The Construction Process of an Interior Renovation
The construction process of an interior renovation is typically pretty straightforward. As you will discover from my other blogs on this topic, the key will always involve being organized.
The first thing a builder will need you to do is either completely move out of the space or home. What you might think is “completely” usually is not for the builder. In almost all my projects, people think they are moving things into a basement area or attic, only to find out that this is where HVAC and plumbing will be running later. Trust me: you do not want your builder moving your personal items.
Here are some hints + tips on how to prepare your home for an Interior Renovation:
- Personal belongings – Put everything in clear Tupperware bins and label them carefully. Review with your builder your plan about where they will be moved to verify that they will be out of the way. You might need to get a storage container that can either stay on your property or be moved off-site, depending on how much room you have.
- Potty – Decide if you want to let your crew use your bathroom or if there will be a porta-potty on the job site. My vote is always the Porta Potty: short money and high return.
- Scope Creep – Even though you haven’t planned to expand your scope of work, I find most people do end up expanding the project once the builder shows up and realizes they could tackle a few other projects and only do one more extensive project. For example, if you are renovating one area of your home, we will need to address the flooring and you might decide to refinish all your floors; this will mean moving all the furniture out of that area. Or people will decide this is an excellent time to add AC. And while it’s probably a good idea, it also will involve moving into many spaces, specifically the attic and basement.
Moving companies can be your friend! They will come and pack your belongings and even move it off-site, then back again when the project is finished. I’ve found this to be the best way to tackle the complications involved with the process. While you might not want to accrue that added expense, calculate how much time and stress is worth to you, then call a moving company.