What To Consider If You Plan On Living At Home During Renovations

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WHAT TO CONSIDER IF YOU PLAN ON LIVING AT HOME DURING RENOVATIONS

What if I would like to live at home during renovations? Well, depending on the scope and size of your renovation, you may need to consider moving out during some or all of the renovation.

Plan for this early on in your process. You may need to move out and rent somewhere. These costs need to be factored into your renovation budget.

The team at Style Plus Renovations North Shore Auckland take a look at 6 things to consider if you plan on living at home during renovations:

  1. Available living space.
  2. What to do with your remaining furniture.
  3. Getting rid of unwanted articles.
  4. House Insurance during a renovation.
  5. Consider your neighbours.
  6. Health & Safety.to
living at home during renovations

WHAT IS YOUR AVAILABLE LIVING SPACE?

If you plan on living at home during renovations, your builder or project manager can help you figure out which parts of your house are unusable and which can be used during the renovation. Therefore, be creative with what you use each room for and you might find you have more habitable space than you thought.

In our experience, it is best to have rooms which will be renovated fully cleared of furniture. These items should be stored off-site rather than somewhere else in the house. Storage units provide a great temporary home for the things you will not be used during the renovation.

The Smartbox is an option for storage. The internal measurements are approximately 2.9m long x 1.8m wide and 2.1m high.  You can generally fit all the belongings from a 1 – 2 bedroom home into one Smartbox. The cost per month using the online Smarthbox calculator is $247.50 inc GST and is based on renting the Smartbox for more than 1 month, less than 6 months. Other options are available.

Sometimes other rooms not being renovated are required by the builders for temporary storage or workspace. These rooms would also need to be cleared. Typically, this requirement would be discussed during the planning stage of the project with your project manager.


 

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR REMAINING FURNITURE

While construction is underway, it is advisable to pack away your belongings if there will be no need to use them during the renovation they can be wrapped in cardboard or plastic and stored elsewhere.

If you have blinds as window coverings it may be wise to take them down and store them in a safe place while the builders are working. It will save cleaning them when the renovation is completed.

However, no matter how well you try to keep your rooms clean, building dust will creep in. So, if the furniture is not being used during the renovation, wrap them in cardboard or plastic or store them elsewhere. If you are storing furniture off-site, this needs to be accounted for in the project budget.


 

GETTING RID OF UNWANTED ARTICLES

Generally, the builder would arrange for a bin to be on-site during the renovation for all the building rubbish. During the renovation, this may be a good opportunity to clean out of unwanted items.

On average a 3m³ skip for a 4-day hire will cost around about $200 inc GST and a 9m³ is $360 inc GST. Generally, there are terms and conditions for the hire, such as hire period or overweight extra charge.

If you are intending to have a cleanout, then talk to the builder or project manager so that the skip capacity and bin type can be calculated correctly.


 

HOUSE INSURANCE DURING A RENOVATION

Home renovations are exciting but depending on the scope they can be costly. And even more so if you run into trouble and discover that your standard home insurance does not cover your claim! The level of cover that you need will depend on the amount of renovation work being undertaken.

For example, structural changes, such as walls being demolished or extensions being built, will certainly need to be disclosed to your insurer. As well as this you should think of the implications of whether the home is occupied or vacant, and double-check that public liability insurance is in place in case anyone is injured while work is being carried out.

It is advisable to inform your own insurer when you are renovating to ensure you are covered for accidental damage to your both your home and contents while work is underway. Also, make sure your contents insurance covers the new appliances and fittings being installed.


 

CONSIDER YOUR NEIGHBOURS

The last thing you need during the hectic times of a renovation is angry neighbours complaining about noise or all the subcontractors taking up parking spaces.

A little advance warning to your neighbours could improve your renovation experience. At Style Plus Renovations, we are happy to take this on board for you to make contact with your neighbours and provide them with our details.

General Council Noise Rules

The hours when noisy construction work is allowed depend on the location and days of the week.

For residential areas, the following applies:

Monday to Friday

  • 6.30am to 7.30am: low-level noise activities permitted (arrival, preparation for work).
  • 7.30am to 6pm: construction work permitted
  • 6pm to 8pm: work can continue, but no noisy work (e.g. hammering, power tools, excavation).

Saturday

7.30am to 6pm: construction work permitted (no activities permitted before 7.30am)

Sunday and public holidays

No noisy construction work is allowed.

Tip: A good rule of thumb is that if there’s going to be noise, vibrations, fumes or dust that will affect your neighbour’s living space, notify them.


 

HEALTH & SAFETY

At the best of times, a building site can be a dangerous and noisy place. If you plan on living at home during renovations children should be made aware the hazards and dangers that this type of environment brings.

As a rule, the building site comes under the definition of a place of work. The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 places duties on people who either control the work or engage others to do the work.

For example, this means that the builder or project manager controlling the work has responsibilities under the Act.

That would include identifying and managing potential hazards. At Style Plus Renovations, we employ a comprehensive site safety plan that is site-specific and is shared with the owner of the property.

The safety and welfare of your pets also need to be considered carefully. Older or nervous animals should be rehoused with friends, family or pet accommodation during the renovations.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

As an Auckland North Shore family-owned and run business, Style Plus Renovations cares about what we do and we take the time to fully understand your renovation needs. We are also proud to receive some exceptional compliments from our Auckland clients.

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Architects Renovation Feasibility Report

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YOUR RENOVATION PROJECT

Tel us about your renovation project and we’ll call you back for a no-obligation chat about your ideas.

Alternatively, if you prefer, we can initially set up a meeting using Microsoft Teams or Zoom (and other meeting apps) for a no-obligation chat about your ideas.

We look forward to hearing from you to discuss your project and get you started on your renovation journey.

If you would like to know more about our renovation process, check it out here.

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