A house is a constantly evolving space. Homeowners change designs, rethink their floor plans and follow the latest trends in interior decoration. As rewarding as a home renovation can be, it can sometimes be grueling experiences for you and everyone else in the household.
This is a contributed post and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Meet The Harris Family.
The noise, inconvenience and the possibility of accidents can get on people’s nerves, especially since the standard major home renovation project can take weeks or even months to complete. A complete bathroom renovation, for instance, can cost you an average of $30,000. It can also take as long as three whole weeks before it’s done.
Here are a few tips on how you can make sure your home and belongings are safe throughout a major home remodel:
1. Communicate with Your Contractor
Your first order of business should be to discuss arrangements with the contractor or builder managing your renovation.
If you are hiring a builder with a contractor’s license, you can look forward to professional care with your home and the project. Still, you can’t be too careful. You have to tell the builder about any pertinent information about your home.
Here’s an example: the builder may not be aware that your cabinet doors are antiques and need exquisite care. Also, your windows might be made of expensive Tiffany glass.
Discussing how to protect such objects and features around your home is a must if you want to prevent any damage from occurring during the renovation process.
2. Take Note of Your Belongings
The adage “trust but verify” is always a good maxim when you let people, even reliable contractors, in your home. Before any major renovation, you should take note of all the belongings you can’t put in storage. Take some of them with you if you are leaving your house.
Also, take plenty of pictures of your furniture from all angles. This could be useful in proving if an item sustains damage during the renovation.
Next, come up with a comprehensive list of all small items. They could easily become lost if your contractors aren’t too careful.
Don’t forget to take extra care of important personal documents. If you can’t put them in a safe or take them with you when you leave, put them in secure storage bins so they are in one place. Scanning them can also be a great way to preserve them in the event of an accident.
3. Update Security
Security systems are a worthwhile investment. Updating whatever system you have at home can be a must if you are renovating, even if you are just changing your carport design.
Most houses tend to sit empty while they’re being renovated. They can become targets for thieves and other criminal elements. Updating your security system can be a great way to deter criminals.
If someone does manage to break in, you’ll have video footage and other pieces of evidence that can help track them down. Important updates include increasing the memory of the hard drive for your video cameras and installing motion detectors that could help catch criminals.
4. Use Consumables
Your home renovation can take a while to complete. While you’re out, food and other perishable goods may spoil or expire. This is especially true if you are having your kitchen remodeled. You could end up losing hundreds of dollars’ worth of food if you don’t whittle down your consumables before the renovation begins.
Several days or weeks before the start of the home improvement project, begin cooking and eating food that may conceivably spoil within a week of your renovation. Consume all fresh food as soon as you can.
If you must eat while you’re away from home, order takeout or dine at restaurants. This step will also prevent nasty surprises, such as mold or unpleasant odors, which could develop when you leave consumables unattended and unused.
5. Get Appliances Insured
Your appliances will be difficult to move out of your home during a major renovation. This means they can be easily damaged by a clumsy builder or an accident during the remodeling process.
If you don’t want to break the bank buying new appliances, make sure to apply for the appropriate appliance insurance coverage. These policies are highly useful for protecting you financially when unfortunate events occur during your remodeling.
If you are unable to afford new appliance insurance at this time, make sure that your most expensive appliances have existing policies to mitigate any financial loss.
Your home renovation can be a difficult process. This, however, doesn’t have to be hard if you take the proper precautions. These five suggestions will help make sure that your next remodeling project results in an amazing new home instead of a massive headache.
