How Can I Prepare My Home For A Full Home Renovation?

Having a list of your permanent home items is important whether you’re remodeling a bathroom or gut renovating your kitchen for a few reasons:

For insurance purposes: It’s difficult to keep track of your valuable assets, so take advantage of this opportunity to make a list of everything you own and its monetary value.

Make it easier to clear out: Tidy up and decide if there’s anything you’d like to get rid of before the renovation. Divide your possessions into four piles: donate, sell, hand-me-down, and save. Get rid of anything that will not be used after the renovation before you begin the demo.

Determine a storage solution: Anything you intend to keep will need to be kept while work is being done in the space. Perhaps you have a spare guest room or a basement, but for large items or seasonal items that won’t be used for a long time, consider renting a portable storage container to park in your driveway or getting a storage unit to keep your belongings organized, safe, and out of the way.

Decide how much to keep at your fingertips during the renovation: How much of your belongings do you really need to keep unpacked? During a kitchen renovation, for example, set aside one table setting for each family member and commit to cleaning them immediately after use so they’re ready for the next meal. During a bathroom remodel, downsize your bathing products and accessories to fit in a simple shower caddy, especially if you’ll be borrowing showers and bathtubs. If you can’t live without your daily perks, leave the coffee maker unpacked, but put the blender away if you only make smoothies once a month.

Consume What You Have: By using it up ahead of time, you can reduce the amount you’ll need to pack. Whatever you call it – the “pantry challenge,” the “use all your shampoo samples challenge,” or the “let’s eat everything in the freezer challenge” – use it now and you’ll have less to deal with later.

Update Your Security System: There may be days when your home feels like a revolving door of designers, contractors, and delivery people during a renovation or remodel of any kind. You may be relying on these parties while you are at work or out of town, so put your mind at ease by incorporating the following security measures:

• • • • Purchase an in-home safe to safeguard documents.
      • While you’re away, use a video doorbell to keep track of deliveries.
      • Install smart locks that can be easily reprogrammed to grant contractors temporary access.

Keep Ideas, Contracts and Receipts Organized – Digitally: Set a goal for digital bookkeeping. Spend a Saturday mapping out your company’s structure.

• • • • On sites like Pinterest, you’ve shared idea boards with family members and designers.
      • Select a cloud storage system and use your phone to scan and create PDFs in order to digitize contracts and receipts for long-term storage.
      • Use shared spreadsheets and calendars to keep critical information accessible to anyone who needs to know.

Have a (Safe, Functional) Appliance Plan: One of the most inconvenient aspects of a kitchen renovation is having to take your appliances out of service for an extended period of time. Consider making a temporary downgrade to a mini-fridge for basic necessities and a countertop-sized convection oven. Your outdoor grill may become your most-used accessory, so if you’re upgrading that as well, pick one that will meet your needs. Check that any appliances you use are compatible with standard 120v outlet receptacles, and consider upgrading outlets to GFCI to detect ground faults and protect your home. Store any appliances that require special ventilation until they can be properly connected.

• • • • Consider joining a gym so you can shower while renovating your bathroom.
      • Make changes to the house so that different entryways are more convenient.
      • If your pet will be left alone with workers during the day, make a safe room for them.
      • Install a dish drying rack in your bathroom to minimize disruptions during a kitchen remodel.
      • Roll up area rugs around the house to keep them clean from work boots and the dusty environment.
      • Extra fitted bed sheets should be kept on hand to cover furniture and prevent dust from settling on couches and chairs.
      • Attach plastic sheeting to the front of large open shelving units to keep dust off the shelves.

Are You Planning a Full Home Remodel?

If you’re considering a whole house remodel, New Key Construction, based in Walnut Creek California, is here to serve you. Our passion is to be the home for talented craftsmen who deliver beautiful projects to clients throughout the SF East Bay Area! Choosing the right general contractor for your project can be difficult, but we make things easy by focusing on Your Experience, Client Communication, Cutting Edge Technology, and Pushing Our Design and Build Limits!  If we could have one goal, it would be that when someone you know is looking for a contractor you highly recommend our company because of the experience we deliver for you! Check out our website, our portfolio, and our reviews to learn more – or give us a call today!