You may have heard all kinds of stories and wonder if you can survive a remodeling project. The truth is you can not only survive the project, you can even enjoy it – if you know what to expect and plan for what lies ahead of you during remodeling.
Reliable’s experts will help you with that planning. While it’s hard to foresee all the inconvenience that may ensue, the key figure in any project is the project manager. He or she is responsible keeping you aware, understanding your wishes, and getting the word out to all the tradespeople and contractors that are coming into your home. The project manager is your best advocate all the way through your project.
Making a list of things that you are concerned about and discussing this with your project manager can ease the remodeling blues considerably.
Here are some of the things that you may want to consider and discuss.
Hours of work
Will all of the work take place Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm? Will any work be done on weekends?
Parking
Parking can be problematic, so it is best to decide ahead of time where people will park during the project.
Access
If you don’t plan to be on site all the time, you will need to figure out how people will access your home. The project manager may have a lock box available for the tradespeople to put on your front door.
Smoking Areas
Will the tradespeople be permitted to smoke, or is smoking prohibited? If smoking is allowed, is there a specific area where it will be permitted?
Storage
A designated storage area will need to be chosen for delivery of materials and tools. This should be a dry place, such as an area in the garage, storage shed, or basement.
Children and Pets
Safety of children and pets is a top priority. Planning how to stage the construction area needs to be done ahead of time to ensure safety, as well as allow access to things you need daily.
Bathrooms
If your project will last several weeks, you should be supplied with a porta potty for the duration of your project. This can often be disguised behind a dumpster.
Moving out
This is often worth considering if you are doing a second floor addition with a lot of work on the first floor. If you are only doing a kitchen or bath remodel, moving out probably will not need to be considered. However, it is best to have a backup plan in place just in case the disruption becomes overwhelming.
Clean up
The work place should be swept clean by the tradespeople every day that work is being done.
Finally, it is important to be as calm as possible with the crew and with your family during the entire remodeling process. Good planning helps things go smoothly. Just remember that if issues do arise, your project manager will assist and will work through anything with you without fail.
Schedule some relaxation time during the project by going away for the night with the family. The stress of having construction in your home will soon go away when your project is complete and your life goes back to normal. Your discomfort will soon be replaced by the beautiful, remodeled home that you and your family will enjoy for many years to come.