Taking on a home remodeling project is always an adventure. There’s the excitement that comes with upgrading the look and feel of your home, but it can also be scary process if not done right. What if things are not going as planned or unforeseen issues pop up during the process? This is why having a good plan, and realistic expectations, is crucial to keeping your peace of mind throughout a remodeling project. Just like you wouldn’t go on vacation without a plan, you should never start the demolition or remodeling project without having a set strategy in place.
Here are some tips on how you should prepare for any home remodeling project:
Timing Can Be Everything
Never choose to do a remodel project when you are in the middle of a stressful time at work or at home. Think about scheduling your remodel project during a time where you can be flexible, get out of the house if needed or potentially even live somewhere else for few weeks.
Think About Your Children and Pets
It may not be easy for your children or pets to live in a home that is being remodeled. Having your pets stay with a family member or a friend while you are renovating can be a great way to prevent ongoing stress. Plan fun stuff to do outside the house with the kids or have them sleepover at their friend’s house. Your pets and kids will thank you!
Protecting Your Furniture
Protecting your valuables and furniture can be very important. Cover your furniture with blankets or furniture covers and make sure that you are ready to potentially move furniture so that projects can be completed with open lanes to areas where people may need to work. With so many storage options now, containers can even be delivered to your driveway and valuables or furniture can be stored at home but out of the construction zone and easily moved back in as work progresses.
Have a Strong Communication Line Between You and the Contractor
Once you chose your contractor, make sure your expectations are clearly stated from the beginning, so there won’t be any surprises. It is important that you have a way to contact him/her directly when you need to. If the family is living in the home during the remodel, you may even have occasion when you need to be in touch late at night or on a weekend. Always establish these communication lines before you start so the “unexpected” can become the “anticipated”. At Arcadia Building Company, we pride ourselves in being as, both available and easy to contact throughout your remodel project.
Set and Focus on Milestones during the Project
You will have to make some sacrifices in order to get a home remodeling project completed. It’s likely that your home will have crews working from early in the morning, or even late into the evening some days, to get a major renovation completed. If you and your contractor set understandable and realistic milestones throughout the remodel, you will have specific things to focus on that show visible progress and that will help you power through the minor inconvenience of having your home space under construction.
One idea that could really help to limit the disruption to home life, is to plan with your contractor to obtain many of the long lead building items and have them on hand before the project gets started. This could streamline the construction process and help avoid down time waiting for lengthy fab times that always seem prolong the process. A good contractor will lead you through the decision making process early to help avoid delays to getting the job done.
If you would like to speak to a trustworthy company about your renovation project, contact Arcadia Building Company today for a free quote. We look forward to the opportunity to be part of your home remodeling project and are willing to assist you any way we can!
I have been thinking about remodeling my house this spring. I liked your suggestion about the timing of the project correctly. It does seem like I should have a good plan in place. Also, I should find a demolition company to help me out soon since it will be the first step.
My aunt has been thinking of remodeling our house for a long time now, and you did a great job of explaining how to prepare the home for home remodeling. I like how you mentioned that once a contractor has been chosen, a strong line with them should be established. I believe that this is a huge factor because you should be able to explain to the contractor what and how you want your home to be remodeled.