Should you move out during your Bathroom Renovation?
When doing any home renovation inside your home, it may be worth considering moving out whilst the works take place. Some people do this, and some don’t. If your renovation works are quite significant you may want to consider moving out to allow your contractors to complete their work without interruptions. What are the benefits of moving out during your home renovation and should you do it, or just stay home? We’ve listed below 3 main considerations to help you decide whether its worth doing.
No toilet or shower to use during renovation!
A popular example we tend to see, is when multiple bathrooms are being renovated at the same time in a client’s home. These kinds of jobs involve significant amounts of noise, works and contractors coming in and out. If all the bathrooms are being renovated in the home, this also leaves the client without any bathroom facilities during the whole duration of works. Therefore, they may choose to stay with a friend or family member, or book accommodation nearby as a more comfortable option. If your renovation works are quite significant where you find you are let with minimal or no use of the bathroom facilities for a period of time, it could be worth while making the move whilst you wait for your new bathrooms to be completed.
Family Members – Children, elderly& pets
Another consider to move out during your renovation could be if you have children, elderly or sick family members that may be at risk to any hazards or excess fumes, dirt and dust. Professional contractors will maintain a safe and clean workplace before, during and after site visits. However sometimes children, pets and even adults!.. can find a way to stumble across hazardous tools, materials or unfinished flooring that they shouldn’t. If you are worried about your pets or family members getting caught up in the renovation mess, then it may be worth considering.
Working from Home – Noise & Distractions
In this new post covid-19 world we live in, a lot of us work from home now. Therefore, you may want to think ahead and picture your day-to-day environments and if you would still be able to work from home whilst the renovation works are to take place. The biggest consideration for people working from home is noise and distractions. If your working space is not impacted by noise, and you have communicated to your trades that you will not be available between the hours or x – x, then you will be ok! However, if you working space is sensitive to the renovation noise, and you are concerned about being interrupted during your work hours, it may be worth considering moving elsewhere during the works.
So what to do?
To summarise, here your options and alternatives to consider to help you make your decision:
Where can you go if you need to move out during a renovation?
Stay with a friend or family member
Book local short-term accommodation
I’m staying home during the renovation, but I won’t have a bathroom to use?
If you have a gym membership, consider using their shower facilities for the short term
Consider hiring a portable shower/toilet (You can hire luxury ones!)
Your decision to stay or move for the short term all depends on your level of comfort. If you don’t have high standard requirements relating to comfort during the renovation, then you may very well be prepared and equipped to stick it out. One bathroom, or one single room being renovated is usually very manageable to live with as the duration is not too long, and you may have access other bathroom facilities. Maybe you’re not too fussed and are happy to hose yourself down in the garden each! Or maybe your comfortable managing the excess dust that’s left behind. But again it depends on your living and working environments relating to your day to day activities, and family members and pet requirements. Everyone has different preferences and limits to the impacts a renovation will have on their day to day lives.
Whichever you decide, it is then up to you to communicate your plans with your contractors before works begin. You’ll want to let them know if you will be home or not, how they can access the property if your not home, how to lock up when they leave, the list goes on. As Bathroom builders, we have had a lot of experience communicating these details with our clients and like to make sure all the details are well understood to avoid any unnecessary risks, damages, or mistakes that may interrupt the renovation deadlines. You can learn more about those details here > [12 key details your trade contracts need to know BEFORE renovating].
Its important to remember that there is no right or wrong in comparison to what one family may do compared to another. For example, one family may have a newborn, and multiple kids. And another may be a couple that work from home with pets. Another may be a couple caring for their elderly parents. All households have completely different requirements during the renovation therefore its important for you to identify your specific household requirements based on YOUR daily needs. Then it is up to you to communicate this with your contractors. Its also just as important to aim to ensure your environment is set up well for your trade contractors to complete their work with minimal distractions to their environment also. Now that you know these considerations, you can confidently plan your living arrangements for your next home renovation.
