Renovating your home can be a stressful experience. Whether you are changing just one room or the entire house, the many complications and set backs along the way can leave you overwhelmed and confused. Once the project is finally complete, you want to be able to enjoy your new space without any more surprises. Avoid damage to your property and save your sanity by using the following tips.
Move Your Personal Belongings
Although some contractors will have your belongings taken care of for you, there is peace of mind in doing it yourself. After all, you know which items are the most important to you. Rent a storage space or have a container dropped off at your home where you can place all of your furniture, wall decor, and small items until the renovation is complete. Wrap fragile pieces carefully, and make sure tables and glass items are sufficiently protected. The people working on your home will appreciate being able to start construction in a totally empty space.
Cover What is Left
Once the rooms that will be renovated are emptied, you want to ensure anything that will be kept is sufficiently protected. This might be new windows that will require a sheet of plastic placed over them. It can also include covering doorways into rooms that are not a part of the renovation. Closing off these doorways will help keep dry wall dust and other debris from drifting throughout the house. If you have floors that won’t be changed during the remodel, make sure they are covered in a thick surface protector like Aqua Shield. You can find these coverings online from retailers such as Trimaco.
Leaving Your Home
It may not be feasible for you and your family to leave the house throughout the entire renovation, but there may be certain times during the remodel when it will be much easier on everyone involved to relocate for a few days. Talk to your contractor about exactly what to expect with each phase of the project. He can give you a general idea of what to expect so that you can determine if your family will be able to cope with the chaos or not.
Taking the additional time needed to remove your personal belongings from the site, making sure your contractor has covered all exposed surfaces, and possibly moving to a temporary location until the work is complete will ensure a stress free outcome. You will be able to enjoy your newly renovated space without having to deal with damaged property or a frazzled family.