As you prepare for your upcoming renovation project, you should consider how the demolition and construction phases will impact your everyday life living at home. If you have specific concerns, requests, or questions regarding this, discuss them with your designer or construction manager before demolition begins. One question homeowners often ask as they plan their remodel is, “Can I live at home during a remodel?”
In our remodeling experience, the Advance Design Studio team has partnered with families that live at home as well as families that move out for the duration of construction. We’re here to help you through this decision too!
There are a few key factors that will help you determine whether or not living at home during construction is the best fit for you and your family. Let’s break down how your decision may impact your lifestyle, investment, and overall remodeling journey. We’ll also cover the potential benefits and disadvantages of living at home during a remodel.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER:
REMODEL SCALE:
The size and scope of your remodel will impact how comfortable it will be for you to stay at home during construction. Whole home renovations or standalone kitchen/bath remodels will naturally be far more disruptive than minor updates. Think about your everyday routines and what spaces in your home are the most high-traffic and essential. If your kitchen is the hub of your home, or you need more than one bathroom for your family, consider this in your decision.
Protective barriers and materials during construction may impact your daily routines and organization.
LIFESTYLE ROUTINES:
Deciding whether or not you should temporarily relocate during a remodel will also depend on how much time you spend at home and how much disruption you’re willing to live with. If you spend most of your time at home and need a relaxing, quiet space for your family (especially for kids or pets), temporary relocation may be the best option. For many construction teams, onsite work begins around 7am. If you aren’t a morning person, or your mornings are a whirlwind of getting the kids out the door for school, it may make your daily routines a bit more difficult if you live at home during construction.
Working from home may also be difficult during the noise and activity of construction. Depending on your project, you may have limited access to a working kitchen, bathroom, or quiet space. For bustling families, this may be more important than homeowners without pets or kids. Living in your home mid-construction can feel overwhelming and discouraging for some homeowners, so removing yourself from construction while it’s happening may be beneficial for your mental health and overall remodeling experience.
FINANCIAL PRIORITIES:
Choosing to relocate during your remodel can definitely increase the overall cost of your remodel. We’ve seen a variety of routes our clients take to temporarily relocate, including: renting an Airbnb, staying at a family or friend’s house, moving into a camper, booking a short-term hotel stay, staying at their second home, or even going on an extended vacation during their remodel. Keep in mind that your relocation duration will vary depending on your project’s size and scope. You need to ask yourself:
- Can I afford to take on the extra expense of temporary housing during my remodel?
- Would I rather put additional funds toward my remodel than budget for temporary housing?
- Where do I draw the line between living through active disruption at home vs. accruing additional housing expenses?
PROS OF LIVING AT HOME DURING A REMODEL
There are a few benefits that come with living at home during the duration of your project.
1. ON-SITE FOR CHECK-INS & MILESTONES
Living onsite during a remodel will enable you to see the exciting transformation of your home firsthand. You will likely gain insight into how the construction process works, be able to see what lies behind the walls of your home, and identify any concerns you have early on.
Some homeowners live at home through construction because of the convenience of communicating with their remodeling team onsite. After all, communication is one of the keys to a successful remodel. If unforeseen issues arise, your team can easily speak with you to come to a swift solution or get approvals on the spot.
However, if you partner with a team that utilizes a remodeling client-communication platform, you will be in constant communication with your team whether you stay or relocate during the project. For example: at Advance Design Studio, each of our clients has access to our Buildertrend client hub, where they can message our team, ask questions, see updates and photos from us, and more throughout the duration of their project. This allows our clients to relocate during their remodel with peace of mind knowing communication will be just as active regardless of where they live during construction.
Regardless of where you live during the project, it’s crucial to partner with a team you completely trust to manage your project, so you don’t have to worry about being onsite for any details and day-to-day schedules.
2. NO RELOCATION COSTS OR STRESS
Having to pack up your family’s essentials to temporarily relocate can be an added stress on top of your daily routines. Living at home, while potentially messy and disruptive during your remodel, will likely cost less than relocating. If you have children or pets and need a sense of normalcy in your routines, living at home may be beneficial, even if that means your house looks like a construction zone.
CONS OF LIVING AT HOME DURING A REMODEL
For many homeowners, living through construction is not the most enjoyable experience. Here are a few reasons why clients choose to temporarily relocate during construction.
1. DAILY CONSTRUCTION ZONE DISRUPTIONS
Expect loud noise levels, dust, debris, and conversation between construction workers during the duration of your project. For most homeowners, living through a remodel is not an enjoyable experience. Your remodeling team should do their best to limit the disruptions, but their primary goal is to complete your remodel on time with quality craftsmanship. Depending on the scope of your remodel, you could experience anywhere between a few weeks to many months of your home looking like an active construction zone.
2. LIMITED ACCESS TO YOUR HOME
High-traffic areas that are being either remodeled or accessed by your construction team will be more difficult for you to use on a daily basis. For example, if your kitchen or bathroom is being remodeled, you will lose access to those spaces for weeks. Unless your home is large enough to accommodate a temporary kitchen, or if you have multiple bathrooms and don’t mind sharing with other family members, you may want to consider relocating during the project.
3. CONSTRUCTION CAN BE EMOTIONALLY TAXING
Feeling like your home is in disarray during construction isn’t fun, we can all agree. Even though the construction is only temporary, nearly all homeowners experience a point during construction where they are tired of the noise, excess dust, and foot traffic that comes with remodeling. Homeowners who relocate during construction experience far less emotional stress and enjoy the benefit of coming back home to completely new spaces. If you are hoping for a “grand reveal” as you see at the end of an HGTV remodel show, you’re more likely to experience that excitement if you relocate during construction.
WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
The decision to stay or relocate during a remodel is a personal choice. Once you fully understand the impact your decision will have on you and your family, you can confidently make your decision. Make sure you consider these factors of staying vs relocating: financial impact, home functionality, and lifestyle impact. Whether you stay home during construction or relocate, remember that the mess of construction is only temporary. Soon you will have a beautiful new space in your home to enjoy!
We recommend having a backup plan in any situation. If you decide to live at home during the project but find mid-construction that the disruption is too much to live through, make sure you have a relocation plan loosely in place for the short term. If you decide to relocate for construction, plan out exactly how long you want to relocate for, where you’ll be, and what that means for your family.
OTHER REMODELING RESOURCES:
As you plan the details of your remodel, it’s important to know where other homeowners have struggled. We’ve put together a list of the most common mistakes homeowners make when remodeling (and how to avoid them).
Interested in learning more about our remodeling process and chat with an expert designer? Schedule a free complimentary consultation with our design team below. We can help you bring your vision to life from design through construction.