There’s a lot to consider when organizing home improvements. Many of us focus so much on the improvements themselves and the initial costs, that we forget to plan for some of the other important details such as the disruption caused and the clean up. To make sure that you’ve planned for everything, below are 7 of the most commonly overlooked details to consider. 

 

Warning the neighbors

 

Warning your neighbors about a renovation is essential if it’s likely to permanently affect them – such as building an addition that could potentially block out sunlight to their backyard. However, general renovations could still be worth telling neighbors about in advance in case it causes temporary disruptions. The work could be very noisy and tradesmen may need to park outside. You don’t want to spring this on them as a surprise – especially if they’ve planned to have guests over or are expecting a newborn. 

 

Temporarily relocating belongings

 

While renovating a room, you may have to move everything out. You should consider where all these items will go and for how long. If your renovation is likely to take several weeks, you may want to consider putting items into self storage so that they’re not cluttering up another room. Take your time to look for affordable self storage in your area. 

 

Getting kids/pets out of the way

 

It could be dangerous or disruptive to have pets or kids running around during the renovation work. Consider whether it’s best for your pets or kids to stay somewhere else for the duration of the remodeling project. Alternatively, you may find that it’s best for everyone to move out into temporary accommodation. 

Managing access to your home

 

Will someone need to be around to let in tradesmen? Or should you provide one of them with a key? If you have to continue working throughout the renovation and you can’t work from home, you may find it easier to give them a key so that you can still work regular hours. Security measures like installing surveillance cameras beforehand or hiding valuables could be worthwhile if you’re likely to have lots of different people entering who you haven’t met. Of course, hiring reputable contractors may reduce the need for this.  

 

Continuing day-to-day tasks

 

You still need to wash, use the bathroom, eat and get dressed. Renovations could reduce privacy or even make rooms like your bathroom or kitchen temporarily unusable. Consider whether you need to eat out or hire a portable toilet. Temporarily moving out could be another option. 

 

Removing old furniture/fittings

In order to move in new stuff, you’ll need to move out old stuff. Some contractors will be able to handle this for you, but others won’t. In the latter case, you may need to hire removal companies for old appliances and fixtures, or rent a skip. There may even be appliances or fixtures that you can sell. 

 

Coping with the dust

Your renovation project could kick up a lot of dust. Make sure that the building is well ventilated and dedicate time to cleaning afterwards. You could even consider hiring cleaners to come in afterwards and get rid of all the dust. Some contractors may be able to clean up for you, but dust may still continue to settle after they’re gone, so be prepared to keep on top of it.