Should I Stay or Move out during construction?

So, you’ve made the decision to do some renovations or get some extensions done to your home. The plans have been drawn up and the dates have been set, so the next big question is, should you stay or move out during construction?

This is a question many people ask themselves, unlike new builds or second storey additions, a renovation or extension can potentially be carried out while you stay in the home.

There are many things to consider before you can make your decision and a major one is time:

• When will construction start? Knowing how long you have to organise yourself, your family, the pets, and your home in order to move out and find a rental before construction starts could affect your decision.
• How long is the work quoted to take? Depending on the work you are having done your home could be disrupted for days, weeks, or even months. Plus, you can’t discount the occurrence of unforeseen events that may push the timeline out.

The type of work that is being done, and where it is happening in your home, will completely affect your decision whether to stay or go. 

Perhaps you are having the bathroom renovated; if this is the only one in the house then going elsewhere while the work is being done is probably the best option. However, if you have another bathroom in the home you are still left with options.

An extension (extending the floor size) to one end of the house may mean that construction is not too intrusive to your family’s homelife, but an addition (adding new levels) is more likely to be a lot more disruptive.

The Pros and Cons of Staying:

The pros:

• You save money on rent.

• The children can still get to school in their usual manner e.g. walk, bus, ride.

• No moving costs or packing hassles.

• You are on-hand to make decisions that may be time sensitive.

The cons:

• There will be workers in and out of your home, privacy will be hard to come by.

• Noise will become a constant and living within the construction zone will make it hard to take a mental break from thinking about the build, it will surely dominate evening conversations since its right in front of you.

• Dust and debris can be hazardous. Children can stumble into areas that are dangerous and those with respiratory ailments, such as asthma, can be at risk from small dust particles.

And finally, although debatable as to whether it is a pro or con:

• Entertaining could be hazardous and difficult, which can mean not too many visitors.

When you are getting your custom home building done there is no doubt your life will change. How much or how little will depend on the time the work will take, its location within the home, and how much money you’re prepared to spend on alternative options.

At BIC Construction we are an experienced residential construction company, we understand the stress of renovating and building which is why we have procedures in place to make it as easy & smooth as possible.