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A home renovation is always a great idea on paper. Then, when you’re in the thick of the chaos, you start to wonder why you embarked on this stressful project in the first place.
The end result is well worth the temporary stress and disorder. Installing new flooring, refacing the kitchen cabinets, or refreshing the paint in all the bedrooms will make your home attractive and functional. But you still need to figure out how to manage day-to-day life during the renovation.
There are a lot of things I wish I’d known the first time around. Keep these tips in mind to keep your family’s routine intact.
Tackle one project at a time
We often bite off more than we can chew. I learned to stick to one project at a time. Starting the bathroom before finishing the kitchen invites disaster. Improving several of the kids’ bedrooms at once causes fights and disrupted routines.
Breaking projects into small chunks helps, too. Instead of installing wainscoting in the entire downstairs in one weekend, tackle one wall or one room. I felt accomplished rather than burnt out when projects didn’t consume all my free time. Not to mention, my kids felt more comfortable in the midst of each project.
Create a temporary cooking area
Kitchen updates disrupt routines more than any other project. Even small refreshes, like painting cabinets or replacing a backsplash, render the heart of the home unusable for days.
Set up a temporary kitchen station in the dining room or a corner of the living room. A microwave, a toaster oven, and a coffee maker will keep you afloat.
Stock up on paper plates and plastic utensils. I know it feels wasteful, but your sanity matters more right now. Washing dishes in the bathroom sink gets old after the first meal. A plastic tub to bus dirty dishes is handy when we do use real silverware. This keeps the mess contained until we have the energy to tackle it.
Adjust your work-from-home setup
Working from home with construction noise in the background tests your patience like nothing else. Noise-canceling headphones are worth every penny. They block out the sound of hammers and drills, so I can focus on my calls.
If there’s a contractor working on home improvements, be sure to talk to them about the construction schedule. If you know they will be doing demolition on Tuesday morning, schedule your meetings for the afternoon.
Flexibility saves the day here. I would work early in the morning before the crew arrived and catch up on emails after the kids went to bed. It wasn’t ideal, but it kept the work flowing. I always reminded myself that this disruption would pay off later. The end result was a functional floor plan and a stunning interior that made my house feel like home.
Maintain your kids’ routine
Kids feel stress when their environment changes, just like we do. Bedtime stories happen at the same time, even if we read them on an air mattress or in a different room. Eat breakfast and dinner together at a table (even if it’s on a coffee table) each day. Consistency provides comfort when the physical environment feels chaotic.
Defend against dust
Sawing and sanding wood, installing drywall, and demolishing old structures spread dust everywhere. I was finding dust in closed drawers for months after our last renovation! The secret is to tape plastic sheets over doorways to seal off the construction area.
I also used to vacuum daily, focusing on the high-traffic paths the family used. It kept the grit from spreading to other rooms. Your home will stay clean, and you’ll preserve your sanity.
Keep the family on the same page
Communication prevents meltdowns. If there were contractors working, I would check in with them every morning. A five-minute conversation clarified expectations for the day. Knowing that demolition would take place in the early morning or that the water would be off for a few hours in the afternoon helped me plan accordingly.
Schedule time away from the renovation
Mental health takes priority, and everyone needs a break from home improvement projects. Schedule weekends with no work. I enjoyed taking the family to the park, a museum, or the movie theater.
These breaks recharge our batteries. It reminds us that we are a family first and renovators second.
I also planned time with my partner to talk about anything other than the house. It’s easy to let renovation talk consume every conversation. We forced ourselves to discuss our jobs, the kids, or our favorite shows. Staying connected kept us on the same team when frustration was bubbling beneath the surface.
Embrace the temporary chaos
We need to accept that our homes will look messy for a while. Fighting the mess every single hour drains energy we simply do not have. Instead of striving for perfection, I focus on containment.
I designated safe zones with zero tools or building materials. This might be your bedroom or the living room where the family gathers to decompress. Having one clean space gives your eyes and mind a place to rest. You retreat here when the noise of a saw becomes too much or when you just need to stare at an unpainted wall.
Talk to your kids about the mess, too. Explain that it’s temporary and part of making our home better for everyone. Older kids might even help keep the safe zones tidy. My teenagers knew that if they left their backpacks in the construction zone, they would go to school covered in drywall dust.
Celebrate small wins
Every project is working toward making your standard home look unique. Progress feels slow in the middle of a project, but celebrating small wins keeps morale high! The first coat of paint on a wall is a win. Installing a new faucet is a win.
During my last project, I couldn’t help but take progress photos. Looking at the “before” images made me truly appreciate how far we had come. Whenever the never-ending mess starts to get to you, look at those photos and enjoy where you are in the present moment.
The noise eventually stops. The dust settles. The tools go back into the garage.
Managing day-to-day life during a renovation comes down to patience, flexibility, and a lot of deep breaths. You’ll stand in your refreshed space and realize everything was worth it. The stress fades, but the beautiful home remains.
Featured image of home renovation with family by SanyaSM from Getty Images Signature. Young couple cleaning a construction workshop by StefaNikolic from Getty Images Signature.
This article was written by Casey Cartwright, a writer and editor based in Nevada. Passionate about sharing tips, tricks, and advice for home decor and styling, Casey‘s greatest joys are sharing her articles and spending time with her family. When she’s not writing about home and garden advice, she enjoys spending her free time reading and finding new trails to hike and adventure on.
This was written for and published on Gal at Home as part of our commitment to share diverse perspectives on topics such as self and well-being, relationships and community, home design and DIY, career and creativity, and lifestyle and leisure. It may contain links to the author’s or their clients’ websites, which are included for reader reference. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of Gal at Home Design Studio.