Where Should You Live During Home Renovation?

Whether you are remodeling the home, reconstructing an entire portion of a house, or have a few minor maintenance jobs to do, choosing whether to live in a home during the process is an important decision. There are pros and cons to either choice, and the size of a project will affect the decision.

Things to consider:

• If the job will take over a month or more, renting or subletting a home or apartment nearby may be the best option for you and your family. 

• Renovations of homes will likely interfere with everyday patterns and schedules you hope to maintain in the home. Your peace of mind could be affected for the worse if you stay in the home.

• Work that includes more than half of a home or affects all the bathrooms and the kitchen will likely force you to leave during renovation.

• Minor repairs like roof patches don’t usually require moving out, but if safety is a concern, contractors will recommend you temporarily relocate.

• A popular strategy is to go on vacation during the renovation.

What are the advantages to leaving the home?

There’s a number of advantages to leaving a home during the renovation process. First and foremost, you’ll have a much more pleasant living experience if you aren’t staying in a home that’s doubling as a construction site. This means you’ll avoid the general and unpleasant common occurrences during construction such as dust pile-up, noise, and the constant flow of workers that are going to and from your home.

Some projects require you to move away for your safety’s sake. These include major roof remodeling, asbestos and major mold removal, wood floor refinishing, and other projects that take up over half of the home, impact your health, or your ability to use the home.

If you do leave the house, make sure you trust your contractors and the workers. This is the perfect reason to have home security equipment and have the tools in place to keep constant watch of your home while you’re away.

If you do decide to stay

Staying in your home will most likely be cheaper than moving out due to added expenses from living in a hotel and eating out more frequently.

You’ll be able to monitor the status of the project every day, which might provide a certain peace of mind. You’re right in the middle of the action, so you can address any issue that arises with your contractor, meaning quicker resolution.

Considerations if you stay in the home:

• Know the schedule of construction. This way workers don’t trip security alarms, and you’ll know when they are in the house.

• Create zones that are construction-free and sealed off to try and limit the amount of dust and dirt that gets around the house.

• Turning off the HVAC unit may limit the transmission of dust. Running an air handler might help to filter out dust.

• Remove any fragile belongings or decorations that might be in the danger zone near the construction site.

• Pets and kids should be kept away from construction zones.

• If you’re wandering around the house near the construction site, keep your shoes on in order to avoid injury.

Whether you decide to leave or remain in the home will depend on many variables, your family, the project, and the timeline. Regardless of which option you choose, implement the proper game plan for your decision.

To keep your home safe in all life’s circumstances, call us at Brinks Home™. Let us work with you to build the perfect home security system to go along with your new renovation project.

Linley Stringer is a copywriter with Brinks Home. She is passionate about telling stories that keep consumers informed and protected.