scarbowcow This is an eminently sensible ideabook. Everyone who is planning a remodel for the first time should bookmark it. Anyone who thinks they might one day face a remodel should bookmark it. Anyone who knows anyone who is considering a remodel should send them the link.

Having twice remained in residence in flats for remodelling (kitchen once, bathroom the second time), I would certainly say that if it's possible to get out while it's going on, get out. And if you can't get out, stey well out of the way of the workmen. I didn't pay for the remodels to my flat, so money wasn't the reason for making myself scarce when the workmen were present: the desire to have my home back, to be ALONE again with running water 24 hours a day, and NO MORE DUST - it was worth anything to keep the men working and get the job done as quickly as possible. The day they said, 'It's finished,' and I admired and thanked them for their work, and showed them out the door - I wish I'd had a bottle of champagne at the ready. Bliss.

tesshiva We've had several major renovations completed and we have 'stayed' for all of them - kids, pets, the whole nine yards - for the simple reason that the project goes faster when the contractor doesn't have to stop to have major questions answered or surprise problems debated. Also, periodic 'walkabouts' were critical to catch some debacles before they happened - including substituting materials, workmanship issues (especially where subcontractors were involved), even averting property damage unrelated to the actual project. It's hard to do, but if you negotiate and make clear your continued presence beforehand, we believe you end up with a better product and happier relations with your lead contractor when it's completed.

nanavigil We stayed in the house for most of the remodel, a complete gut of the upstairs of a split level with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, except for a period when my husband was obligated to work out of town and I went with him. It was good to be available for questions and decisions, and to catch mistakes (so many I was horrified). So many things needed to be changed because of unanticipated situations. I was surprised how often I had to solve problems because of errors made by the architect, or a worker, or a supplier, or the original builder or my failure to make decisions on time. Even being home, I missed some errors, like the wrong color paint, until I wandered upstairs at the painters' lunch break to check it out. When we were gone, very little happened and no one made any effort to protect our house from damage and filth. It was eventually very difficult and stressful to live in one tiny bedroom and bathroom (the latter lacked a ceiling for a couple of months, so showers were taken around the workers' schedule). Also hard to store 2 seasons of clothes in very little space (we lost 5 closets for the duration). Most of the furniture and belongings went into storage and we pretended we were packing for a trip. I tried not to bother the workers and actually wish I had been more involved and aggressive. Way too many slip-ups. If I couldn't be on site, I'd be there every day. Fortunately, I'm retired and can do that. I don't know how a couple who both work can handle this, especially with kids.

kellystevens These are good points to consider. If you can possibly afford to stay away, do so. At the same time, you will want to do a morning meeting every day on site, and a check in at the end of the day. Soooooo many decisions come up, small details that either weren't decided in advance or the workers don't realize it matters to you. So if you can have the workers walk through everything that will be done that day, then you can review the little details and make sure it get's done exactly the way you want it. Your job as the owner is to know what you want and make it clear to the team. Then check back at the end of the day to see what got done, what didn't, and discuss what will be done the next day. I find it's better to talk it through than to find out later that you weren't on the same page.

Studio S Squared Architecture, Inc. Thank you for this article, this question comes up on most of our remodel projects. I will be referring our clients to this in the future!

JAN MOYER Much will depend on the ages of children, and time of year for most people. It is GREAT to pack up all the kids and get out for a large summer project. I renovated a clients entire first floor and kitchen while they went to Gram's in another state to swim and play. The contractor and crew were on site every morning at six, and stayed until seven many days and were gone by the time the clients returned at summers end. I was the eyes, the ears, and communicator on site daily. If you have kids, it is actually easier to save large projects for when the time constraints of school buses, homework, sports, and all, are not adding to the stress of disruption. Let's face it, there is no perfect time, and no perfect solution. Throwing money at the problem will help, but being out of your home and your "stuff" is not a picnic either, nor is getting ready to go, or getting ready for the work that will take place whether you stay or go. The entire process is not for the faint of heart. It is to deliver a baby... you'll forget the ugly part of it: )

appytrails I am one of the fortunate few (judging by what I hear) where my kitchen remodel began and ended as scheduled (7 days exactly) and was planned during my vacation time. I was very glad to be around when needed, as there were decisions that needed immediate answers throughout the project. It was mostly hassle free, and I must say an exciting experience.
Very recently, we replaced our hardwood floors in the living room, and the decision to replace rather than refinish was made when we realized we'd have to leave the house (with dog and cat) for 4 days, as you have to pass through the living room to get to the bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. It was iffy if refinishing would give us a new floor look on our 40 year old oak floors, but being able to stay if choosing a new floor made that decision easier.
Staying for both of these (plus adding a new powder room) was very easy and problem free.

LIsa MC We stayed through the construction and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone! . We did a 2 story addition and complete remodel of entire house , no kitchen for nearly 6 months , at the same time we had no air ( it was summer), we were changing a bedroom into a bathroom upstairs and removing the original bath to make a master closet . Removing a chimney stack that run all through attic, bedroom and dining room. it was the most stressful time with 3 kids and a dog , we are not renovation virgins but this was the straw that nearly broke the camels back !
I am finally starting to like my house again after 3 years of total renovation -just finished our master bath .
Anyone starting a renovation/addition think twice about staying .

susanbmade We have just undergone a whole house remodel. There was no way or nowhere to inhabit our house during the process. Our rental situation was only a few miles away, so it wasn't too hard to be at the site in the morning and at the end of the contractor's day. We had somewhat loose interior particulars on our plans so it made it necessary to be on hand as the house developed. Certainly, how extensive your remodeling project is would dictate how easily you could manage staying in your residence. Above all, don't underestimate the need to be plugged into the process no matter how reliable your contractor is, even if that means staying and enduring the inconvenience. If your situation requires a rental period try to stay as close to the project as possible.

nononanna I have lived through three remodels and of course the hardest was the makeshift kitchen - a sink sitting on plywood with a hose rigged up, but a working oven and microwave. At first I thought I couldn't continue past a week or two, but did get used to it. The trouble is, you rarely have the choice of going somewhere really nice for the period of work, so I decided the money saving was worth it, given that the other choice would be living in a tiny apartment... You have to be able to handle continually having things crunch underfoot basically losing all intimacy in favor becoming very friendly with your workers.

pghgal685 We just completed a total gutting of our dining room and living room, and we stayed through it all, despite the dust and mess. We also, at that time, had our living room fireplace demo-ed, replaced, and re-mortared. It was definitely a challenge--especially since we had to create a makeshift plastic hallway to access our upstairs bedroom from the kitchen. This summer, we are tackling the kitchen, and this article gave me some helpful things to think about! Especially planning meals ahead! I have already decided to setup a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house, but I would like very much to have a serious game plan in place, so that we can remodel in record time! The less time I have to spend washing dishes in the upstairs tub, the better!!! I guess I should mention that we did 80% of all the work ourselves, with very few contractors hired. I love a good challenge, so I vote STAY!

kbarnesnc Having just gone through an extensive project, I'd say it is a double-edged sword. If you leave, you are not aware of the day-to-day goings on, including errors that can be quickly corrected. On the other hand, staying home and, yes, the incredible constant mess and noise, were very stressful. It was compounded because I work (or try to work) at home, I eventually had to arrange for an alternative work space. If I had to do it again (and I never will!), I would probably move out but visit the site every day.

patricia beharry When my kitchen was being rebuilt we used the laundry room as a temporary kitchen. It worked out so well that after the renovation we continued using the makeshift kitchen for awhile because we did not want to mess up the new kitchen. LOL. We are a empty nesters.I cannot see this working with children around.

Linda Friot We did a kitchen remodel and what was supposed to be a 2 month project ended up being 3 months (Cabinets were late coming in etc....and we did all of the work ourselves) Anyhow, we were fortunate enough to have a bar in our family room area of the house. We set up a makeshift kitchen there with a hotplate, microwave, etc. (the bar has a small wetsink with hot/cold running water) We did the project during the summer months hoping that we'd be able to do lots of cooking on the grill (wrong...it rained alot that summer) We packed away everything we didn't need and kept out just the neccessities....needless to say....there were no "special" meals cooked during that 3 months. We did carefully label all of the boxes, just in case there was something that we really needed. When the kitchen was finished it was almost like having new stuff to put in the cupboards because I had so much of it packed away for 3 very long months.

sunshinejoetta We remodeled before we moved in. I was there first thing every day and pretty much all day. The plus was I could go to my current home to get away from the dust noise and people. I feel that being there made a huge difference in questions that needed answers right away and catching mistakes early. One thing I noticed was that because the house was "empty" it was not shown the respect of being our "home'. It was just a job site to some. I came in one day to find a woman talking to my carpenter and getting a tour!!!! I had to stress that even though we were not sleeping here it was still our home and should not be treated like a spec home waiting for a buyer. Our general contractor is a new home builder and the mind set was not one for a remodel. It was a very stressful time but the house looks great.

devonthoney1 I am in the middle of a pretty big renovation and have moved kids,parents, cats and dogs out which was great since we got to turf out everything we didn't need/ want in the move. Storage and rental are costly, but are off set by the costs of a project which would have taken twice as long had we been in the house. We go to site every day and it has been a very exciting project. I have a fabulous contractor who is very flexible and understands exactly why I am asking the questions I do.

I have, however, lost a measure of faith in architects :( All the major mistakes were calculation errors or just plain ridiculously impractical ideas that No one could have anticipated from the drawings alone. I would really not want to stay for any renovation that involves bathrooms and kitchens. Being able to get away from the dust and dirt on the site has been a relief. After nearly 8 months we are DESPERATE to move back home. The dogs are far more flexible than we are and are very happy the close quarters of the rental space! Another plus is that the visits to our storage have convinced me that there will still be a measurable throw out before we move in and that perspective has been really useful. We had been in the house for 10 years before the renovation started, so the great clean out (s) are wonderful!

Georgia Lewis The remodel is coming up in my near future and I hadn't really considered this point. Thanks for the article! I am rethinking the project even as I write this. I have a small storage building behind my house that I was considering eventually turning into an office/studio apartment. This is now going to be the first project, and I can move into it when the rest of the house will be worked on.

Dressing the Home A lot depends on the nature of the project and the personalities involved. There have been many terrific comments regarding what inconveniences to expect on the part of the homeowner. One thing to add is that if you wish to remain on site during the process, be sure that you can avoid micromanaging every tiny detail and chit chatting with contractors. Most contractors are happy to answer questions; however, you may not understand every aspect of the process and find yourself worrying about the end result because you're "judging the painting before it has been completed." Also, remember that interrupting the subs constantly affects the schedule and can create bad feelings toward you (these people have allotted x number of hours for your project and are often self employed). I would suggest directing questions and concerns to the lead contractor, architect or designer instead of pulling the electrician away from his/her work unless you are sure that there is a problem or a change order is needed. You hired an expert for a reason!

happyindesign Excellent points. I have done it both ways as a designer for clients and homeowner. In my opinion it is easiest for all for the homeowner to move out during the renovation if financially possible. Renovating is invasive, and not for the faint of heart. It also depends on the personality of the homeowner. Someone very easy going and cheerful does a much better job of being onsite constantly than an OCD client who wants to question every detail and has a breakdown at the end of the day because their home is dusty. My happiest clients have been those who have spent many hours planning with me and my contractor and then move out and let us do the job quickly. Then the only tears we see are those of happiness at the unveiling!

BuilderFish #10 should be moved up. Owners are typically shocked at the level of destruction, probably because they're imagining new in their mind; but, first their "home" must be torn apart and that's often when the nasty and scope-increasing surprises are discovered. As the remodeling saying goes, the truth is behind the walls.

valeriegannon Irish homeowner here who just finished renovation of 3 bathrooms simultaneously - a week before Christmas 2012! We have a 4th bathroom, so were not without means to wash etc. But I have to say that I completely underestimated the volume of dust and general disruption involved. Consequently I spent a few hours each night damp dusting all of the rooms. As all of us suffer from mild hay fever, and all three bathrooms had been completely tiled (all 3 en-suites) so dust was high, and irritation too. I ended up on an anti-biotic from a sinus infection. As we may now do a little more refurbishment downstairs I regret not waiting, getting all done at once and moving out for a month - ideally across the summer where it might be possible to combine as a holiday.
Neither should you under-estimate the settling dust - which is still coming from tiled bathrooms 6 weeks later - from grout. Maybe this doesn't happen with US tilers, but I'm guessing that its universal.
As opposed to that I did find, and I think this happens to almost everyone, that there were unexpected decisions to be made - always immediately - like positioning of electrics, fittings, lights etc etc So had I not been on site I might have either missed the opportunity, or delayed the work.

nyran1 Our house (Kitchen and 4 baths) remodel starts next month and we opted to move out and rent. I think this article supported our decision and helped us come to terms with the additional expense.

slick We started with a bathroom redo (living in the house) to see how it would go with a small job. It was a learning/teaching experience. Not only do you live with everything mentioned by previous comments you get to know your contractor/subs. I am now 3 weeks into a kitchen/laundry room renovation and major interior painting. Yes, we are living in the house and we are using the same contractor we used for the bathroom. We purchased all appliances, sinks, hardware etc. are storing it in garage so when they are ready it is ready. My advice, know yourself and your "housemates" read all above comments again because that is how it is.

stargazer51 We are in the process of a whole-house remodel right now. If we didn't have a separate granny unit, it probably wouldn't have been possible. Everything except one bedroom is opened to the studs and walls and plumbing are being moved. As mentioned above, I've discovered errors and problems by checking in periodically and was glad to have been available when there were questions. The problem was my husband. He kept going out to chat because his son is one of the workers. I finally had to tell him not to because it was dragging out the process. I should share that I was the designer and am acting as the general contractor. He has other hobbies!

Ann Allen Ahh...this brings back memories. We moved a microwave and hotplate down to the basement where we had a laundry tub to do dishes while we gutted our kitchen. Of course right in the middle of that our sewer line needed to be replaced. Our first plumber told us the entire line needed replacement--which would have meant breaking up the concrete floor directly under our makeshift kithenette. Thank goodness we got a second opinion. The collapsed line was right at the foundation so nothing under the basement floor needed to be disturbed. With all the uproar in the kitchen that would have been the last thing we needed. The unexpected $6,000 repair on top of the remodel was enough! Our best investment by far was the sticky plastic stair runner from the Sherwin Williams store. If not for that, we would have completely trashed the carpet on the stairs. You definitely cannot underestimate the mess you will have with a tearout!

Janette Higgins The comments above are spot on. The only thing I would add/emphasize is to know your contractor's strengths and, if you're going to live with him, that your personalities mesh. In my case I lived through a total home renovation, excepting the kitchen to which only minor changes were made. I do landscape design but had never done an interior redesign, just a couple of renovations to parts of the house years ago. When after years of pondering I finally came up with the perfect design to solve a host of problems in my century cottage I was ready to go.

I knew from seeing my contractor's renovations to other homes he'd owned that he was not a 'designer' but was, nonetheless, a skilled carpenter who'd even built several homes. He also had a terrific fun-loving outgoing personality. First, I had him turn two small main floor rooms into one, close off two entries, and knock a door into the main floor bathroom. I then moved, with my cat, from my master bedroom upstairs into the new guest room cum office with en suite; of course now crammed with odds and sods of furniture etc. Which brings to mind, I was planning to redecorate (via Craigslist!) so sold off a bunch of furniture before the renovation. Nothing had to be put into storage.

Then my contractor went to work on the rest. BTW he had only one helper plus a few trades were involved at various times. The biggest change was extending the 'run' of the stairs to the second floor master which meant closing off the hall from the living room to the kitchen. The stairs had 10" risers and at the top you had to turn and bend to avoid bumping your head on the sloped ceiling, hence a new dormer was part of the redesign as well. That 3 feet of hall space was used to extend the stair run with a 'turn' stair. A new, wider hall was created under the stairs now into the dining area of the kitchen. (Much better than seeing the fridge through the previous hall when you opened the front door!) It was pretty well a gut and complete redesign of the flow of the house. From start to finish it took five months.

As others have noted there were design decisions being made several times a day. I was glad I was there to deal with them. It turned out it was stressful even as I thought I was having fun. (That revelation came with, I'm embarrassed to admit, a couple of visits to hospital emergency.) All in all I'm glad I stayed and I am over-the-moon thrilled with the completely 'new' house I now live in, complete with its new wonderfully eclectic Craiglist/Kijiji furnishings.

ikary My wife and I recently did a major remodel, gutting the kitchen, removing several walls including an exterior wall, adding about 450 sq ft of living space, removing the popcorn from the ceilings and putting in new floors in all of the common areas . We put all our money into the remodel, and we both work from home, so moving out was out of the question.

For several weeks the only remnant of a kitchen we had was a refrigerator that moved around from day to day. I kept a large salad bowl, salad tongs, a lettuce spinner, a cutting board, and knife in a box in one of the bedrooms and every night at dinnertime I would set up a card table and work light in front of the refrigerator and make a big salad. We saved money by not eating out and we improved (shrunk) our waistlines at the same time.

The remodel was a huge mess, much more that I could have ever anticipated, and in spite of our best efforts there was dust EVERYWHERE. Moving out would not have kept the dust from getting into all of our bedrooms, offices, and bathrooms so it wouldn't have helped that much. Regardless of the mess and hassle that we had for three months the finished product transformed our home, making it a real joy to be in.

betsybowen rent an airstream trailer and live on site. cheaper than an apartment and an adventure

thenry11 We are going on 4 months of an almost complete remodel of our new home (kitchen bathrooms, living room, dining room). And we have been here the whole time.... the difference is: we are doing 99% of the work ourselves. I would have loved to have an apartment during this time to end the day someplace clean and that has a working kitchen, also a place to work that is not this messy house (since I work from home). It has been extremely tough, but we have saved a lot of money doing it this way, not to mention all the experience we have gained and the satisfaction of knowing we did it all ourselves. However, i would never do this again, at least not to this extent.

jlwms123 What a timely article. I got ready this morning on the only thing left in our master bedroom and bath.... the vanity. The reflection in the mirror included wall studs to the bedroom and the back side of the tub/shower in the new hall bath that we just finished. What the mirror did not reflect was the 34 year-old gold fiberglass shower and the hideous flooring that was there on Saturday. Next to go will be the 9' cultured marble top and the 8' mirror; a sad day indeed :).

Yes, there is dust from the old drywall everywhere and no, you can't avoid it. It will soon be replaced by new drywall dust which is even worse. It's not for the faint of heart, to be sure. Last night I was able to enjoy a glass of wine with an out-of-town friend while listening to the reciprocating saw in the background and my husband's occasionally colorful vocabulary. We are avid DIY'ers and he is a talented and patient man. Would I do it again? Yep. I just need a few more Swiffers.....

Here is but a small part of the hall bath remodel.

Karen Herrick This article is spot on in many respects. Sheetrocking is absolutely NOT the time to stick around for health reasons and don't forget there will be serious health considerations if lead paint or asbestos exist anywhere in the home. Pets are most definitely at risk - I know a family that lost a cat from lead paint poisoning during a remodel.

Thomas Cochren Homes Thank you for this article! We encourage homeowners to be aware of the process but it will be great to have this third party perspective to send them to.

judybath Excellent thought process laid out for decision making. We generally stay when having work done but have the luxury of a downstairs rec room, office, bedroom, bathroom and laundry room. The last project was having the upstairs floors refinished so we moved downstairs with the dog and set up a kitchen in the laundry room with a microwave, toaster, coffeemaker, and small refrigerator. I was surprised how well we lived on toast for breakfast, lunch and dinner with eggs cooked in the microwave for breakfast, open face sandwiches and take out from the grocery store deli. We did have to put up plastic on one ceiling section that was open so the dust did not come downstairs. It is a good idea to add time to the contractors estimate as it always takes at least a week longer. Also, best to do any project in the summer so you can be outside part of the day.

sandiee This information is good advice. Having lived through many remodels I can attest to the challenge of mess, noise and inconvenience. My husband did all of our remodels using his weekends and evenings . . . and that would often drive the project's completion date out a bit. Some times he just needed a break from the work and I'd have to bite my tongue not to say something because I was in such a hurry to get the project finished.
For HOUZZ, I'd also love to see an article about whether to stay and remodel the current home vs. building something brand new. Thanks.

clarejames British remodeller here - We are currently right in the middle of a remodel - attic room just finished and foundations for ground floor extension dug out and awaiting concrete tomorrow! We have already "done up" our house once, taking 16 years to get around all rooms (with having kids in between starting and finishing), and have decided to start again and add another 5 rooms (attic room being room no 1!)... Our (excellent) builder tried to talk us into moving out but financially we knew we would have to compromise on fixtures and fittings or delay the build whilst we saved to cover the cost of doing so, so decided that wasn't going to happen. Luckily, as someone said previously, we are fairly laid back and clean on a Friday after they've left, and as we have two young children (9 and 5) they think it's all an adventure... watching the digger each morning before school is fun! We even had my son's 9th birthday in the house (although did escape to the park for an hour or so!)...

Phase 1 was finished on time, and provides us with a spare room to turn into a kitchen when the time comes to move everything out, and friends/family are ready to put us up for a couple of days when we need to replace our central heating boiler and be without heating/gas.

I am glad we've stayed around as those meetings before the school drop off happen almost on a daily basis. Questions such as what angle do you want your door frame (nothing I would have pre-empted!), and where do you want your light switches have averted the odd issue and meant my lovely builders could get on with the job in hand without delay.

My builder has also resolved some problems that my architect didn't spot/address, and these conversations need to happen at the start of the day - having to drop the kids off at school My builder emails me on an evening if there is anything he needs to discuss the next day so we have time to think and discuss between ourselves. So far, I wouldn't change a thing and would stay where we were if we did this again... fingers crossed it stays this smooth!

tripleart We stayed the first time, with 3 small children and no kitchen or laundry, and it was hell. This time we moved out. We have everything we need but packing was very stressful and it is expensive. Perhaps next time we'll just buy something else.

couchiching_girl Big blue tarp you say? Hmm, sounds familiar!

Here is a google maps satellite pic of our cottage complete with blue tarp during our April 2011 ENTIRE roof replacement, trusses and all. You can see the trusses on the driveway.

And we stayed there for a week during this period. It was freezing cold and rainy but at least we were there when the tarp failed and rain water started pouring into our living room! We also enjoyed the rare experience of seeing the moon and stars from where the kitchen ceiling used to be!

We were really happy with our builder and the completed work, learned a ton, and got some neat time lapse videos of the new trusses going up. So all in all, a great adventure we'd do again (but hopefully won't have to!)

A&A Design Build Remodeling, Inc. The decision to stay or to go during a remodeling project depends on many variables. The scope of the project, the family structure, kids, pets, parents etc. etc. etc. Most of it is already covered in the comments above. As a contractor who does this kind of work every day, I agree that being able to stay in constant contact with my clients is very important. There are always issues and decisions that need client's input or approval. I lived through a complete home remodeling of my own home. I mean complete gut and replace job. It was not easy and gave me a new understanding and appreciation of people who decided to stay and live through a large remodeling project.
During the two story addition with two bathrooms and sun room project (photo attached) we were able to structure out work in such a way that the old and new structure were connected only in the last month of the project and the client was able to stay in the house for the duration.

sophiejoe1 I have experienced both ways. We did an 8 month remodel and stayed in our home almost the whole time. It was horrible! No kitchen, two dogs, a ten year old daughter. Then we did a whole house remodel and did not stay in the house, in fact, it was 1 and 1/2 hours away. But we had a fabulous contractor and the house is perfect in every detail. My vote, get a fabulous contractor you trust and move out if you can afford to.

cyclingthroughlife We are currently undergoing a whole house renovation (more new construction than remodel in our case). We looked at stay or move and we ultimately decided on moving out for a variety of reasons, including

1. faster construction time - we felt it was important to get the construction over with quickly and get on with our lives. With one child a high school sophomore at end of construction and one in eighth grade - we felt it was more important for them to spend as much time in the new house as possible before they move out for college. By moving out, construction can be done in 8 to 10 months vs. 12 to 14 months if we had stayed.

2. inability to work from home during construction - I work from home 4 to 5 days a week. The noise of construction would have hindered my ability to work from home and forced me to drive 120 miles round trip and take 3 hours out of my day just to go to the office.

3. "clean freak" wife - wife is obsessed with cleanliness. She is complaining about how dirty the construction site is, and it really isn't that dirty. If we are living in the house while it is under construction, her obsession with cleanliness and her battle with dust, dirt and god knows what else would have driven her (and us) insane.

4. Quality of life. We would have made a lot of sacrifices and live through a lot of inconveniences. Living like poor college students is fun the first time around, but not now (especially with kids) and that "adventure". Better to enjoy the construction experience than to suffer through it.

5. Separation of construction and life. I work from home and I can attest to the fact that work-life separation is difficult at best. Imagine living at a construction site - we'll never be able to get away.

Although rent was another cost impact to the construction budget, looking back as we are nearing completion of our renovation, I can say that if we had to do it again, we would make the same decision.

luannehearlson_ Remodels are dirty dusty and congested with materials, tools, and workmen. I have lived thru 3 flips-kitchen/all baths, ceiling rmovals, moving walls and in one home, concrete was cut across the entire house to build a center island in the kitchen to the water supply. There is no place like home!-GO BACK WHEN IT'S FINISHED!! Move out and stay clear of the construction! Your marriage and sanity will thank you .

Lisa Urbanek I stayed and it was the best thing we could have done. No work was done without our okay so less redoing over and over again. The dogs and kitty (and saltwater tank could be cared for correctly) had thier yard and no trying to find a house or yard that could contain them. We saved so much by staying and nothing was stolen, like everyone I have spoken to after a remodel. It was tough to do dishes in a bathroom sink but you figure out how to cook differently. Now, after a year I have an awesome kitchen and gorgeous new rooms. Now if they would just finish the detail work and leave I would be estatic!

janalive Way back in the early 80s, I did a complete remodel of the home I grew up in. When using the personal pronoun, I am being very specific. Myself, my husband and my two teenagers, plus a contractor friend and the occasional neighbor who would strap on his tool belt after his dinner and on the weekends. It took an entire summer. Exterior walls were expanded, new plumbing, new wiring, two completely new bathrooms. Also the entire house had no Sheetrock, only wooden planks. And the ceilings were 9 1/2 feet. So very large pieces of Sheetrock. In the middle of all this, I made the "brilliant" decision that I wanted to strip all the moulding of paint and stain all of it. I cannot tell you what a fantastically horrible decision that was!
Now to the point, one afternoon (after my piano being moved for the third time) I simply packed my bag and showed up at my best friend's house. Everyone else stuck it out for the duration. But enough was enough. I constantly had Sheetrock dust in my hair, hadn't had a decent shower in a couple of months and was on the verge of crying at some point in every day.
Should you leave during a big project? Oh heck yes! Restful nights in a clean, quiet environment give one the energy and mental support to carry on with the work, even if that work is only supervising the project.

mayesplacestudio We moved out during our remodel, which ultimately took almost a year to complete. We took the house down to the studs, new roof,new kitchen, new baths, etc. Moving out was the best decision we ever made. We rented a home withing 5 minutes of the remodel so was available at a moment's notice. Also made it easy to inspect the remodel on a daily basis after the contractors went home. Budget for the rental. It makes sense and it makes for good relationships with your contractor and subs.

BuilderFish We try to get our clients to understand a gut-and-retrofit (i.e. stripping down to the bare walls and/or destroying most of the former house) is really custom new construction within old walls. Obviously you cannot stay in that scenario. However, some of what's being described above as "remodeling" or "renovating" crosses the line into building a new house. If you're moving walls and removing rooms, that's more than just sprucing up.

The marketing campaigns of the large home retailers has resulted in most consumers perceiving every home improvement project on an existing home is remodeling/renovating when it's technically much more once you're doing multiple rooms and changing the layout. For example, what if hour home was substantially gutted by fire, would you label that renovating?

kmcarcamo I moved down the street during a gutting of the kitchen and laundry room. My husband and I were sharing a bedroom and bathroom with our 3 kids. It was like the Waltons at bedtime and we were getting dressed out of cardboard boxes of clothes in the Morning. All modesty was lost. We did survive and are still married. I will not renovate another kitchen though.