<p>We are close to embarking on a master bathroom remodel. If we assume that the contract is foolproof and everything that should be taken care of in that regard has been taken care of, what advice to you have to offer to live through the process?
We are debating moving upstairs - less comfortable bed, etc. vs. living closer to the mess. Anyone lived through this and have any tips?</p>
<p>I’ve lived throught it! Twice. </p>
<p>Don’t bother cleaning (or dusting, at least) during the remodel. There is really no point. Just wait until it is all over. </p>
<p>And lock the door when you are dressing or in the bathroom. My contractor, who was remodeling two of our three bathrooms, walked in on me as I was showering in the remaining bathroom. I think he was more embarrassed than I was.</p>
<p>Hahah…we lived through it, and when I think back it does make me laugh. We had a second story put on and stayed in the house all but 3 or 4 nights of a 6 month process. It was madness but it was also fun. We became very fond of the carpenters and we tried to roll with the punches as best we could. The dust can be outrageous and if I were you I’d move upstairs for sure. It’s kind of like having a new baby-- you just live in the moment and everything turns out fine. Dusty, but fine.</p>
<p>It will cost more than you budget. They will find water damage and have to replace more framing wood than you think. The electrician will find things that need to be rewired/redone. The plumbing bill will be more than planned. It will take way longer than you thought.</p>
<p>But you will love the results, and in the end it is worth it. </p>
<p>Our new master bath is almost done. The tub is still sitting in the living room, read to drop in to the platform once the tile is done on Monday. It will be so worth it. We had a 70’s bathroom with a large formica box with sinks and drawers. Now I have a nice modern vanity with two vessel sinks. The big mirror glued to the wall has been replaced with two framed mirrors with small halogen lights. The g-dawful box light over the vanity with long florescent bulbs covered by this bumpy sheet of plactic–GONE FOR GOOD. </p>
<p>Good luck. Just roll with the punches. We stayed in another bedroom for the duration. Next comes our daughters’ bath. The shower has tiles falling off and you can see through the drywall to the pipes in one spot. No telling what we will find there.</p>
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<p>Yikes, yes, I’m afraid of all of that.</p>
<p>One reason why we haven’t ever remodeled our 1901 house, everyone I know who has, had to move someplace else for the duration.
Because it seems to take twice as long and cost twice as much as planned- that isn’t really something I wanted to deal with.</p>
<p>However, I would really love to add an eating space into the kitchen/better access to backyard-but another reason why we haven’t remodeled is because my husband has a totally different idea of what is the thing to do next.
( Also I would like to have a built in dishwasher before I die- that isn’t a big priority for him)
:rolleyes:</p>
<p>( I am doing the fixture replacement in our only bathroom myself- but while I bought a vessel sink- I am afraid it is going to be dated before I get it in.- but the counter is really cool- recycled glass tile)</p>
<p>Best advice I can give–go with workers who come with great references, and interview many!!!</p>
<p>I am living through a total kitchen redo at the moment. The wonderful guy installing the cabinets likes to begin work at 7 am. He wanted to work today to make sure the project stayed on track, but I asked him to wait until 7:30 since it was Saturday. Remodeling has changed my definition of sleeping late! I agree with what everyone has said about the dust and dealing with great workers.</p>
<p>givings,</p>
<p>your contractor didn’t hear the water running before opening the door? Yikes.;)</p>
<p>We are just finishing remodeling and updating throughout our 30-year-old house. We have owned it for 19, and I don’t think anything much was done to it prior to our ownership. We had already redone the master bath as there was water damage behind tiles in shower. </p>
<p>This remodeling stretch took a whole year! I had our contractor underfoot on and off for all that time. We did two and a half other bathrooms, the laundry room, kitchen (including changing ceiling), replaced all outside doors, all light fixtures. Other contractors painted everything and put in hardwood floors on main floor.</p>
<p>Today another contractor is finishing installing granite tile in kitchen and another one is installing new kitchen sink and faucet. There is still some painting and carpet to replace. My H says he is so sick of the process he never wants anything remodeled again!</p>
<p>I would say yes on moving to another bedroom during your master bath remodel. Also, remove items or cover what you can in your bedroom.</p>
<p>Be sure to keep track of unfinished little items at the end of the project, so there isn’t something left undone. Don’t make final payment till all details are finished.</p>
<p>We had our house gut renovated (stripped to studs and redid everything) and it was 1/3 over budget and about two weeks late. 
(50’s house, single owner-absolutely nothing done since it was built)</p>
<p>I guarantee you every time they tear down a wall they’ll find something wrong with the framing (especially for an older house). Living in the reno is not recommended or desirable. We lived in the final stages of the reno and my allergies were out of control even with the roomba running every day. And waking up at 7:30am during winter break (the only time I get to have something resembling a regular sleep schedule) to let the contractors in wasn’t fun either.</p>
<p>we did move upstairs - I really preferred the privacy of being upstairs and did not move down even after they finished the bath because they were working elsewhere downstairs - I was afraid we would be uncomfortable also - it sort of became staying at a bed-and-breakfast - and it made me know how comfortable the guest room was - and sure gives you a chance to clean out your closet!!! and make-up drawers…</p>
<p>I have read not to NOT clean - to vacuum every day - and check those furnace filters - thye will need to be changed more often during this process…</p>
<p>My remodel took a full year and I lived in the house the entire time - moved upstairs, then downstairs, then upstairs. Had no kitchen for about 9 months. Flew without a budget. Really happy with my contractor. love, love, love my new home</p>
<p>Living in my home during the remodel was tough at times. I certainly experienced remodel fatigue. On the other hand, I learned an incredible amount and on the whole am glad it was a part of the experience.</p>
<p>Here are my tips and feedback:
-Make your priorities clear. If its budget, time, or beauty. If something is not a priority, then that gives your contractor more flexibility in that area.
-Even professional contractors have do-overs. They are professionals, but not perfect.
-As noted by others, expect that there will be unforeseen issues that will need to be addressed. I was pretty lucky in that I only had a few of these and they weren’t major
-Inform your contractor of any issue that impacts livability so he/she can address it promptly (I took a number of cold showers due to water heater issues)
-Be responsive to issues that require your input. Delays just cost more time and $$. By living in the home during the project, it can be more convenient to meet with the contractor and crew.
-The only way to avoid dust is to pack things up and ensure the space they are in is sealed off from construction. Even that may not work. Dust is evil and ever-present
-Think about what you will need during the remodel and if you pack it up, note where it is. Expect that your remodel will take twice the time allotted, so you may need seasonal items that have been packed
-Bring a sense of humor, patience, and reality</p>
<p>Sunnyflorida has it exactly right. If you can move out I highly recommend it. I’m an architect and with experience I’ve learned to warn my clients to expect the unexpected. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve removed the shingles to find that they were all that was holding up the house, the studs were completely eaten away by termites. The contractors I work with use the shop vac every day. In fact for one of my particularly messy clients where they did a lot of the work while they were away for spring break, the contractor joked the house had never been so clean as when he was working there! Dust is inevitable, but a good contractor will keep on top of it and use plastic barriers so it doesn’t migrate to the entire house.</p>
<p>Move out of your bedroom, and take what you need, Seal the closet with painter’s tape, and put old sheets or plastic over everything that stays. You will save hours of cleanup time this way. Keep the rest of the house as vacuumed and organized as possible so you have a retreat.</p>
<p>Put EVERY change order in writing. If you don’t understand why a change is being made, ask. You really should have a conversation with the contractor every day or two and get these orders signed promptly. If he’s avoiding you, that’s a bad sign.</p>
<p>Things are not all going to go right; you should have at least 20% extra in the budget to pay for emergencies. Keep a list splurge items that could be done more inexpensively. Plan, plan, plan. Changes are the biggest budget-busters, but, don’t pre-order those expensive items without a lot of thought.</p>
<p>Ditto on talking to the contractor or job foreman every couple of days. You can really save time by having them do things the way you want them the FIRST time. ;)</p>
<p>Years ago we remodeled a whole house and just moved around in it, had a one year old and a 4 year old at the time. The job took over 9 months, and when it was all over, our general contractor and our nanny started dating and got married about 2 years later. I always wondered if that was why the job took so long.</p>
<p>Bugmom, that’s hysterical.<br>
Unfortunately, Memphismom, I know how comfortable our guest bed is…NOT! I just got home from Target with a 3" memory foam mattress topper. Hope that helps.
We are budgeting for unforseen things - I’m pretty sure the wall behind the tile is going to have some surprises.
Thanks for the advice so far.</p>
<p>I started helping the electrician revise his loveletters…then when we went over budget I felt like charging him for the editorial assistance!</p>
<p>Has anyone used faucetsdirect.com ? (If I can post that directly…) They seem to be cheap and reputable, but who knows…</p>