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Much time and energy goes into building a new home. It is exciting and stressful to choose the piece of land, select a plan, choose the right builder for the job, work with the financial institutions, and watch it all come together. In fact, sometimes people get so wrapped up in all of those decisions and projects that the fact that they will have to decorate their home almost gets lost in the maze.

From Wall Coverings to Floor Coverings

People get so caught up in the big stuff that they sometimes forget that the wall finish will have to be painted or covered and the floor boards will require some form of finishing. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer that prefers to do your own decorating or you have a hand-picked decorator handling this for you, you will still need to select the motif that will best suit your family.

That is right. It is something that everyone that lives in the house will probably want to participate in on some level. This can be a whole new battlefield. Don’t fall into the temptation to let these decisions create strife in your family.

How to Avoid Decorating Debate Blow-Outs

• Try not to rush decorating decision. It is easy to feel pressured and push the members of your household to come to an agreement. You will find that allowing yourself and others sufficient time to meditate on the decorating decisions that involve them will diffuse a great number of arguments before they happen.
• While you may not feel it is necessary to involve children in many of the decisions regarding decorating your home, allowing them some input into their bedrooms and any other rooms that will be greatly devoted to them will allow them to feel important and a sense of ownership in the new home.
• Some people change their room colors regularly, while others keep things the same for years at a time. Assess the type of decorator that your family is and keep that in mind when decorating. For example, if you do not intend to change your bedroom walls in your children’s room for at least five years keep it generic enough so that when your son is fourteen years old, he won’t still have Winnie the Pooh on his walls.
• Keep in mind that your fixtures, from lights to plumbing, will accent your home. Choose carefully to keep the same feel throughout.

Do not allow the task of building your home to tear apart your family. Keep things in perspective and do not allow things that may be changed within a couple years anyway cause friction in your relationships. Realize that home building can be a stressful time. It can consume your thoughts every waking moment. Be sure to take time to do something fun every once in a while. It will help you keep your priorities in order, as well as remind you that your sanity is still intact.

When renovating your established home there will be many decisions that you will have to make - thankfully your selected builder will be able to help you out with many of these decisions. Depending on how extensive your renovations are, one of the choices you may have to make is whether you should remain in your house while renovations take place or find suitable short term accommodation. This is a decision that is best made in consultation with your builder. Your builder will be able to explain to you exactly what you can expect should you remain living in the home while renovations take place.

Builders can undertake many renovations with minimal inconvenience to you but it is important to quiz your builder on any inconveniences you can expect. Failure to quiz your builder may result in you waking to find that your shower and toilet are unavailable. A skilled and professional builder however will negate your need for quizzing as they will be upfront and open in their communication and will list for you all there is to know. Can you be sure your builder will prevent any unexpected accommodation surprises coming up? The only way to be sure is to make sure that you select a reputable and quality builder.

If your renovation project is extensive, your builder will advise you via a “Job Program” whether they can undertake the construction work systematically allowing you to use certain areas of your home or whether it will be necessary for you to find some short or long term accommodation. Remember that your home will become a building site during your renovations and it is essential to rely on your builder as well as your own common sense for advice on the hazards and inconveniences that will be present. Should you have a young family it is even more important to ensure that your children remain safe from the building environment.

Renovation work will create a very different environment and for some people they would prefer to use accommodation while the building work is being conducted. This allows them to return to a perfect home without the hassle of having tradespeople walking around the house. This is a personal choice and you do not need advice from your builder if this is the case. A professional and reputable builder may however be able to work in and around you so that your personal space is not impacted upon allowing you the choice to remain in your home. Be mindful in making these decisions that there can be cost implications generated from having the building work move “around you”, your builder will advise.

By choosing a reputable builder, you can be sure that you will receive accurate and reliable information about whether moving out while renovations take place is essential. Home renovations can be stressful, so make sure you choose a builder who will work to reduce the inconvenience that renovations will have on you and your family.

Some more specific things to consider are – safety, dust, noise, disruption to living patterns, dust, available space, intrusion, interruption to services, exposure to weather / conditions, privacy, dust etc! Think carefully!

Should I Stay or Should I Go – Moving Out While Construction Happens (23 KB)