Are you thinking ahead to 2016? Maybe you’ve decided to finally remodel the kitchen or tackle a few home improvement projects.
For the past few months, the hubby and I have been living in a construction zone thanks to a water leak and broken heating system. We’re undergoing multiple unplanned repairs and renovations to our basement, kitchen, laundry room, two bathrooms and rear foyer. Whew! Since we’ve never done a massive, long-term project like this before, it’s been quite the learning experience. So, if you’re planning to take the plunge and tackle a few major projects, think about these questions as you prepare.
1. Will I have access to a working kitchen?
At first it seems fun to rely on pizza delivery and Chinese takeout during your home remodeling project. But, after awhile your waistline will expand while your wallet shrinks. To prepare for being without use of our stove, oven and kitchen sink, we spent a weekend preparing homemade TV dinners that we could warm up in our toaster oven. It’s worked out amazingly well!
2. Can I get to the bathroom?
Even if you aren’t working on a project in your bathroom, you might have limited access. For example, our main working shower is in the basement. On the days our kitchen floor gets refinished, we won’t have access to the basement, or a working shower. Plan ahead by staying at a hotel, showering at a family member’s house or using your gym membership to the fullest!
4. Does the construction affect my pets?
We have two large dogs. One of them has a bladder problem, which requires her to go outside and potty every few hours. During part of our construction work, we won’t have easy access to our fenced backyard. I’m keeping the dog leashes and harnesses easily accessible for short potty-break walks.
5. Do I have some clear, clean living space?
When we emptied our kitchen and laundry room, everything moved to the nearby living room, sun room and extra bedrooms. Thankfully, we’ve kept our bedroom and my office free of extra clutter. This has definitely helped reduce stress levels!
6. Will the water or electricity be turned off?
It’s easy to forget that you may not have your usual utilities available while construction work progresses. Prepare by stocking bottled water and having flashlights handy. Thankfully we’ve only had small pockets of time without running water.
7. How loud is the construction work?
This past week I realized how loud an air nailer really is, and I’m cringing at the thought of the floor sanding machine. I work from home, so loud, interrupting sounds are a concern. I’ve been juggling my schedule to get the bulk of my work done on weekends and evenings when there’s no construction work going on.
8. Is dust going to get everywhere?
Cutting dry wall, removing ceiling tile and sanding wood floors is making a mess around my house. Thankfully, we’re already budgeting in time to clean pretty much everything because construction dust is showing up everywhere!
9. Will your appliances be accessible?
During our project, the stove, washer and dryer have been unhooked and stored in the dining room. Soon we will need to venture to a local laundry mat to tackle our growing piles of dirty clothes.
10. Do you need garage access?
When you have contractors and repair people coming and going all day long, they often park in your driveway and block the garage. If you need to come and go, let them know your schedule ahead of time, or you may have to get your painter off a ladder before you can leave the house.
11. Have you planned some downtime?
As silly as it sounds, it’s incredibly exhausting keeping an eye on all the people working in your home, making sure your pets are taken care of and trying to get some work done. I’m learning that as soon as the noise and chaos quiets down, I really look forward to some quiet couch time with the hubby and dogs.
Are you planning any major home improvement projects? Let me know what you’re working on in the comments below. (Misery loves company as I press on in my own personal construction zone!)
Until next time,
Choose healthy!
Angela
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