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What To Expect From a Remodel if you Work From Home

February 10th, 2023 | 3 min read

By Aaron King

Man working at a desk from his home office

Home remodeling can be a challenging experience, especially for those who work from home. Noise, utility disruptions, and unforeseen circumstances are all common issues that homeowners may encounter during a remodel.

At Custom Built, we have over 15+ years of experience constructing beautifully remodeled spaces in Mid-Michigan homes. In addition, we love sharing our expertise in construction so you can know what to expect during your remodeling process. 

Working from home has become the new norm and we understand that remodeling can be a disruptive experience. Our team is passionate about not only creating beautiful and functional spaces but making sure your construction experience is as positive as possible.

In this article, you’ll get to know what you can expect during the remodeling process if you work from home. You’ll find tips and solutions to help minimize the impact on your daily routine.

Noise during your home remodel

What should I expect?

Home remodeling can be noisy and disruptive. Noise during your remodel will vary depending on the work. However, you can expect to hear loud noises somewhat continuously throughout the entire construction process.

During your home remodel, expect noise from some of the following sources:

  • Power tools such as saws and drills
  • Heavy machinery such as excavators and bulldozers
  • Demolition work such as breaking down walls or tearing up floors

You can expect to hear noise anytime between 8am - 5pm, as these are the working hours for our construction crews.

What are my potential solutions?

Construction noise can be especially challenging if you work from home, making it difficult to focus on tasks and participate in virtual meetings.

To minimize the noise you hear from our construction crews, we recommend setting up a temporary office space in your home as far as possible from where the work is happening. While this is not a perfect solution, it will lessen the noise you hear. 

Another potential solution for dealing with noise is to make arrangements to work elsewhere for the duration of your project. We understand that this may not always be feasible, but if you are concerned that noise will interfere with your work, coffee shops, libraries, or a friend’s home are temporary options to consider.

Utility shut-offs during your home remodel

What should I expect?

During your home remodel, there may be instances where power, water, internet, heat/ AC, and gas services will need to be shut off temporarily. These shut-offs typically occur when our trade partners are working on your electrical system, plumbing, or gas lines.

Utilities are shut off for safety reasons to prevent harm to our trade partners. We try to minimize the duration and necessity of these shut-offs, but they ultimately depend on the size and scope of your project. 

A large kitchen remodel with layout changes, for example, may require power, gas, and plumbing to all be temporarily shut off. In contrast, a deck project may not require any of your utilities to be shut off.

What are my potential solutions?

While we understand that you are working from home, we are not able to delay or reschedule these shut-offs to coordinate with your work schedule. We will notify you in advance, so you can make alternative plans.

Working from home likely requires access to the internet. On days when the power stays on but your water, heating, or AC is shut off, you’re more than welcome to stay home. Be advised that you may be uncomfortable, but since you will have access to electricity and the internet, staying in your home is fine if that is the best option for you.

If utility shut-offs will interfere with your work, we recommend making arrangements to work elsewhere during the day or days when they will take place.

Unforeseen problems that may disrupt your work

What should I expect?

During your home remodel, unforeseen disruptions may arise that require your attention.

The most impactful disruptions occur when we discover issues in your home during demolition. These can include finding mold or rotten wood, water damage, termites, or pests. These are unforeseen because they are only visible once we open up your home’s structure. 

These issues don’t occur on every project, but they do occur, and they must be addressed immediately. To effectively solve these problems, we first notify you. Then we begin the change order process with you to adjust the scope of work for your project.

If we notify you that we’ve uncovered any of these problems, we will explain how it affects your project, and what next steps we will take to solve the problem. While this is likely the last thing you want to hear while you’re working, this is a necessary disruption that is a part of the normal remodeling process.

What are my potential solutions?

To solve these issues, we begin the change order process. A change order adjusts the scope of work for your project to include addressing the problem we found.

Your project development advisor will reach out to you as soon as possible with the next steps.

Next steps for remodeling when you work from home

While remodeling your home promises an exciting outcome, working from home during construction can be distracting and stressful. Understanding what you can expect will help you make the best plan for working from home during construction.

As a remodeler with extensive experience managing and constructing projects, we value not only creating beautiful and functional spaces but making sure your construction experience is as positive as possible.

If you’re planning a home remodel, book a consultation with one of our project development advisors. They’d be happy to answer your questions or discuss your project with you.

To learn more about what to expect during a home remodel, read the following articles.

Image Source attributed to FreePik

Aaron King

Aaron has been in the building industry his entire life. He worked in his family’s housing business growing up in Dewitt, MI, and for nearly 40 years, built homes in the Mid-Michigan area. He has also worked with the Greater Lansing Home Builder’s Association since he was 18 years old.