Remodeling: Should you stay or live elsewhere during the project?

Major remodeling projects present homeowners with a difficult decision: find other living arrangements during the course of the project to get away from the noise of power tools and allergy inducing dust or save money by living in a construction. Because the remodel is already expensive as it is, many homeowners choose to deal with the inconvenience of living there so that they can save some money. But some of your remodeling budget might be better spent on alternate living arrangements. Here are some tips for helping you decide and some advice to help you live with that decision after you’ve made it.

Why you should stay

Unless you have a very close family member or friend who would let you impose on their hospitality for no cost, making arrangements to live outside your home during the remodel is going to be the costlier option. Not only do you have to pay for a hotel room or sign a short lease for an apartment or home, you will also be spending more on eating out. If you have any pets, you may also need to pay money to board them. Another consideration you may not have thought of is that by choosing to live off-site, you won’t be around as much to notice any issues with the work that you may need to address.

Why you should leave

The obvious reason you would want to make alternate living arrangements during a remodel is to avoid the chaos that comes with sharing your living space with a bunch of contractors that are constantly coming and going. There will be lots of noise from the various power tools they will be using and there will probably be lots of dust that can aggravate your allergies. Depending on where the work is taking place, you may not have access to certain parts of your home for the duration of the project. This is especially challenging if you’ll have no or limited access to your kitchen.

If you stay

If you ultimately decide that staying is the best choice for you, there are some things you need to know. Though there will of course be inconveniences, there are things you can do to make things as comfortable as possible for yourself. Before work begins, work out a schedule with contractors that works for your family. Decide how contractors will exit and enter your home. If possible, give them access in such a way that they don’t interfere with your comings and goings. Ask about what they can do to keep dust and fumes to a minimum and if you won’t have access to your kitchen, ask them how they can help in setting up a temporary one for you.

If you leave

Finding a short-term lease for an apartment or home can be next to impossible. You’re better off trying to sublet or rent an extended stay hotel room-preferably one with a kitchenette so you don’t have to spend as much on eating out. Whatever arrangements you make, try to stay as close as possible to your home so that you can check in regularly on the progress and spot potential issues while they’re still easy to correct.

If neither option is good for you

If both of these options aren’t feasible for you right now, then it’s probably better to forego the large-scale remodel for the time-being on focus on smaller scale improvements that will make your home more functional and beautiful such as upgraded lighting, new light or sink fixtures, or some baseboard radiator covers.

---

Also in EZ Snap Covers Blog