On the surface, renovating while on vacation seems like the best of all worlds. What could be better than skipping town while your home is taken apart, avoiding the need to use the words “temporary bathroom” at all. In this post we’ll discuss the benefits and downsides of renovating while you’re away from home and also some important things to consider before taking the leap.
Renovations, especially major multi-room renovations, are extremely disruptive to a home. We have renovated entire homes at once, and we specialize in kitchens and bathrooms, so we know that neither of those spaces are easy to live without for long. While it’s possible to renovate multiple spaces in smaller, more manageable pieces, it’s generally cheaper and more efficient in the long run to do them all at once. That’s not always the practical choice when you’re living in your home.
So what if you weren’t living in your home at the moment? What are the benefits of renovating while on vacation?
Renovating while on vacation benefit: Fewer Disruptions
There is no more peaceful way to renovate than doing it while on vacation. You avoid the dust, the noise, the mess and the constant interruptions to your life. Anyone who has spent even hours without water or electricity knows how frustrating and draining the process can be. When renovating, these sorts of disruptions can happen frequently (often over the course of months) and it can feel like you can’t get anything done or have a moment of peace. Renovation stress can be difficult to manage for even the best of us, and if you have the right personality type to do it, walking away could be a gamechanger (we’ll get to personality types in a minute, keep reading)
Vacation renovation benefit: Increased Safety for Your Family
If you have small kids or elderly people in the home (or even some furry family members), going away during a renovation is the safer bet. We are always vigilant about safety on the job site, but the reality is that there are extra people, power tools working, large and heavy items being moved in and out, and lots of materials that can pose a risk to people in the home.
Renovating while away benefit: Scheduling flexibility
Admittedly this is partially a benefit to us, but renovating while on vacation does help your project move more efficiently. If the home is uninhabited, we can schedule each step closer together and use all the available working hours. Without conflicting schedules to worry about, our trades can speed ahead and make quick progress. When we’re renovating with people at home, we also need to ensure that certain facilities are available as much as possible (say, leaving a toilet available while a bathroom is being renovated, or shutting off water and electrical for shorter times to ensure you have access when you need it most). If we eliminate those conflicts, there is time saved that can be used to finish other things.
That all sounds pretty good, but there are downsides too, so let’s explore those:
Renovating while on vacation downside: Potential Security Risks
While we respect your home and take your security very seriously, we recognize that we are not the only game in town. We would never recommend that anyone renovate while on vacation if they are not working with a highly trusted renovator who carefully vets all members of their team. Major renovations generally rely on a lot of sub-contractors (smaller contractors who specialize in certain aspects of the renovation, like electricians, plumbers and tilers.) and anyone let into your house should also be a trusted professional. At Gateway, we’ve been working with many of our contractors for a long time, (some for decades) and we trust them with our renovations and with your home. That said, the Winnipeg renovation industry changes frequently, and it’s important that if you’re going to leave your home for a renovation that you carefully choose your renovator and make sure you are confident in their choice of sub-contractors too.
Vacation renovation downside: Difficulty Staying Connected
There is a TON of communication that happens during a renovation. With smart planning most of the decisions and details can be worked out ahead of time, but there is often something that comes up that needs attention. If you’re renovating while on vacation, being able to check in with us and being available if needed are important points to remember. If we find an unexpected issue when we open up your walls, we’ll need to talk to someone to figure out the next steps. Now, if there is someone locally that you trust to make those decisions and you can designate a spokesperson for yourself, that’s great too! If not, make sure we have a way to contact you if necessary.
Before you decide to embark on a distance renovation, we do recommend that you have a heart to heart with yourself. Not everyone is made to be able to step away, and we recognize how difficult it can be to separate your renovation and your vacation. If you are the type of person who needs to stay constantly connected, watch the process and be involved, it’s entirely possible you’re not going to enjoy yourself on your vacation. Now that doesn’t mean you need to stay in the home if you’d rather not live in the mess… but maybe skip the Bahamas and opt for a local staycation, stay with family or friends, or spend some time at a cottage somewhere nearby. If you stay somewhere easy enough to come and go, you might find the best of both worlds.
Practical rundown:
So what are the most important things that we recommend you do if you’re considering renovating while on vacation:
- Make sure you’re emotionally prepared to step away so you can enjoy your time rather than worry about what’s going on at home.
- Find a renovator you trust completely
- Plan, plan, plan. Finalize your design and all your finish choices. Talk through everything with your designer so everyone knows what’s going to happen and when.
- Make an emergency contact list, numbers or email addresses you can be reached at if needed and/or a local contact who you trust to make decisions for you.
- Get familiar with your personal Gateway Live Calendar. You can stay up to date and know what’s happening in your house every day as the project progresses.
- Double check all the practical needs. Make sure your water shutoffs work and that there is room in your electrical panel. Share alarm codes and have us set you up with a lock box for access.
- Enjoy yourself. That’s what all the planning was for, so have some fun and let us handle the mess.
If you’re considering a major renovation and you’d like to skip town for the messy parts, talk to us! We have plenty of experience renovating homes, and after over 40 years in the Winnipeg renovation scene, we have it down to a science. Let’s get you started!
As of now (July 2024) we’re booking for November renovation starts (and later), and we have a few slots available for distance renovations this winter, so it’s time to start the planning process. Schedule an appointment with one of our talented designers or contact us using the form below and we’ll be happy to help you!
