Steps:
1. Tom and Kevin agree that a house renovation can be a very disruptive process for the everyday lives of homeowners. For that reason, Tom finds it helpful to discuss with homeowners up front all the ways they can expect their lives to be disrupted so they can prepare themselves for it.
a. Start time: Most contractors prefer to start around 7 am, which is often when homeowners are trying to get up and get ready for the day. If you’re not able to get up earlier, you’ll need to negotiate a different start time with the contractor, though starting later each day could delay the project.
b. Disturbing the neighbors: Be mindful that, depending on the scope of the work, large, loud trucks that need to find parking and spaces to work are going to inconvenience your neighbors as well. It makes the process go smoother and keeps everyone happier if you can give them a courtesy heads-up before work begins to happen.
Pro Tip: When giving neighbors a heads-up, Tommy suggests padding your timeline: tell them the project will wrap up a couple of weeks later than you actually expect. “Only because you never know if you’re gonna run into problems,” he explains. That way, if delays happen, your neighbors aren’t caught off guard—and if things finish on schedule, everyone’s pleasantly surprised.
c. Bathroom use: Even though it’s your home, it’s now a workplace for any contractor who comes to do work. Be prepared for the contractors to need to use your bathroom, and if muddy landscaping work is happening for an extended period of time, it might make sense to rent a port-o-potty.
Pro Tip: Renovation stress isn’t limited to humans. As Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List, advised in This Old House Magazine: “Send him to a kennel. Or, even better, to stay with a trustworthy family member.” If your dog or cat doesn’t do well with strangers, heavy-booted contractors tromping around their turf for weeks on end can cause real anxiety.
2. Overall, Tom feels that having an open dialogue between homeowners and contractors before work begins will help head off any potential misunderstandings and problems before the project begins. That way, there should be no issues that come up mid-project that could slow the project down.
Homeowner Mary Fallon, who recently remodeled the kitchen in her San Jose home, found that her background as a reporter helped her keep all her subcontractors well informed and on the same page. “They’d all get the schedule, and that way there was more camaraderie,” she told This Old House Magazine. It’s a good reminder that proactive communication doesn’t just prevent problems — it can actually build a better working relationship with your crew.
Pro Tip: This Old House general contractor Tom Silva has long emphasized the importance of giving homeowners a realistic preview of the disruption ahead. As he explains: “First of all, you gotta try to give them a reality check of what’s gonna happen. People don’t understand how much we’re gonna disturb them.” He notes that families with young children need to plan around early start times—crews on his sites get going by 7 a.m.—and should decide in advance whether they’ll stay in the house during the work.
