young children that take naps you may need to make other accommodations during the remodel project because the noise could prove a significant challenge.

Next, you need to be prepared for unexpected hiccups along the way.  Ask anyone who has remodeled their home if they experienced something unexpected and they will, without a doubt, tell you yes.  Whether it is mold, asbestos, wiring problems, faulty plumbing, or a myriad of other potential problems one thing is for sure, expect the unexpected.  By giving yourself a little wiggle room in your budget and flexible timeline you will be able to weather the unexpected much more easily and calmly.  Speaking of the unexpected, with any remodel it is important to give yourself room in your budget and timeline as previously mentioned.  During remodel projects things often end up being slightly more expected than anticipated and projects tend to take a bit longer than the contractor may have initially stated.  These occurrences happen for a number of reasons but ultimately, if you want the project done right you need to allow for time to complete things properly and money so that you do not panic or leave tasks unfinished when things change.  By anticipating an preparing for all of these things you will be able to not only survive during a remodel, but thrive.  And, when it is all said and done, you will have a beautiful new home to enjoy.