Choosing to renovate sure is a big decision, but with it comes another big decision – whether or not to live-in throughout the building process. We’ve had a look at some of the pros and cons of living-in throughout a renovation, to help you make the best choice for your unique situation…

Pros:

• The most obvious reason to stay throughout the renovation is to save time and money that would otherwise be spent on renting. Having to find an appropriate property, move your possessions, deal with rent inspections; it’s enough to put anyone off even before you factor in the cost of a decent rental property in Perth! Of course, there is the alternative of moving in with family  ....but in some cases this can be more annoying and stressful than living through the renovation in the first place.
• If your renovation timeline is hard to estimate, you’ll be happy you stayed in your home. There would be nothing worse than getting kicked out of a rental property only weeks before your own home renovation is completed.
• By living-in, you get to see your project come to life and admire the daily progress. This can make the process more exciting as you get to be more directly involved and learn things along the way.

Cons:

• If you are a clean freak, there is no question that your nerves will be put to the test. Some aspects of cleanliness in construction can be managed, like throwing rubbish away and leaving a tidy, contained worksite. Exactus works hard to ensure we are as tidy as possible, cleaning up as we go. However, other by-products of renovating are harder to control, like sand and dust making its way into living areas.
• Another downside of living onsite through a renovation is the inevitable noise of drilling, banging, sawing, etc. that is often encountered daily. As building hours are restricted to between 7am and 7pm, and with most builders being considerate of the routines of live-in renovators, the impact of noise can be minimised. However, if you spend a lot of time at home with children or working from home, then you may find noise to be a big drawback.
• Depending on the size and nature of the renovation, you may be confined to just a portion of your original living space after the construction area has been marked off and possessions from these areas relocated. Access to a kitchen and bathroom are also fairly essential, unless you don’t mind showering in the sprinklers and eating vegemite sandwiches for dinner throughout the duration of your renovation!
• With different tradesman coming and going from your home at any given time, you’ll also have to say goodbye to your privacy for a little while.

To find out more about what it’s like to live-in throughout a renovation, have a look at one of our past client’s blog on her experience: http://www.exactus.com.au/what-to-expect/traes-blog-what-its-like-to-renovate/