Whether you’ve just booked a house renovation or are thinking about embarking on one, what should you expect while working with a builder? To help you navigate the process we’ve compiled a list of 8 things to bear in mind during a home renovation.
1. You’ll Be the Talk of the Neighbourhood
Renovations draw a good deal of attention. Talk to your neighbors about the extent of the renovation and the projected timeline. Don’t forget to give them a heads up if there is something important happening, you don’t want them to be amazed if an excavator shows up at 8 AM. Keeping everyone in the loop, along with also the occasional coffee and donuts will guarantee your BBQ celebration invitation for years to come!
2. Bear in Mind That It’s a Procedure
The renovation process is simply that, a procedure. There will be occasions when you can’t contain your excitement just like on demonstration day or when your fantasy bathtub is installed. However, there might also be dull days when progress appears slow. Ever see wiring being set up?
3. Rethink Your Daily Routine
If you’ll be at home during the renovation, we can guarantee that your daily routine is going to change. There will be sections of this home you may have limited access to, people coming and going during the day, often quite early, and lots of additional sounds.
You’ll want to be flexible with your routines (do not forget to elongate first!). Consider what may want to change so that work and family lives can carry on as normally as possible. And provide a little additional thought to the littlest members of their family…kids and pets! They will be lots of new adventures for them to appreciate (we make sure to provide opportunities to see how we work!) But you’ll need to make sure that for the most part they’re stored securely out of their way.
4. You will want to Take Photos
Before. During. After! Do not forget to bring it out of your pocket to capture the full procedure.
In progress, photos are great for maintaining family members and friends up-to-date and also to track how far you’ve come. You would be surprised how quickly you forget the older pink tub or green shag carpet!
5. Find a Way to Stay Organized
Even though a fantastic contractor will take as much off your plate as you can, you are still going to have a lot of decisions to make. It can be the old-fashioned paper and pencil variety or you’ll be able to go digital (there’s probably a program for this).
It is going to be useful to have one place for note-taking, to-do lists, also for writing down the questions that pop up in your head while you’re brushing your teeth.
6. Yes, There’ll Be Mess!
Your home will be a construction site. No matter the preventative measures, such as dust barriers and floor covers, dirt will escape to other parts of your house (it’s sneaky like this!).
With the extra foot traffic and vehicles that your lawn might also be subject to a little wear and tear, so be prepared to show your house a little extra love throughout the reno, indoors and outside.
7. Everything You Should Expect From The Organization
An excellent contractor (& team) would be:
- In continuous communication (i.e. they will never ghost one)
- respectful to you, your Loved Ones, and your home
- professional (i.e. be in their best behavior in Any Respect times)
- punctuation and show up on the agreed upon occasions
Hey, that sounds just like us! Do not take our word for it, read what our happy clients say.
8. What Your Contractor Should Expect From You
To help your renovation operate easily, there are a few things which you can do to support your contractor too. Find out more here.
As a great customer you should be:
- In constant communication (we’d really like to have the ability to read minds but that is not that our superpower!)
- Patient, especially now that some matters may take longer
- decisive, which will keep things moving along
- welcoming (i.e. create the staff feels that you’re happy to see these). A team that feels valued will often go the extra mile. Plus, you’ll be more happy too!
With these tips in mind, are you ready to start a house renovation?
Have a look at our featured jobs and kitchen renovation Guelph for inspiration or view our useful Renovation Guide to get started. To speak with our Project Managers telephone 519-664-2245.