To live through your renovation or move out: 4 Pros and 4 Cons of living through the dust, and the benefit of living in the home before finalizing your renovation
- Carrie Lucke
- Mar 10
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 12
Hot Tip - get colored tape. Blue for boxes to stay on site, Red for boxes going to temporary housing and Green for boxes going to storage. It's a ton of logistics!!! But - we got this!!!
First Question - have you lived in the home you are about to remodel?
Many homeowners prefer to remodel a space before living in it. Who wouldn't want to walk into an entirely finished space from day 1? Clearly this is why "flipping homes" has become so popular. Many people don't want to deal with the dust and disruption. They will pay a premium to buy a fully finished, updated home- even if that means sacrificing the benefit of planning a renovation that perfectly suits thier needs.
However, if you have a special home you wish to remodel to your specific needs vs the output of a flipper who is trying to appeal to a broad market audience, then planning your own renovation is the only way to achieve that end. Large scale remodeling is not for the faint of heart, but always worth it in the end.
In our case, we waited years for the home we wanted to purchase to become available. We connected with the previous owner and shared with her out interest of buying her home when she was ready to sell.
After purchasing the home, the focus shifted to selling and moving out of our old house and settling in before we started tearing anything apart. We knew we wanted to get a feel for the space and take our time before jumping into the renovation process. Not to mention that purchasing the new home prior to unloading our old home would have put us in a pinchy financial space we did not want to be in - especially prior to embarking on a large scale project.
Hence, while planning for 2 extra moves was not desirable, it provided the lowest financial stress and afforded us time to optimize our planning process. Additionally, this time gave us the chance to see how we lived in this new home and to know it better.
For example, we began to notice the light at different times of the day. Initially, we thought we wanted a covered patio- only to realize that we loved the light the patio doors allowed in and we did not want to lose that light. We also learned that the dining room proximity eliminated the need for a kitchen table, which prompted us to plan for an island without a table. We realized we were comfortable living in the primary suite as is (even though it also needs to be renovated eventually). Knowing that was the area we could push to a phase 2 project in future years allowed us to plan a larger scale endeavor for the second floor we had not initially imagined.
We decided to break the renovation into two phases. Initially, we hoped to tackle the entire first floor, leaving the upstairs for a later phase. However, the roof was in need of replacement. Since we planned to add 2 dormers and repair the wood siding on current dormers, it made sense to do that in conjunction with the roof, rather than tear into our new roof later. We though about just roughing in the second floor bath and new bedrooms, but our remodeler suggested we reconsider. He felt we would be happier finishing an area like the second floor while saving the primary suite for a later date than we would be having projects to do on each floor in the future. This meant we had to prioritize the second floor before addressing the primary suite on the first floor. While it wasn’t ideal, we knew it was the right decision. It also means that the additional bedrooms and bath upstairs will facilitate our ability to live through the final phase of renovation whenever we address the primary suite. Ultimately, the roof condition led us to tackle the second floor right away.
Without living in the house, we may not have realized some windows needed replacement sooner than we anticipated, or that we needed an electrical upgrade after noticing how poorly our devices charged on some outlets. We needed to rethink lighting in some rooms. We realized the roof failed early because of overhanging trees that needed to be removed. The list goes on and on. These punch list items all need to be addressed and budgeted, but it’s very difficult to know what is required without living in the space for some time first. For us this will mean moving out again when the renovation begins. While moving out and back is not ideal and has its own costs, for us it was the right choice because it removed the pressure of rushing the project, and reduced the financial burden of carrying 2 properties. I personally could not imagine renovating a space so dramatically without first seeing how we lived in the space and what the house actually really needs.
Regardless of whether you live in the space before bringing in the wrecking ball, you will have to choose to live through the renovation or move out entirely. Here are some pros and cons . There is no right answer, but here are some things to consider.
Pros of Living Through a Renovation
Lower Financial Strain: Living in your home during renovations reduces financial pressure by eliminating costs for temporary housing and moving. This savings can be redirected toward better materials or additional features in your project, improving the final result.
Increased Flexibility: Staying in your home allows you to identify necessary adjustments in real-time. You can communicate changes to your contractor, leading to a more personalized and functional design that meets your household's evolving needs.
Enhanced Oversight and Quality Assurance: Being present during renovations enables you to monitor contractors closely, ensuring they adhere to your plans. This oversight allows for timely quality checks and immediate intervention if issues arise, ultimately enhancing the quality of the final outcome.
Cons of Living Through a Renovation
“Living in Chaos” (for a While): Renovations are loud, messy, and disruptive. You’ll have to live amidst dust, noise, and construction zones, which can be stressful and tiring, especially if you have young children or pets.
Limited Space: As areas of the home are torn apart or worked on, you might find it difficult to use certain rooms. You could be living in tight, makeshift spaces for extended periods of time. You will have to see the dust on a daily basis.
Longer Project Timeline: Living in the house can slow down the renovation process because the team might need to work around your schedule or living situation, potentially extending timelines.
Safety Concerns: Depending on the scope of the renovation, exposed electrical work, uneven floors, or demolition zones could pose safety risks, especially if you have children or pets.
HOT TIP- Color code your boxes and belongings. For our move- Blue tape from things getting stored on site, Red for items going to our temporary housing, and Green for items that need to go to the storage unit.
This of course is a personal decision that each homeowner will make based on the nuances of their project, budget, timeframe and alternative living options. But these are some things you can consider when in your initial planning and budgeting phase.
Would you move out for your project?
Yes
No
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