We all want to convert our old homes into new appearances that will bring happiness not just to the family living in it, but also the guests that we will welcome home. Renovating a home usually brings its own share of challenges and hurdles, especially when there’s very little preparation. From dust, debris flying everywhere, to moving and organizing items, this can quickly take a toll on you and end up questioning your sanity! But it doesn’t have to be this way.
With a little preparation, you can seamlessly survive through the renovation process, and ensure your family and valuables are all safe, from the start to the end, and enjoy your new home again.
In this article, we will share a few tips and tricks to help you through this journey of home renovation. By preparing for what is to come, you can make things easier for all parties involved, including the contractors, and even your pets! So let’s get started.
Preparing Your Home for Renovation: What You Need to Do Before the Work Begins
You have a lot to put in place just before dust starts flying. Remember, if you plan properly before renovation gets underway, it will be a much easier process with less stress overall. Here’s what you can do to prepare for your home renovation:
Set up a temporary living space
Based on the scale of renovation, and the length that this will take, it’s always recommended to set up a separate living space, where you can stay. Choose somewhere farther away from the renovation noise and confusion if you want to have peace of mind. This will also help keep safe your vulnerable family members like the pets and kids, away from falling debris,a dn objects.
Your temporary living space should have every basic equipment you will need such as the microwave, mini-fridge, food, and just make the place as comfortable as possible to relax.
Clear the area
Once your temporary living space is set, it’s now time to clear the area to be renovated and give room to the contractor.
You should remove things like furniture, decorations and personal belongings in the room that is going to be renovated. If possible, remove everything as much as possible to avoid them getting destroyed during the process. If you can’t remove heavy properties, then you need to cover them with pieces of cloth or nylon to keep them protected from dust and paint.
Be ready for dusty days
Dust won’t just get to the area that’s being renovated. In fact, most parts of your home will be affected. And if you didn’t prepare well for this, you might end up losing a lot more. Cover areas that will possibly be affected by sealing off doors and air vents until renovation is done.
Be a good neighbor
Never forget about informing your neighbors! Renovations come with a lot of noise, dust, and debris spreading all over. It will be a bad image if all these catches your neighbors unawares. Maintain a good rapport with your neighbors by informing them beforehand. They will not just appreciate this gesture, but may be more tolerating to the noise coming from your home for the rest of the period.
Making Tough Decisions: How to Deal with Unforeseen Issues during Renovation
The unexpected will always happen over this time, regardless of how you have prepared. Things like hidden structural problems, sudden budget adjustments, and everything in between can affect the project’s estimation and timeframe. But with the right strategies in place, you can tackle anything that comes your way. Here are a few tips to help you sail through any unforeseen circumstances:
Keep calm
It’s always a good idea to ignore all the pressure of the situation and just take your time to assess the situation first. Consider how it will affect the whole project, and come into peace that such obstacles are just a part of any successful renovation project.
Seek advice
If you made the right decision right from the beginning and hired the right NYC general contractor, then this is where they will come in handy. Your general contractor in NYC that you hire should be the first person in contact for advice. They have the experience to weigh the situation and offer practical solutions.
Have priorities and then decide
With the advice at hand, it will now be much easier to prioritize the factors and decide. While some problems may need immediate response, others can actually be postponed without affecting the project. It’s always a good idea to make decisions based on urgency and how the situation affects the project.
Protecting Your Home: How to Keep Your Valuables Safe during Construction
While home renovation is meant to breathe a new life into your home, it can also come with its set of losses, if you don’t take a step further to protect your valuables during the time. By the time the whole process is completed, you may start looking for the missing favorite piece of jewelry, or even stare at the broken photo frame, which you valued the most.
Don’t be that guy. Take these steps to protect your belongings so you can have them back in your home after renovation.
Have an inventory
It’s advisable to have an inventory of all your valuables before commencing any type of renovation that will require moving items. Your list should include items like jewelry, electronics, artwork, antiques, and other highly valuables in your home that could easily be misplaced. Having this inventory will help you keep everything under record, and serve as an important reference source when any of them gets lost.
Secure the valuables
They are your treasured items, that is why you don’t have to leave them lying carelessly in the renovation zone. Use safety boxes to store them well for the rest of the period. Ensure that the place you are storing them can withstand any harsh weather changes as well.
For treasures that cannot be moved, use protective coverings such as clothing to cover them and prevent them from catching dust.
Keep your contractor informed
When you can’t move all the items away, keeping your contractor aware of the belongings you have left behind is the best way to keep them safe. By making them aware, they will work carefully with this in mind, so they don’t destroy them during the process. Remember, a reliable NYC general contractor will factor in all your concerns and work with you to ensure the safety of your items.
Enjoying Your New Space: Tips for Settling in after Your Renovation is Complete
Finally! The renovation is done! But how do you transition from your temporary living space to start enjoying the new-looking home? Well, here are a few tips:
Take a moment to appreciate
Appreciate the hard work that you and the contractor have put into place to make this a success. Give yourself a pat at the back for surviving through the whole process. Now it’s time to shift and enjoy the relaxing environment.
Clean and organize
Most NYC general contractors will clean after themselves after they are done renovating. But this doesn’t mean you stop there. Perform a thorough cleaning process to remove any dust and debris that’s left before getting things back.
Arrange your furniture back with your belongings
Here comes the fun part – getting things back. Try your initial arrangements before thinking of the new ones that are already wandering through your mind. There’s no harm in trying different arrangements until you find the one that fits perfectly.
Now add your personal style with some decorations. Your artworks, photos, and plants now take their spaces to complete the whole arrangement.
Now you can enjoy your new looking home, while keeping in mind that you need to maintain it for it to continue looking at its best! Keep it clean, always, take care of minor repairs in time, and maintain your appliances to keep them running efficiently.
Conclusion
Surviving through a home renovation process can be really difficult and challenging to most homeowners. But with the right mindset and preparation, you can start and complete the whole process with much ease and less stress. Just keep in mind that this is never a race but a journey that needs to have its own time and preparation. The result is not just the beautiful renovated space, but also the lessons you learn along the way.