So, you’ve finally decided to follow through with a few home renovations. Maybe you’re redoing your kitchen or bathroom, adding a room, or renovating your garage space. You’ve gotten the estimates, hired a contractor (or doing it yourself), and purchased all your materials. Ready to go, right? Not so fast.
Undergoing major home renovations involve more than just money, time, and effort. You’re going to like the results when they’re done, but in the process, your home…and your life is going to be quite different. If you haven’t made the necessary preparations for your home improvement project, you could be in for weeks or even months of unpleasant living conditions.
Realistic Expectations for Home Renovations
We’re dishing out some of the things you can do to prepare for your home renovations.
Conceal the Renovation Space(s)
Even if you’re only renovating one room of your house, the rest of your house is going to be affected. We’re going to look at some of the “domino effect” concerns you’ll have, but first and foremost, you have to protect the rest of your house from the mess you’re going to make in the room you’re renovating.
The chief byproduct of any home renovation project is dust. You’ll have dust during demolition, while you cut boards for framing, while you put up the drywall. It’s going to be an ever-present feature of your house for the duration of this project.
Make sure to isolate the area you’re renovating from the adjoining room(s). You can do this cheaply by hanging plastic, or if you want to invest a little more (and keep more dust out), you can go with zip closure dust barriers. In any case, do what you can to keep the dust confined to the area you’re renovating.
No matter what you do, however, some dust is going to get out. That’s what dust does. Get some plastic and cover the furniture, lamps, and anything else you don’t want to be covered in drywall or fiberglass particles or to be cleaning non-stop over the course of the project.
Consider Alternative Living Plans
You’re getting ready to make some critical space in your house totally unlivable for the near future. It would help if you had a plan for how you’re going to live without this space.
If it’s your kitchen, how are you going to cook? How will you eat? If it’s a bathroom, where will you shower and…you know? Where are you going to bunk down if you’re remodeling your bedroom? Where will your cars and stuff you’ve stored be while you upgrade your garage?
This isn’t a minor consideration. Make a plan to account for the disruption to daily living this home renovation is going to cause.
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Hold On Tight
Depending on the scope of your renovation, this could be a “rollercoaster” event for you and your family. It will be noisy for a while, so those quiet evenings watching TV or having dinner might not be realistic for a few days.
And there will be times of total elation: the thrill of demolition, the satisfaction of seeing your vision and new features take shape. But there will also be times of frustration, like when you or your contractor miscalculate the amount of tile you need, or six boxes you ordered are actually broken when you open them, or that third can of paint isn’t the same color as the first two. You get the idea. Be ready to be on a first-name basis with the people at your local home improvement store.
There might even be moments of absolute terror. What if you discover mold or faulty wiring when you take down a wall? There’s the distinct possibility you might run into something in the middle of your project that threatens to blow your budget out of the water.
Make Realistic Expectations and Design Plans
Don’t let all these possibilities get you down, though. These are only temporary setbacks (if they happen at all). You’ve decided to renovate your home for the long run, not for the short term. You’re going to be enjoying your new space for years to come. But before you get started, take some time to prepare yourself and your home so you can make it through the renovation with fewer problems and less stress.
Don’t Forget to Give Your Garage Some Love.
While other areas of your home may need upgrading, don’t forget the huge opportunity within your garage. If you’re ready to make a garage renovation to improve your storage and organization, our professional Garage Design team is ready to help make it happen! Our years of garage experience allow us to bring your vision to life and make better use of your space.
Did you know that an upgraded, organized garage can actually add extra value to your home? We’re revealing the facts here: “Instantly Add Value to Your Home With This Home Improvement.” If you did, feel free to schedule your free estimate, browse our current deals, and download our current garage organization guide:
