It’s finally time to renovate your house and turn it into your dream home.! The plans are made, the required permits are obtained, the budget is set, the materials are ordered, and the contractors are booked. Only one issue remains to be resolved – should you move out or stay in your home during the renovation? Moving out or staying put both have considerable advantages and disadvantages, but moving out is usually the better choice when it comes to a major renovation project– it will allow you to live in a more comfortable environment, while giving your contractors the room they need to complete the job in a safe and efficient way.
Moving out during home renovation, however, will add to the cost and complexity of the project – you will need to find temporary living accommodations for you and your family and a temporary storage solution for your items. It will cost you and will cause a lot of hassle. You need to be well informed and well prepared in order to make the best possible choices and ensure your smooth renovation experience. For a small remodel project such as getting floors done, you will not need to leave your home. You can hire movers in your area to move the furniture into another room or the garage for the time being.
However, a larger renovation will be inconvenient and you’ll have to put up with a lot of noise and dust, but you can stay in your home during the renovation process, monitor the pace and the quality of the work, and save yourself the hassle of moving into temporary housing. Yet, not only will the renovations disrupt your daily life, but you may get in the way of the progress, too.
To determine if it will be better to stay in your home during the remodel or move out for a while, you need to consider several important factors:
1) Project Size
If you’re renovating only one room or a small area of your home, you won’t be able to use that space until the project is completed, but you will still be able to go about your daily routine without much disruption. You won’t need to move out.
If you’re doing a complete gut renovation, however, there will be demolition and construction taking place and large portions of your home will be unusable for weeks or even months. In such a case, you’ll need to temporarily live somewhere else – and will have to take most (or all) of your items out of the house as well.
2) Affected Areas and Access
If you’re remodeling the attic or adding a deck to your home, the lack of access to these areas won’t cause too much inconvenience. Renovation work that includes half of your house, affects all of the bathrooms, or necessitates interruption of the electrical and plumbing services, however, will make it impossible to live normally in your home.
3) How Long Your Project Will Take
You may be able to put up with the noise and inconveniences of renovation for a week or so, but if the job will take over a month, it will be better to find alternative living accommodations.
4) Safety of Dust and Toxins
A home under renovation creates a risky, unhealthy environment. There are building materials, tools, ladders, and debris throughout the renovation area, the hammering and drilling is extremely disturbing, and heating or cooling the home may be impossible. Construction work can stir up old toxins, bring new ones in, generate dust, and pose various hazards to the occupants of the home.
It is very dangerous for kids and pets to be around a construction site and the dust and toxins can seriously impact the health of everyone in the house (especially children, elderly adults, and people with chronic conditions). Moving out while renovating will allow you to avoid any associated risks to yours and your family’s safety and well-being.
5) The Overall Cost Of Moving
Moving out during renovation will add extra expenses to your already strained budget – you’ll have to pay for temporary housing, temporary storage, and the required related services and materials (packing materials for your items, transportation to a storage facility, etc.). Yet, it may actually be the cheaper option.
STAYING HOME DURING THE RENOVATION
If you stay at home, the renovation will take longer as your contractor will have to work around your schedule – that is extra time you’re paying for (not to mention the longer lasting inconvenience). The renovation crew will be a lot more productive if they work in an unoccupied house, so your project will warp-up much more efficiently if you move out during the remodel. Besides, charges are usually higher for remodeling projects where homeowners decide to stay – to cover additional costs for site protection, daily cleanup, and the rush to finish mechanical work quickly so that plumbing and electrical services aren’t interrupted. Therefore, it may be more cost-effective to pay for temporary housing than to cover the additional expenses incurred by staying on site. Other issues such as cleaning, cooking, maintaining kids’ routines, working from home, etc. should also be taken into account when deciding whether to stay at home or move out during renovation. Your and your family’s comfort and peace of mind shouldn’t be neglected either.
If you decide to move out of your home during the remodel, you’ll have to arrange for temporary accommodation and storage. When moving out for a remodel you have several options: staying with family/friends, getting an airbnb or staying at a hotel.
There are several important factors to consider when choosing the best temporary housing option for you and your family:
1.The duration of your temporary stay
2. Your housing needs – space, amenities, pets, etc
3. The location of the temporary lodgings
4.The cost you’re willing to pay.
5. When arranging temporary accommodation, you also need to think about what you’re going to do with your subscriptions, whether you’ll cut the TV, phone, and internet services to your home while it’s under renovation, etc.
6. Temporary storage during home renovation
7. When remodeling your home, you need to take everything out of the project areas before work can begin – to give your contractor a clean space to work and to prevent damage to your items during the renovation process.
TIPS FOR MOVING OUT DURING A STORAGE RENOVATION
Once you’ve made the decision to move out during your home remodel and arranged temporary accommodation and storage, it’s time to prepare for the actual move:
Declutter your home and get rid of everything you no longer need or want in your home. The fewer items you need to store away, the cheaper storage will be – and everything will be much easier (packing, finding a storage solution, transporting your belongings, etc.). Besides, you’ll likely want to buy new things for your renovated home anyway;
Decide what to take into your temporary home – check what’s already available in your temporary lodgings and decide what else you’re going to need and which of your items you want to have with you. Pack the things you’re going to take along separately from the items that will be put into storage;
Take your essentials and valuables with you – When moving into temporary housing, don’t forget to take your documents, medications, toiletries, season-appropriate clothes and shoes, small electronic devices, kids’ essential items (including games and toys), pets’ items, and other essentials with you. Do not leave any valuables (jewelry, artwork, expensive electronics, items of high sentimental value, etc.) in your house during the renovation process – either take them with you or store them in a safe place;
Book a trusted moving and storage company to help you move into your temporary home and take your items to storage;Visit your home once or twice a week to see the progress of the renovation process and make sure everything is going according to plan. Stay in touch with your contractor the entire time, so you can answer questions, note concerns, and discuss issues as they arise.
Still looking for more information? Check our moving infographics page for more helpful tips.
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