When you’re doing a remodel, ideally you have the space to yourself and the builders will be able to come in and do what they have to do. But realistically that is not always possible. Families are not just able to move out for the duration of construction, which means builders and the client will be sharing the space. The client living in the house poses challenges, some of them might seem obvious and some of them not so much. When the client is living in the house you need to consider the client's safety, their everyday needs, their household routines and their overall well being. Here are some of our tips and tricks to prioritize the clients safety and well being during a remodel.
The number one thing is always client’s safety and job site isolation. In general you will be doing more cleaning, more air scrubbing and more dusting. You have to make sure that you are sealing off the area of work and containing dust, dirt and debris from your work area. We recommend employing zip wall systems that create a temporary barrier of plastic to seal off the construction zone. We use window fans on heavy dust days and we also continuously use air scrubbers that have HEPA and charcoal filters that filter down to the .01 micron. We suggest investing in these types of air scrubbers because they filter out fine dust and charcoal filters that will not only improve air quality but keep the smell down too. It will just make life so much better.
Once you take precautions for the clients overall safety, you need to consider how you will help meet basic needs like cooking, laundry, bathroom etc. while those areas are being renovated. Here are some examples of how we helped the client with these things in our recent remodel while they lived in the house.
First off, we sectioned off the whole house for them making designated areas that we are working in and the areas where they would be living in. We converted the living room to their basic living space. We created a temporary kitchenette and an area where they could still eat as a family. Next, we created temporary laundry areas. For this remodel the washer was brought down into the basement and the dryer was brought out to the garage. In the garage we were able to vent it out the garage window keeping the space safe for our clients. We did not need to create a temporary bathroom for this specific job, but this is also something that’s possible. We have the ability to create temporary shower stalls and toilets if needed. Every job has its own challenges. You just need to try to be creative and innovative to make things happen.
The other thing to consider when you’re going to be living in the house during your project is that your project will take significantly longer to complete. When families are still in the house our start times will be delayed and our end time will be earlier to accommodate the families time in the home. The end of the day cleanup will take significantly longer as well and will cut into work time. When there is a family in the home, we need to make sure we are doing a real deep clean every day so that the client is dealing with as little construction mess as possible. This shorter time frame adds up and can add weeks on to a project, so you need to be smart with the time that you have to keep things moving.
While it is always easier to do a remodel without the client living in the home, it is not always possible and you do not want to limit yourself as a builder. In these situations it is important to remember the client's sanity and try to make the logistics as smooth as possible for them. You also need to keep in mind the time frame and progress of the project. When you are on top of the progress each day, it is hard to see the bigger picture and know that things are getting done. Be patient and trust that your builder sees the bigger picture and knows what is happening.
Overall if you approach a remodel where clients live in the home with a creative mindset, flexibility, patience and collaboration you will be setting yourself and your client up for success.
Comments