Go from This...                       

BEFORE Photos: Courtesy of Barker Kapelle Construction LLC

... To This with minimum stress. The homeowner stayed home for the duration of this project by Barker Kappelle Construction LLC. He suggests setting up a temporary sink in another room during construction. Photo: David Croxford

It may be impossible to take all the stress out of your remodeling process. But you can reduce it with the right planning and preparation. Start with these tips:

1.  Get comfortable with your contractor.

You are going to see and talk to this person every day, so pick a contractor you’re comfortable with. “Trust your contractor,” says Brett Kappelle, of Barker Kappelle Construction LLC.
“Express your ideas at the beginning and make sure your contractor will do the best he can to accommodate them.”

To avoid confusion, designate one family member as the go-to person. Review your job contract and make sure you and the contractor agree on a timeline. What will be done and by what time? “You should be able to ask and expect a fairly accurate schedule,” says Mike Mudgett, general manager of Grand Construction. What else should you include on the schedule? Payments. What is due and when?

Set days and hours for work to be conducted. Are you comfortable with workers coming in at 7 a.m. on a Saturday? Do you mind if they’re still there at dinnertime? Let your preferences be known before work begins.

Lay down ground rules. Let workers know which telephone, if any, they can use. If they are going to be playing a radio, set volume limitations. Specify an area for parking. If it’s a small job, involving one or two workers, designate a restroom for their use. However, “even on a small remodel, you can have six workers at your house at any given time,” says Edward Macey, managing director of So’mace Lifestyle. If the renovation will last longer than two to three weeks, Mudgett recommends talking to the contractor about providing a portable toilet.

2. Decide: Shack up or stay home.

The progression of a remodel before, during and after, by Archipelago Hawaii, refined island designs.

On average, a complete renovation takes about four months, once construction has begun. Think about the scope of your remodel and whether it’s realistic to stay in your home and still live comfortably, or whether you should pack up and move in with family or friends.

"If you are going on vacation, that might be an opportune time to get remodel work done," says Rick Cowan, of Archipelago Hawaii, refined island designs. He also says vacating the house can help speed up the process. "The contractor can just blitz on the project," he says.

If you're not going on vacation, you might want to find an alternate place to stay, if necessary. “If it’s going to be a major inconvenience remodel, often I suggest homeowners move,” says Mudgett. What constitutes a major inconvenience? That depends. A whole-home remodel will be much more obtrusive than a kitchen or bath remodel.

Remember that power and/or water may be shut off from time to time. Talk to your contractor about when this might happen, and work with him to make sure it’s at times when you don’t need it. If power and water are going to be shut off for extended periods of time, you might want to make other living arrangements.

3. Anticipate setbacks.

Materials may not arrive on time. It happens. If a worker is sick for one day, it can completely throw off a construction schedule, so build some padding days into your timeline. “Owners should prepare themselves well in advance for inconveniences and slow days,” says Kappelle.
When fixtures or materials arrive, check them. Once something is hung or installed, it may be too late to send it back without substantially delaying construction.

You should also be prepared for what seem like "slow-moving" phases of the project. Things will seem to move very quickly because of drastic changes visually, but by the end of the project it may appear that things have slowed down. "It's because we involve several different trades. The electrician may come in and work, but it doesn't do much to the look of the project," says Cowan.

4. Cook without a kitchen.

Doing a kitchen remodel doesn’t mean you have to eat out every night. Set up a temporary kitchen instead. Move your refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and slow cooker to an unobtrusive area, such as a laundry room or garage. Get a hot plate, if necessary.

Don’t want to wash dishes in the bathroom? Have a contractor help you install a temporary utility sink. But remember to address it before the construction begins. Waiting until mid-renovation may slow things down.

Finally, take your cooking outdoors. Grilling outside or having a picnic can be fun and will give you a chance to escape the remodel without feeling restricted. 

5. Move it all out.

Pack everything as if you were moving. Move furniture and collectibles out of areas where workers will be working as well as temporary high-traffic spots. Make arrangements with a storage facility to house these items until your project is completed. Companies that offer month-to-month storage plans are great for this.

Worried that packing and moving will open up possibilities for breakage? Rebecca Parker, president of M. Dyer and Sons, recommends having professional movers pack and store your things. Not only do professionals know what they are doing, but they also offer insurance for added security.

6. Make a plan for pets.

Pets are just like members of the family, but don’t expect workers to keep them contained. “Establish a safe place for the pets to be out of the way: a fenced area in the backyard, away from the noise of construction that is also safe from the sun,” says Macey.

If you’re not at home during construction hours, kenneling may be your best option, advises Mudgett. “Workers have got to go in and out of the house all the time. Doors get left open, and pets can run away if you don’t secure them on a daily basis,” he says.

7. Deal with the dust.

Remodeling, by nature, includes plenty of debris and dust. Some steps of a remodel create more dust than others—tearing down drywall, for instance, is often a big culprit.

But whose responsibility is it to clean? “The cleanup is actually the contractor’s responsibility, if it’s work-related debris,” says Mudgett. Don’t anticipate that the job site will be spotless every day, but do talk to your contractor about what is expected.

Preventing a mess in the rest of the house is also a concern. Talk to your contractor about putting up dust barriers to seal work areas and areas adjacent to them.

Where does the dirt and dust go? Contractors also handle that. Often they will bring in a dumpster or a dump truck to haul away job-site debris. But don’t just assume they will do so; discuss waste with your contractor before it is created. And don’t forget about basic trash, such as lunch bags, drink bottles, etc. Are you OK with basic trash lying around overnight? If not, clarify with the contractor beforehand.