Below are our safety tips and guidelines for any family living in the home during a major renovation. Once you’ve made this decision, the following tips will not only help ensure your safety, but your sanity as well.
Determine the Construction Schedule
You need to know exactly when your project is starting and have a set completion date in your contract. This way you know up front how long you will be inconvenienced for and have an end date in sight for normality to return. For privacy reasons your Builder should also inform you exactly what time subcontractors start work each morning and finish each afternoon.
Seal Off Construction-Free Zones
Your home will get messy and dusty no matter what you do, but a good Builder will try to seal off construction free zones to keep the dust to a bare minimum in these designated areas.
Remove Fragile Decor
Belongings will break if they are near or in the construction zone. Please ensure you remove any fragile or valuable items prior to construction starting.
Keep Out of the Construction Zone
During the renovation your Builder may instruct you to keep out of certain construction areas for your own safety. Certain measures will also need to be put in place to restrict access for your children and pets. A construction site is a dangerous place for anyone and certainly not a place for children and pets to be playing.
Plan a Holiday During the Renovation
A lot of people plan a holiday during the renovation process, to get them out of the house and give them some time away to relax.
Renovating Bathrooms
If you have a main bathroom and an ensuite that are being renovated most experienced Builders will only touch one bathroom at a time, leaving you one bathroom in tact at all times. If you have only one bathroom then arrangements will need to be made with friends or neighbours for a short period of time. The Builder will also make arrangements to get the bathroom completed as quickly as possible, so as to not inconvenience you any longer than necessary.
Kitchen Renovations
The summer months are best for kitchen renovations. This way you can make use of your BBQ and enjoy the outdoor cooking arrangements for a short period of time.
The Builder & His Team
There when you wake up, all day and when the family comes home from work or school — your contractors will seem like they are part of your family. Having a good, professional relationship with the people you’ve hired to construct your new home is essential to project success and the build completing to schedule.