Can you live at home during a kitchen renovation?

/ Rio Contracting/

Kitchen RENOVATION



Remodeling your kitchen can be an exciting time, but it can also be a significant disruption to your daily routine. One of the most common questions homeowners have is whether or not they can continue living in their home during a kitchen renovation. The short answer is yes, it's possible. The construction will most likely be happening during working hours, so if you expect to be out of the house during these hours, there’s really no reason you can’t go back at the end of the day and sleep in your own bed. We just hope you enjoy eating takeout and microwaveable foods! Just kidding (but not really). If you work from home or spend the majority of your days at home, however, this may become quite an inconvenience. The construction can be loud, and dust may travel to other parts of the house, which may interfere with your day-to-day responsibilities. 

So that was the short answer, but if you’re still not convinced on what is best for you, keep reading, as we will explore other factors we think you should consider before making this decision.  

 

Work Scope

The most important thing to consider is the scope of the renovation. If you're planning a complete overhaul of your kitchen, with extensive electrical and plumbing work, your kitchen serves no function until it’s completed. Also, the more invasive the work, the longer it will take, the louder the construction, the more likely dust will get into other rooms (even if proper containment measures are taken), and the more risk there is for someone living in the house to get hurt. In this case, you may want to consider relocating to a hotel or another temporary housing option. If the renovation is less extensive, however, such as a cosmetic update with minimal plumbing and electrical work, it's likely that you can live in your home during this relatively quick renovation and possibly even continue using the kitchen.

 

Layout and Size of Your Home

The layout and size of your home is often something people don’t consider when deciding whether or not they will continue living in their home during a kitchen remodel. If your kitchen is located in a central part of your home, and regularly receives a lot of foot traffic, living in your home may not be advisable. Limiting the amount of foot traffic in the kitchen during the construction is recommended—if it’s in an area that is pretty unavoidable, it can become a danger hazard. On a similar note, if your home is not very spacious and doesn’t allow you to be distant from the construction area, the convenience and comfort of living in your home may suffer. 

 

Budget

Finally, you'll need to consider your budget. If you decide to move out of your home during the renovation, this will add an additional expense to your budget, which is something a lot of people forget to consider when planning their remodel. You'll need to factor in the cost of temporary housing, moving expenses, and storage fees, if necessary. If you're on a tight budget, living in your home during the renovation may be the most cost-effective option, but we do advise prioritizing your safety and well-being above all. 

 

Tips for Living at Home

For those who have decided, after reading our notes above, that you will be living at home during your kitchen renovation, we have compiled a list of what we believe to be the best tips for making your experience as comfortable as possible.

  • If the space allows, set up a temporary kitchen in another area of your home, such as a basement or garage. You can use a microwave, toaster oven, and hot plate to prepare meals. If you have an outdoor grill, even better!

  • Cover your furniture and belongings with plastic sheeting to protect them from dust and debris. Your contractor should do their best to contain dust particles in the work area, but some dust almost always manages to get to other rooms.

  • Communicate regularly with your contractor to ensure you're on top of the schedule and aware of any changes. You may decide that you’ll be living at home during the majority of the renovation, but for some segments (demolition and framing, for example) you’ll be more comfortable living elsewhere.

  • Try to maintain a positive attitude and focus on the end result. Remember, the inconvenience will be temporary, and you'll soon have a beautiful new kitchen to enjoy.

 

In conclusion, there are various factors that need to be considered when determining whether or not you should live at home during a kitchen renovation. While we don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer for you, we hope that the information provided in this post has or will help you with your decision. Check out our other blog posts for useful tips and guides for common home improvement questions, and if we don’t hear from you, good luck with your kitchen remodel!