Remodels can be an exciting time for any homeowner. Especially if your home was built in the 1980’s and all you have done is added a fresh coat of paint and new flooring. When you are changing the floorplan, re-configuring the living room, or completely updating the kitchen, it is exhilarating, and it should be. After all, you have worked hard to purchase the home, maintain the home, and to pay for repairs to make sure it is sound. Now you are renovating, and it may be tempting to save some money by living in the home amidst the remodel. A word of advice, it may be worth considering moving out during a remodel. Let’s dive into the four main components of why living in a home under renovation may not be the wisest decision.

Your Belongings

The first common problem is that you probably have a lot of stuff. Furniture, heirlooms, dog toys, appliances, and whatever else you have bought over the years sit in your home. If you need new cabinets, everything needs to come out of those cabinets and sit in your living room until the renovation is done. If you need new flooring, everything needs to be moved off the floor until it is done. As you can imagine, the space becomes tightly cramped. The combination of cramped spaces and gigantic construction materials moving through your home do not often mix well.

Your Quality of Life

Who likes eating out? Most everyone likes eating out from time to time. No one likes having to forcibly eat out for every meal when they are left without a kitchen for weeks. The same goes for taking showers, walking at home barefoot, coffee in the morning with your paper, sitting down on your couch to watch a movie, and the list goes on. Depending on the project, many of these luxuries will not be available due to the nature of the project. If you choose moving out during your remodel, you may even have a kitchen available in a rental.

Health Concerns

One of the scarier realities is the range of health concerns that arise due to any type of construction. Projects that involve any type of drywall, flooring, tile, framing, rough plumbing, and more will inevitably lead to billions of particles of dust. Even when you have a master masker who makes tunnels for you and does everything that they can to minimize the nuisance, some dust still comes through. As most people know, inhaling dust is never good for you or your internal organs. In addition, the presence of mold can pose some serious health risks as well. If you already have health issues such as asthma, emphysema, lung cancer, bronchitis, or other lung related concerns, make sure you think about the legitimate risks.

Peace of Mind

Stress is not fun. While working with a general contractor should be the least stressful construction experience you undergo, it will become worrying if you are constantly faced with the project and all its complexities. No one likes coming home after a long day to the sound of construction. The banging, jackhammers, and drilling is what it takes to make your home beautiful. It needs to happen, you just don’t need to be there.

The Solution

A few of you may be reading this and thinking, “That doesn’t seem too terrible, I think I can handle it.” If you believe that, more power to you. Many of you are thinking, “how do I get out of this” or “should I just buy a new home?” The solution does not lie in running away from a remodel, the solution lies in finding how to successfully live through one. Refurbishing your home has a ton of benefits, and it may be a necessity.

Instead of fleeing the scene, think about what it would look like to rent for a month or two. Your belongings would be safe, there would be no health concerns, you would be less stressed, and your quality of life would stay intact. Additionally, the construction on your home may even speed up, because the crew wouldn’t need to work around anything. For some, the price of rent for two extra months is not feasible. If this is the case, maybe take a vacation halfway through. Simply put, make sure your needs are still being met. The updating of your home should be a joyous, fun milestone in your life. Do everything you can to make sure it stays that way, even if that means moving out during your remodel.