5 Tips for Living Through a Home Renovation or Extension

Living in your home while it is under renovation can be stressful and a big mess to say the least! However, living in your home while it is under renovation will save you money as you will not have to rent a place while the home renovation is taking place.
​
Also, it allows you have a chance to watch the renovation unfold.

​Another positive to living through a renovation is, you can make quicker decisions on the fly and discuss with your builder then and there on site.
 
There are many ways to make the living part be less stressful below are my top 5 tips: 

1. Pack away and store unused and precious items before the renovation starts 
​

​A home renovation gets very messy and there are tradies making noise and banging around almost every day. So, this one is probably the most important tip to follow.

Pack away in boxes or vacuum seal bags all the belonging that you will not use while the renovation is taking place and put away any breakables and precious items that could get broken.
​
That way you will avoid having to clean all the items later as they WILL get dusty and you protect your breakables.

2. Block of the construction zone 
​

Once you have packed all your un needed belongings away you need to get your builders help to get the construction section bordered off as much as possible and practical to try and avoid the dirt and dust in your designated living area.

But…. please be mindful you can try as best as you want to prevent mess getting into the renovation free zone, you can tape up the doors or even put up temporary ply boards, but TRUST me when I say, the dust will still get through and create unwanted mess in your living zone.

Blocking off the construction zone also creates a safer living area for you and your family.
I would also ensure you have a dedicated room for any children, create them a playroom that is as far away from the renovation work as possible.
​
Also, for those parents concerned about screen time, the iPad and the TV will unfortunately get an extra work out over the renovation period.  It will be your only option sometimes to keep the kids away from the exciting works going on down the other end of the home! Again, I speak from experience here. You will need to up their screen time throughout the reno to save your sanity!

3. Only clean the renovation area once a day or less
​

For those of you that are a little bit of a neat freak like me, this tip will be a hard one to follow.  I had to keep telling myself to “put the broom down” when we renovated our home!

If you kept a completely clean home the whole time you were renovating and or extending your home, you would not have time for anything else.

Do your mental state a favour and just get used to a messy place for a few months, once it is all over you can celebrate the joy of a brand new and sparkling clean home!
​
While you are renovating however just pick up the broom once at the end of the day to tidy the place up a bit. 

4. Get up early before the trades arrive 
​

This one ended up being very annoying for me, I had to have my workout and get in the shower all before 7am! The reason I recommend this is because your trades are probably going to want to ask you questions and if you are in the shower it can be extremely uncomfortable for all parties if you leave the door open to the bathroom when the tiler comes to ask you a question about your tile heights and tile layouts.

Also, if you have children you need to be on full parenting duties all day long as kids will always be attracted to what is happening in the construction zone. If you are in the shower, there is a good chance, they will be sneaking off to see what Brian the chippy is doing on the ladders in the new kitchen area.
​
So set that alarm early and be prepared before the trade arrives on site every day. 

5. Set up a designated kitchen area 

If you are renovating your kitchen, I highly recommend setting up a makeshift kitchen somewhere in the house that has running water, usually the laundry becomes the makeshift kitchen.
​
Get a table in there as a bench top and clear the laundry cupboards and re pack them with the pantry items you will need, a few bits of cutlery and crockery  that way you can try to function like normal. Also, I recommend using your bench top appliances a lot more like your slow cooker, rice cooker, air fryer etc. And if you have a Thermomix even better!
 
Challenge yourself to limit your takeaway, it is possible! Otherwise Uber eats will become your best friend. And …..you your bank balance will deplete faster than the renovation budget. 

​Bonus tip- Make your sub-contractors a cup of tea or coffee from time to time

Make your tradesman a drink they will appreciate it and might work a little harder for you.

If you are a good baker and have a functioning oven, they will love you forever if you bake them a cake or some cookies. 

​Bacon and eggs are another breakfast favorite with our tradies.  

No matter how you look at it, living through a home renovation and extension is challenging at the best of times but if you prepare yourself and follow the above tips you can make it less stressful.
​
The result is well worth it and the money you save on renting can be spent on the home renovations, maybe a nicer bench top or more drawers in the kitchen cabinetry.
 
On another note living through a renovation is not always an option, speak to your builder initially to find out if it is possible.
​
 If you have any questions regarding your potential home renovation or extension feel free to reach out to Perth’s Timber Frame Home Renovation Specialist Distinct Renovations.