Sustaining the Future: The Growth of Green Tipsheet

Do You Stay or Do You Go? How to Survive Renovation

Construction delays, mix-ups, broken budgets, back-ordered products, delayed time-schedules - all these seem surmountable. But what's getting to you is the sensation that you have landed in a war zone. Your sense of home has been destroyed. Your haven has been invaded by giant machines that belch noise and fumes. Privacy has become a laugh.

Your antique clock fell to the ground when sledgehammers were used on a stubborn old retaining wall. You lost your month's bills in a shuffle of papers when you scooped the desk contents into a box. If you have to face another fast-food meal, you prefer to try out fasting. Maybe you'll laugh about all this someday. You may even be able to get through today, if only you could find your coffeepot.

Leaving Versus Staying Put

One solution is simply to move out during a renovation. Some people do that, but it has obvious problems. You must have an affordable place to move to. And if you are not home, you can't keep tabs on the renovation as much as you'd like. That could bring unwelcome surprises.

Rick and Donna Austin found an ideal solution in simply moving next door. They planned to renovate their town home, in a complex of several town homes, many of which have absentee owners. The Austins were able to move next door and house sit for five months while their home was in upheaval. They were close enough to keep an eagle eye on the work in progress, but far enough away so sanity wasn't jeopardized. Still, even moving next door is not as simple as it sounds. You need to be very good friends to house sit for other people.

You also probably need to be prepared to put most of your own belongings in storage. Your house should be emptied completely to create a clean slate for the renovators. That's almost like moving everything across the country. People who are experienced in frequent moves say it's not the distance that matters so much as the fact that every single item has to be handled.

The alternative is to stay put, grit your teeth, and dig yourself a foxhole of sorts.

Robert and Maureen Stewart could write the book on living through home renovation. They started renovating in May, 2007, and completed the job in early 2008. The couple stayed on the scene, and are now hardened veterans of the renovation wars. Their tips are worth heeding by rookies.

"I bought a big barbecue and planned the worst of the kitchen renovation during the summer," said Robert. That way, they could at least cook and eat healthy meals. Robert discovered the joys of vegetables wrapped in foil, roasted on the barbecue.

Meals went more smoothly with economy packages of paper plates, cups and cutlery from Costco, because the hardest operation to lose was dishwashing facilities. The Stewarts still had their bathrooms intact, but trucking the dishes upstairs was a nuisance. It was easier to use lots of throwaways. Robert notes, however, that some contractors will hook up a temporary sink for you, easing the living situation.

Robert and Maureen basically lived on their sun deck and in a small den, outfitted like a kitchen with a microwave, dishes and utensils, but no sink or running water. A toaster and electric kettle helped keep the household functioning.

"Clean-up involved washing dishes in a plastic bin in the main washroom upstairs and placing the clean dishes in a second plastic bin to be transported back downstairs to the den," explains Maureen.

Renovation veterans advise keeping as much to a normal routine as possible. When drywall dust is creeping into your socks, and you feel like the automatic hammers are nailing your brain to the wall, it's very good to sit down with your newspaper and enjoy breakfast on the patio.

Robert offers a tip to fight against the problem of losing everything during renovation. He put things in bins, labelled them carefully and clearly, and stacked them in the garage. That made it a little easier to locate must-have items.

A sense of humour is essential for getting through the job. When Christmas arrived and there was no way to put up the traditional tree, Robert playfully stacked boxes in a tall triangle and called it their "Christmas tree."

Most of their furniture was sold or given away, so it didn't have to be stored. New furniture was purchased leisurely and kept at the retail outlet until it could be moved into the renovated home. Most retail stores will do that for you, or arrange to have it kept at the manufacturing plant until you are ready for delivery.

If you are keeping your furniture, Robert advises renting a big steel storage box to place in your driveway for the duration.

If you decide to live in the home during renovation, don't try to re-do the whole home at once. The Stewarts' entire main floor in a split-level home was in upheaval, but they could at least retreat to upper floor bedrooms and bathroom, which were not touched on this go-around.

Planning Ahead is Key

Whether it's a rebuild from the ground up, a major remodelling, or a bit of tweaking, planning well before anybody picks up a hammer will save regrets later.

For detailed renovation tips from CHBA, check www.chba.ca and download the renovation goals worksheet. You'll find resources to help you set goals and develop a checklist.

Dorothy Brotherton

Copyright © 2008 Wheat King Publishing and the authors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Okanagan Home are those of the writers and editors, and do not represent the official position of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, Central Okanagan, or of its members.