Living in Your Home During a Remodel

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Deciding to remodel your home can be thrilling. It’s exciting to see the design of your future home come together on paper, and even more so when the renovation work finally starts. But then, how do you live through the disruption until your newly remodeled space is complete?

In addition to having detailed design conversations about a client’s home remodel, Harrell Design + Build Senior Designer CKD, UDCP Gloria Carlson says discussing “disruption tolerance” with homeowners is also crucial.

Gloria explains that every client has a different tolerance level when living through what can be an upending experience to your daily routine. “It’s a very personal and individual decision that we work through collaboratively on a case-by-case basis.”

Some people don’t mind the disturbance, while others can’t function in a disrupted environment, especially with many people now working and learning from home. Still, others decide to move out because they have small children or pets that wouldn’t fare well in a home construction zone.

Gloria recommends that those who choose to stay in their homes create ways to function smoothly. For example, clients undergoing kitchen remodels will benefit from setting up a temporary kitchen space that may include a table, refrigerator, microwave, storage, and access to water.

Whether homeowners choose to stay or leave, there remains some level of disruption. The time and expense of securing and moving to an apartment or rental property are worth it to some, allowing them to have a relatively normal place to call home during their remodel. Other homeowners would rather save money and stay in their homes despite the inconvenience.

Informing clients of worksite protocols and the project’s overall impact on their residence can help guide homeowners in deciding to stay or find alternate accommodations. This includes how living and work areas will be contained and cleaned, and how dust, noise, and disruption will be minimized. During COVID-19, mandated health and safety protocols also determine how employees, tradespeople, and family will be kept safe.

Because we “never forget it’s your home,” Harrell Design + Build has strict company guidelines regarding keeping every client’s home free of dust, debris, and excessive noise. Says Harrell Site Manager Mario Rivera, “Our team goes above and beyond to keep our clients’ homes clean and safe.”

This extensive list includes:

  • Using air scrubbers equipped with HEPA filters to mitigate dust and airborne particles
  • Sweeping and vacuuming work areas daily
  • Daily removal of debris
  • Protection of areas from the point of entry to the work location
  • Containment using zipper walls
  • Minimizing excessive noise

If the job and space allow, the air scrubbers remain on-site from deconstruction to completion. All walls, floors, and other areas are protected throughout the project, and zipper walls remain as long as containment is needed. Harrell takes into account the needs and safety of family pets on the jobsite as well; this has included not just dogs and cats, but tortoises, birds, amphibians and reptiles!

Especially now, keeping clients, tradespeople, and employees safe and healthy is of paramount concern. Harrell has a comprehensive written policy based on state and county COVID-19 protocols.

“We have heightened cleaning requirements in place that meet or exceed state and county specifications. At the end of each workday, we disinfect countertops, door and cabinet knobs, as well as other high-touch surfaces,” Mario reveals.

Signs are posted on each job site, clearly outlining the necessary health protocols. These include wearing face masks, maintaining at least six feet of distancing, and other vital safety measures everyone on the property must follow. This includes requiring isolation of anyone who has traveled out of the area before returning to the job site, per the current local County’s requirements.

Harrell Design + Build routinely undertakes complex home improvement projects while clients continue living in their homes. We also understand that just as each client has distinct lifestyle needs that inform their home remodel design, they also have unique circumstances that impact whether they stay or find other living accommodations. When remodeling a bathroom that was the only bathroom in the house, a separate, locked port-a-potty was on site for solely the owner’s use. Whether you stay at your residences or move out for your remodel, the Harrell Team always remembers it’s your home and strives to ensure that you and your family are safe and comfortable from start to finish.

To learn more about the Harrell Remodel Design + Build experience, we invite you to attend one of our complimentary workshops or talk with a Designer to explore your home remodel.

Woman Founded and 100% Employee-Owned, Harrell Design + Build has created distinctive homes in Silicon Valley and on the mid-Peninsula since 1985. Our Design + Build Team is here to help you reimagine your home inside and out.