Renovating while you live there: practical tips

Renovating while you live there is perfectly doable, as long as you make agreements in advance about planning, dust and the rooms you will keep using. Most renovations, such as an extension, an attic room or new window frames, can go ahead while you are at home. It gets harder when the kitchen or bathroom is out of use for a while. Clear phasing and one fixed point of contact then make all the difference. Below you can read how to keep the renovation liveable.

Is renovating while you live there always possible?

In most cases, yes. An extension is largely built outside; only at the end is the existing facade opened up. An attic conversion takes place on a floor you hardly use anyway.

It gets tougher when the whole house is tackled at once, or when there is no water, power or heating for a longer period. In that case, consider staying elsewhere for a week or two during the heaviest phase.

• Extension: usually easy to combine
• Attic or storage loft: little disruption downstairs
• Kitchen or bathroom: plan a temporary solution
• Complete refurbishment: sometimes better to move out

How do you keep dust under control?

Dust is the biggest annoyance in any renovation. Good screening helps a lot: dust walls with a zip door, taped-up doors and protected floors along the walking routes. Demolition work, such as removing a load-bearing wall, releases the most dust.

Put fragile items away beforehand and cover the rest. An extractor or air purifier in the work area reduces the fine dust that spreads through the house.

• Dust walls with a zip door around the work area
• Cover floors and stairs along the walking routes
• Put fragile items away beforehand
• Clean up daily with a construction vacuum

What do you arrange for the kitchen and bathroom?

If the kitchen is being renovated, set up a temporary kitchen with a fridge, microwave, kettle and somewhere to wash up. With a new bathroom, a second toilet or shower in the house is worth a lot. If there is none, ask beforehand when water and drainage will work again.

Coordinate the order, so the kitchen and bathroom are not out of use at the same time. Good planning prevents you from being without facilities for longer than necessary.

How do you make good agreements with the contractor?

Agree working hours in advance and when the noisy work takes place. Also discuss where materials are stored, where the skip goes and which toilet the tradespeople use.

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• Agree working hours and noisy days in advance
• A fixed place for the skip and materials
• One point of contact for all questions
• A short weekly run-through of the schedule

How do you keep it safe for children and pets?

A building site in the house is no playground. Keep the work area closed off, also after working hours, and watch out for tools, open pipes and holes in the floor or facade.

Inform the neighbours before the work starts as well. A short note with the schedule prevents a lot of irritation, especially if a skip or scaffolding is placed in the street. Curious what a renovation roughly costs? See what does a renovation cost.

Frequently asked questions