Home Renovations – Tips on Surviving the Process

As a designer, I always get the same questions:  Where do I start?  Do I need an Architect? An Engineer?  But especially,  How do I survive the process? Here are some answers to common questions from people considering a renovation project

HOW DO I SURVIVE THE PROCESS?

Move out! Of course, this is something that most of us can’t afford to do, even knowing that with any renovation there will be considerable inconvenience   But there are some things you can do to ease the process. Designate rules of the house for the workers:  which bathroom to use, which door to come in and out of, where to dump trash.  Make sure they clean the job site daily. Come to an agreement on starting and quitting times, including any weekend work days. Whatever you do, the process will be difficult. But it is a short term inconvenience for a long term benefit. (And who knows – you may even get to like the radio station they listen to!)

BUT WON’T MY HOUSE BE A HUGE MESS?

Yes, it will, but there are things that can be done to cut down on the mess. Move everything out of the areas to be worked on. Cover all furniture in the vicinity or transportation path of construction.  Make sure your builder adequately protects flooring and furniture.  And confirm that they are using good dust seal materials on all doorways leading to the work area. Dust is the absolute worst part of this whole process and whatever you do, expect to be cleaning it away for months after the project is completed. However, if you have followed the steps above, particularly insuring that the builder has properly sealed all work areas, you will have done everything possible to minimise the amount of cleanup.

MY KITCHEN IS TORN UP, HOW DO I FEED MY FAMILY?

The most difficult home renovation to get through is the kitchen. You can expect to have your appliances out of commission for a good long while, 4 weeks if you are lucky, but 8 weeks or more depending on the size and complexity of your project. Takeaways or eating out every night during this time can not only break your budget, but will ruin your health and your waistline! So here are some survival tips.

If you can schedule the project during months when the weather is conducive to outdoor cooking, this would be ideal. Invest in a great barbecue, if you don’t already have one, along with a great bbq cookbook. You can make just about anything on the barbie, even pizza and dessert! But any time of the year, set aside a room in the house to be your temporary kitchen. Have the builders move your fridge in here, along with your microwave, toaster and any other small electrical appliances. If it’s not bbq weather and you have a wood burning fireplace, be adventurous and experiment with roasting some sausages or other meats there. Unless you have a large, useful laundry sink for washing dishes, splurge on disposable dishes and cutlery for the duration, as trying to washes dishes in a bathroom sink or tub will get very old, very quickly. If you have a large freezer, the weeks ahead, start preparing dishes that are suitable for freezing in large quantities, and then store in aluminium containers in meal size portions. Whatever you do, it will be inconvenient, but you can minimise the pain and try to have some fun in the process!

I DON’T HAVE TIME, WHO WILL MANAGE THE WORK?

A professional designer can be a very important addition to your renovation team. And one of my specialties is Project Management. In addition to producing all of the drawings and helping you source your products, I can also help run the process from beginning to end. And at a fraction of the cost you would be charged by an architect or specialist project manager!

In addition, to helping you narrow down the dizzying array of products choices and saving you money by passing along trade discounts, I receive all products you purchase through me, handle any problems that may arise and assure that products are available when needed for installation.

For a busy person trying to live through a major renovation project, such as a new Kitchen or Master bathroom, it helps to have a coordinator. I speak both yours and the contractor’s language and am therefore ideally suited to help you manage the fine details that will keep the project running smoothly and on schedule. With this kind of help, you can concentrate on taking care of your family, while I manage your project so that it runs smoothly and on schedule!