Baytown Home Remodeling: Moving Out Or Staying At Home

Home Remodeling

Deciding to move forward with a large remodeling project is an exciting time – you’ll finally get your house exactly how you’ve envisioned it! Once the choice is made and the contract is signed, it is time to think about your living situation for the duration of the project. A lot of this depends on how substantial the scope of work is – obviously remodeling a single bathroom is less intrusive than renovating the entire home. We’ll cover some general pros and cons of staying at home versus moving out, alternative living options that some clients have used in the past, and some advice on when we might recommend moving out.

Moving Out During the Remodel

Moving out can actually reduce the cost of the project – provided your temporary lodging doesn’t cancel out that cost (e.g. staying with family or friends). For example, if you move out during a kitchen remodel, professional remodelers wouldn’t need to work up a temporary kitchen with your old appliances or worry about resetting plumbing fixtures each night during a bathroom remodel. The work hours could be extended earlier in the morning and/or later at night (provided that is okay with your local ordinances) to make for more efficient workdays and a shorter overall project schedule. 

Moving out mostly deal with the cost and hassle of finding and living in an alternative to your home. We cover some options later on but it really can be like a minor move as you need to collect all the items that you’ll want day-to-day like school supplies, entertainment, your favorite pillow, whatever. Even if you get lucky and can stay somewhere inexpensively (or free), I don’t think you ever get as good of sleep when you’re not in your own bed. It’s not like you can’t come and go from your house even as our team is working but if you stop in every day then why move out in the first place? The added cost of moving out if you need to rent your lodging can be a deal-breaker and should be carefully considered in the context of what the project itself is going to cost.

Where Will You Stay During the Remodel?

Figuring out where you and your family will live during the course of your Baytown home remodeling is the next hurdle to jump if you do decide to move out. If you don’t have vacation/trip plans then obviously you need accommodations close to work, school, and your daily life. The cheapest route is to stay with members of your immediate or extended family who live nearby. Provided they have enough space, living with family members for a month or two can make you a lot closer with them as you share meals and free time that you would normally spend with just your immediate family.

For some people that sounds bearable, but for others that would be an absolute nightmare! Maybe one or two nights would be fine… two months is way too much for everybody’s sanity! If you are in this boat, the alternative is staying at an extended stay hotel/motel or finding a short-term rental. In years past, the only real option was renting out a room and living out of a suitcase to a degree. Now with the rise of sites like Airbnb you can find a place that feels a lot more like home for as long as you’d like. Make sure to speak with the owner ahead of time and let them know your situation, but as long as you can find a decent one close to home they can be quite affordable.

Staying At Home During The Remodel

Priority number one is getting to sleep in your own bed for you to feel comfortable. Even if it is a little messy and disruptive, some homeowners would take that over the hassle of moving their family during a remodel. Another big aspect of remodeling is the interaction and participation you get you to have with professional remodelers. Part of what you pay for when you hire Baytown Patio Covers is getting to see your project happen, take part in day-to-day decisions, and watch your kitchen come to life with some of the best craftsmen in Baytown, TX.

Staying home during your Baytown home remodeling is essentially the opposite of the pros of moving out. You do get a little of the noise and disruption and you have to navigate an active worksite 24/7. Certified contractors or remodelers do everything possible to keep you comfortable but there is no feasible way to piece your kitchen back together each night in time for dinner! It might add a little bit of cost to the project overall due to a little less efficiency, but that will be more than made up for by not having to spend money on alternative housing for the project’s duration.