Survival Tips for Living in a Renovation Zone
Living in a home undergoing a major home renovation project can be challenging, but with some careful planning, you can minimise the disruption to family life.
1 – Fence off construction areas
Create fenced off outdoor areas for children and pets that are well away from dangerous construction areas so that they have safe zones. Children and pets are inquisitive by nature, so expect them to be curious.
2 – Limit the spread of dust and dirt
Seal off sections of the house where possible to limit the spread of dust and dirt.
3 – Put protection in place
Protect what you plan to keep. Whether it is leadlight windows, existing flooring such as timber floorboards, or carpet, put protection in place so that the areas of the home that are to remain ‘as is’ do not get damaged.
4 – Move fragile or expensive items out of the way
Move any expensive furniture or fragile items to an area of the home that is well away from the construction to prevent accidental damage.
5 – Wear shoes!
Always wear shoes! Construction work is high-risk and messy.
Walking around in bare feet is asking for trouble.
Imagine stepping on a sharp off-cut of roof flashing.
You will have a nasty injury and will probably need to get a tetanus booster too.
6 – Pack stuff away in boxes
Even though you are not moving, you will still need to put a lot of your things away. If you are renovating your kitchen, pack up your dinnerware and cutlery and get it out of the way.
Stay organised by writing a list of the contents on the outside of each box.
You will thank yourself for doing this many times over.
7- Create a temporary kitchen
If you are going to be without a kitchen for a while, create a temporary kitchen. Eating out every night or ordering Uber Eats all the time are not good options for the wallet or the waistline. Put your fridge and microwave in an existing room and you will be able to have fresh produce on hand.
You will also be able to reheat food such as frozen or healthy delivered meals such as many of the weekly meal delivery plans from places such as Hello Fresh (this is not a sponsored post!). You could also create a camper style kitchen outside or use a barbecue, or at worst be prepared to eat a lot of toasted sandwiches!
8 – Surviving without a bathroom
If you have more than one bathroom it is a good idea to keep one in operational condition while you renovate the other. If you find yourself without a bathroom for a period of time, a temporary bathroom can be created and a portable toilet can be put in place. If you have a great builder on board, they can happily sort this out for you.
Living without a proper bathroom, or with a temporary toilet, can be unpleasant and tiring after a while, and as such we don’t recommend it for any more than a week or two.
