If so, you’ll be in safe hands with Adamson’s. Got a question, want an idea of price or ready to book your FREE home design visit?
If there was a way to wave a magic wand and make home renovations stress free, we’d do it.
Unfortunately, we’ve not quite figured that one out yet. Building work is disruptive by nature, but having spent more than 40 years working in people’s homes, we do know a few tips and tricks that can make the whole experience run a lot more smoothly.
One of the best things you can do before your renovation begins is prepare yourself for the fact that your normal routine is going to change for a while.
Find out which rooms will be out of action, when you’ll lose access to facilities and roughly how long each stage is expected to last. If you work from home, think about whether there will be particularly noisy periods when working elsewhere might be easier.
The more you know beforehand, the easier it is to plan around it.
Dust has an impressive ability to find its way absolutely everywhere – just ask our on-site teams. Before work starts, speak to your builder about how they’ll protect the areas that aren’t being renovated. Floor and carpet protection should be used along access routes, with appropriate dust protection helping to contain the mess.
It’s also worth moving valuable or particularly sentimental belongings away from the working area yourself before the project begins. At Adamsons, protecting the home is part of our preparation before the main work gets underway.
If you’re renovating your kitchen, don’t wait until it’s ripped out to work out how you’re going to cook.
Creating a temporary kitchen can make a huge difference. At a minimum, think about access to a fridge, kettle, microwave and somewhere to prepare food. Depending on how long the project will take, having proper cooking facilities can make life considerably easier. This is something we plan for our customers in advance, providing a temporary kitchen with cooking facilities during every Adamsons kitchen renovation.
Some mess is inevitable. Living amongst unnecessary mess isn’t. Before choosing a renovation company, ask what happens to waste during the project and how regularly the working areas will be cleaned.
A team that cleans up as they go can make a surprisingly big difference when you’re living in the property at the same time. It’s also worth asking about facilities for the trades working in your home. For example, we provide external toilet facilities for our teams where appropriate, helping homeowners retain a little more privacy while work is underway.
Clear communication can prevent a lot of renovation stress. Before work starts, establish who your main point of contact will be and how you’ll receive updates. You shouldn’t have to chase five different tradespeople to find out what’s happening with your own home.
On larger renovations in particular, having someone responsible for coordinating the different trades, schedules and stages can take an enormous amount off your plate. Every Adamsons project has a dedicated Project Manager for exactly this reason. They’re there to oversee the work, coordinate the team and give the homeowner one consistent person to turn to throughout.
Choosing taps or tiles can be quite enjoyable when you’ve got plenty of time. Choosing them because someone needs an answer by tomorrow afternoon? Less so.
Try to finalise as many of the big decisions as possible before work begins. Your layout, flooring, finishes, sanitaryware, appliances and other key products should ideally be agreed and ordered well ahead of the point they’re needed.
A detailed design and specification also reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings once work is underway.
Finally, a less stressful renovation often starts long before anyone picks up a hammer. When comparing companies, don’t just ask about the finished result and the price. Ask what it will actually be like to have them working in your home.
Who manages the project? How will your home be protected? How do they deal with waste? What happens when your kitchen is out of action? How will you be kept informed? And what happens if you need help after the project is finished? The answers can tell you an awful lot about the experience you’re likely to have.
Plan ahead for the rooms you’ll temporarily lose, protect the rest of your home, make arrangements for everyday essentials and make sure you know who to turn to when you have questions. Most importantly, choose a team you trust and don’t be afraid to ask how they’ll make living through the work easier before you commit.
Good luck with your renovation. The dust and disruption won’t last forever, and hopefully, the finished home will make it all worthwhile.
