“I want to renovate, but I live in the house; is that possible?” It’s one of the questions we hear most often. The short answer: yes, it’s possible. But it is a process that requires care, and first of all you need to be psychologically prepared for it.
A small renovation is still a renovation
However small the job, even if you are only replacing your doors, the old door will be removed and the new one fitted. Even that involves dust and workers coming and going. Renovating while living at home means living with this disruption inside the house for days or weeks.
Bathroom renovation
If there is only one bathroom and the renovation includes it, you lose your use of it entirely. Even with the best planning, that means a process of several days. In homes with two bathrooms (usually there is also an en-suite), we can split the process into stages: first the main bathroom, then the en-suite.
Protecting your belongings
We have renovated many homes that were lived in. We gather all the belongings into one room and seal it, taping the door and all openings to protect them. But whatever you do, some fine dust can still get into the room amid all that dust and activity.
How to plan if you’re staying at home
- Stage the renovation room by room or area by area.
- Designate a “clean room” and protect it throughout the process.
- If the kitchen is being renovated, set up a temporary mini kitchen.
- Plan working hours and the days of noisy work in advance.
- Find out when water and power will be cut off.
Conclusion
Unless you have to, we don’t really recommend renovating while living at home; but it’s not impossible. My advice as a woman and an architect: if possible, don’t be at home during the process. If you have to stay, good planning and a professional team make it much more bearable. We described the general flow of the process in our article how can I get my home renovated.
Frequently asked questions
How many days does a bathroom renovation take?
It depends on the scope, but the period during which the bathroom cannot be used usually ranges from a few days to one or two weeks. The exact duration is set in the work schedule.
What should be done if there are children at home during a renovation?
Because of dust, noise and safety, it is recommended that children are not at home, especially during demolition and rough construction.
For a staged, well-planned renovation, contact us via our decoration & renovation page.
