Renovation Realities - Golly!

How to be fully prepared for your home transformation

Decibal

It will be loud. There will be hammers and voices, furniture moving, people walking, and just when you think there’s silence…there won’t be. Relaxing will be tough, but its nothing a solid pair of wireless headphones can’t solve. Use them to drown out the noise while watching tv, listening to music or catching up on your favourite podcast.

Day-to-Day

Your daily routine will be pushed around by contractors in your kitchen when you go for your morning brew, to tradesmen in your bathroom when you’re about to take a shower. Communicate with your project manager about which rooms they will be occupying and what their daily start and end times will be.

Delays

Despite the project schedule you have been given, people are not robots, and even robots break down, so prepare to expect a few delays. Inclement weather, a broken down truck, a sick worker, are just a handful of unforseen dilemmas handed down by the fates. Be patient and expect a timeline longer than anticipated so you won’t be disappointed.

Drafts

Keep your coziest attire on hand. With contractors coming in and out, walls disrupted and windows changed, there will constantly be a draft from somewhere or something. After a few days that hideous snuggy will be looking extra good.

Dust

All the tarps and drop clothes in the world will not prevent all the mess. Expect dust and dirt, even where you don’t expect it. Try to store your clothes in bags or bins and prepare to wipe down even the most unusual surfaces once the reno is complete.

Dogs

Your daily life has been disrupted and so has that of your dog - or cat or bird or fish or tarantula. This can be distressing for them, so be sure to monitor their appetite and provide them with plenty of water to combat the dust. With people going in and out be sure they don’t escape. You may want to contain them in a single room or leave them with a friend.

Done!

On the final day of your reno, after enduring all the inevitable side effects, you will appreciate it’s completion that much more. you will appreciate a working faucet, a clean house, a washing machine, more than you ever have. You’ll take in the magnificence of your new home and it will all be worth it!