3 Tips for Surviving Home Renovations With Kids

Any type of home renovation can be difficult. From managing your budget and FHA 203K loan amounts to finding the right contractor and staying on schedule, even simple renovations can result in a lot of stress and sleepless nights. But add staying in the home with your children to the mix and you’ve almost undoubtedly created a recipe for disaster.

It is necessary to have proper design and planning in place before starting with a renovation project. For this, you could consult firms like WareDesign Build (https://waredesignbuild.com/home-additions/) that are specialized in designing and making a customized layout for your house. However, the question still remains – how to go about renovating your house while having your family living in the same space? Essentially, you can shift to any other place during the renovation period but if you decide to keep your family in the home for the project, here are three tips that will help you survive-and maybe even maintain your sanity.

Put Safety First

Construction zones are dangerous places for adults, let alone for children. For this reason, Alyson McNutt-English, a contributor to BobVila.com, states that it’s vital that you set up rules for safety for your children and then be sure to enforce those rules if and when they’re broken. While it can be a challenge for your kids to only be allowed in certain rooms of their own home, it’s for their own good. With exposed electrical, protruding nails and screws, and all the dirt and dust, it’s best to keep your kids away from the construction area until everything is completed. Setting up rules for the renovation duration helps them understand that this is serious business that they need to steer clear of.

Make Space for Organization

According to Ann Robinson and Annie V. Schwemmer, contributors to DeseretNews.com, the biggest problem families face when staying in the home during a renovation is finding space to both live and house their belongings. This time will seem like you’ve moved but haven’t actually gone anywhere. Because of this, it’s a smart idea to get as organized as possible with your belongings before construction starts. If at all possible, try not to add too many boxes or big items to your children’s rooms so they’re able to maintain some type of consistency throughout the renovation by continuing to have their own space to play and sleep. This will result in happier kids and happier parents throughout your reno.

Avoid Hard and Fast Timeframes

Renovations are commonly known to go beyond their budget and beyond their timeline. In fact, Scott McGillivray shares with TodaysParent.com contributor Lauren Ferranti-Ballem that timelines most often go over their estimate by about 20 to 30 percent. While you as the parent can cope when the contractor needs a few more days to finish the project or address unforeseen circumstances, your children might not be able to handle the constant changing of timeframes as well. Due to this, it may be a good idea to avoid telling your kids exactly when things will be back to normal as to avoid disappointments you have no control over.

If you’re prepared and understand exactly what your live-in renovation could entail, you truly can survive living through a reno with your family. Use the tips mentioned above to make the most out of a bad situation during your next home renovation.