We’d all love to live in bigger, better homes. Having a larger space to live is one of the most basic and critical things you can do to enjoy your life. But actually expanding it involves a lot of disruption. It doesn’t happen magically overnight. Big, hulking builders aren’t little fairies with wands, renovating your home from top to bottom with fairy dust.
So is there a way around this little conundrum? Well, fortunately, there might be. Check out these ideas.
Don’t Opt For Major Renovations If You Can Avoid It
Before you start knocking through walls and ripping out cupboards, ask yourself whether there’s a cheaper, quicker, less disruptive route to the thing you want.
It turns out that there are all kinds of ways to transform a home, without major renovations. These include:
- Adding new lighting and lamps
- Replacing the fronts of drawers or cabinets without swapping out the entire unit
- Improving your window treatments to allow more natural light to enter
- Landscaping your yard with new shrubs and bushes
- Adding wallpaper to tired-looking paint
- Creating a brand new room, such as a study, office, garden room or boot room, out of one that already exists
Go On Vacation While Builders Work
Going on vacation and leaving the keys to your property with builders can sound like a high-risk strategy. But it does let you kill two birds with one stone. While you’re away, the contractors can do the worst of the renovations. Then, when you get back, there will hopefully be only a small amount to do.
You can finish most renovations in a couple of weeks. Extensions may take up to eight weeks though.
Put All Your Stuff Into Storage
At the same time, you might want to consider keeping all your belongings and possessions at a storage centre. This way, you can avoid damage during renovations and get them out of the way.
Split Your Home Up Into Zones
Here’s another idea you might want to try if you have a large enough home: split it into zones. Keep builders in one section of the property and then you can live in another. This approach can work if you have two bathrooms or stairs. Or if you’re carrying out work on a peripheral area of the home, like the garden or garage.
Stay With Friends
Another idea to get out of the house is to stay with friends. This way, you can continue working throughout the project and don’t have to go to the additional expense of going on vacation. Plus, if you find friends nearby who will have you, you won’t disrupt your office commute.
Focus On High-Value Modifications
Lastly, when modifying your house, focus exclusively on making high-value changes – the things that will really make a difference to your life. This way, you can cut back on unnecessary work and just focus on what matters.
So, in summary, there are many ways you can modify your home without disrupting your life. If you can be smart about it, you could radically enhance your lifestyle without experiencing the disruption that comes with it.
