Camping, In Your Own Home

Renovating your home can be both incredibly rewarding and extremely stressful, sometimes in equal parts. Large sums of money can be required and your house will sometimes seem to be ransacked in the process.  Depending on the scope of your project, you may decide to live in your home during your renovation. Home ReBuilders had been renovating homes for over 30 years and we have a few helpful tips you may want to consider during your “construction camping”.

The first things to think about are the scope and scale of your project. A second floor addition during a hot and rainy summer coupled with a kitchen renovation may be too challenging for even the heartiest homeowner. Keeping a home to an acceptable temperature can be a challenge when the roof comes off. If your renovation includes both kitchen and baths, staying home may not be the best choice. Washing dishes in the tub is hard enough, if the tiler is also trying to set tile in said tub, it may be impossible.

Many people decide to stay in their home during construction and there are several ways to make this as pleasant as possible with a bit of planning. If you are embarking on a kitchen project, it is important to set up some type of temporary kitchen. When the words “temporary kitchen” are used, you should be envisioning a microwave balancing on a toilet in an unused guest bath and an old fridge rolled into the corner of a family room. The important thing is to find a designated spot to house a hot plate, toaster oven, a few pans and a good collection of paper and plastic utensils. Often, we can salvage a few old kitchen cabinets and place then in an appropriate spot for use. A sheet of plywood can be used to make a countertop and sometimes a laundry sink can become your best friend. Plastic storage bins may be a good place to store your kitchen supplies to protect them from unavoidable construction dust.

Pets and children can provide some other unique challenges during construction. If you have a safe spot to confine your pet and they can handle the noise and disruption, they can certainly stay with you during construction. Doggy daycares are also everywhere these days and may be a good option during the day when most construction is going on.  Children’s naps are precious to parents but can sometimes be challenging to impossible to accomodate with a quiet house during construction. If a grandparent is near by or extending a nap at a childcare facility is an option, these may help.

Another tip is to try and be as organized as possible as your home is turned upside down. Important documents that you may need to access may be best housed in a plastic portable file bin. Design decisions and notes regarding selections and product orders may also need a similar spot.

A well timed vacation may also be a welcomed break from construction. Just confirm with your project manager that all deciosions have been made and job site meetings don’t need your input. At the end of the dust and upset will be a house that provides the best home for you and your family. It will all be worth it in the end. We promise.

The design and building plans will need your approval and sometimes finding the kitchen pendant of your dreams that is no longer available, in the finish you need, or in your budget can seem like earth rotation stopping problems.