Preparing For Your Renovation
Planning For a Home Renovation is an Exciting Time
Our top priority during this time is to provide you with information that will ensure a smooth transition into the renovation process. Your renovation is scheduled to start, so give yourself a few days to prepare before we begin on-site. In order to assist you, we have compiled this informative list of things to know and do to prepare for your home renovation with Disciple Homes & Improvements Inc.
Helpful things to know before we arrive:
Before we begin, you will receive a renovation schedule. This will help you to plan accordingly and to potentially be away during disruptive stages, for example if the water or electricity need to be shut off or when flooring is installed.
Our typical hours of work on renovations are 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. However, we are flexible and are willing to develop a schedule that works with your family’s routine.
Providing us with a key or garage entry code allows us to work when you are not home, alleviating any disruption to your schedule. When we leave your home, we make sure to lock it back up unless instructed otherwise by you.
Please inform us of any restrictions on parking on your street. Let us know if your neighbours have any specific concerns.
We would like to put a yard sign on your front lawn. The sign serves the following purposes: as a marker for material deliveries, for subcontractors, and neighbour inquires. It is also one of our main sources of advertising as the majority of our business comes from job observation and “word-of-mouth” advertising.
Decide if you are going to stay in the home during your renovation or go on a mini-vacation. A home that is being remodeled is dusty, loud and can be inconvenient with space constraints. (See our blog post “Survival Guide to Living in Your Home While Renovating”.)
Be sure to allow time for decisions, phone calls and meetings that are necessary to make your home renovation run smoother.
Helpful things you can do to prepare:
Have a plan for your children and animals. Children and animals are curious by nature. They will need to be restricted from the construction zone for their own safety. Pets are sometimes easily frightened by loud noises and can escape through an open door. Please have a secure place for your pets or consider leaving pets with friends or family during your remodel. Your home will not be child-proofed during your remodel. If you have kids, prepare them by letting them know that there are going to be people around working on your home so there will be places they can and cannot go. If you have a young child who naps during the day, it will be important for you to realize that construction will be continued during nap time.
Remove all furniture, wall hangings, rugs, valuable items, etc. from the renovation area. Pack away as many belongings as possible, sealing the boxes with tape to keep dust and sawdust out. For renovations of an entire floor of your house, a storage container to hold larger items can be a convenient way to go. Any heavy items that cannot be moved should be covered with plastic or bed sheets. Disciple Homes staff will make every effort to ensure that your home is protected from dust and dirt. We put down drop sheets on the floors, tape down heavy plastic in doorways and over vents, and do daily housekeeping to minimize dust travel.
Prepare adjacent rooms for the remodel. During the renovation, there will be tools used which will cause vibrations. It is important to remove anything attached to the walls including mirrors, shelves, pictures, and prints.
Entrances and hallways should be cleared as well. It makes it easier and safer when bringing in materials and equipment.
We make every effort to minimize dust travel through the home but we need your help by doing the following: cover or close vents in the rooms if possible and keep doors closed to rooms not involved in the renovation. Change your furnace filter after the renovation.
If needed, locate your electrical panel and water main shut off in your home and make sure they are accessible.
In the case of exterior renovations, please move potted plants and trees to a safe spot to ensure they are not damaged. This also applies to deck furniture.