Who should I notify before renos?

It goes without saying that a renovation, big or small, will have an impact on your daily routine for the duration of the project. What we often forget, is that it may also have an impact on others as well. So, here is a handy-dandy list of some people you should notify before you start your renovation.

The Insurance Company

Talking to your insurance company about your home renovation is always a great idea. If you are adding value to your home, you may require additional insurance coverage. If no additional coverage is necessary, it’s still worthwhile noting that increased value to your agent. In addition, your insurance company may want to know what kind of renovation is taking place.

The Trusted Neighbour

That friendly neighbour who comes over to water your plants when you’re away on vacation is always a good person to notify when you have work being done on your home. For starters, introducing your neighbour to your contractor can help you avoid any awkward situations. Imagine a couple of vehicles pull up at your home while you’re at work and your neighbour thinks you’re being robbed. Of course, this sounds a little extreme, but keeping your neighbour abreast of what’s happening is always a great way to maintain great relationship within the neighbourhood.

The Family and Friends

If you have any family or friends that drop by unexpectedly, it’s important that both the individuals and the contractor be aware. In addition to avoiding the awkward, “who are you?” moments, it also helps the contractor manage who has access to the building. Because I’ve personally had total strangers try to walk into some of the homes I’m working on, I keep a “no visitors allowed that aren’t approved by the homeowner” policy. Sure, that person might just be your brother-in-law popping in to say hello, but it might also be a guy casing your home for a break in. Let us know who can come in and also let them know we’re working there.

Other Regularly Scheduled Services

A lot of the reasons for letting these people know about your project are the same as the reasons you let your friends and family know, but there are a few other reasons as well. The most obvious one is we don’t want to be in each others’ way. The cleaner who comes in to clean the home might find it difficult to get work done if we’re tearing out a bunch of drywall. Or, the guy cutting the lawn might get frustrated if I have my table saw set up in the middle of the yard. Although not every situation can be avoided, at least being informed can help your services get their work done with as little interruption as possible.

The Pizza Delivery Guy

Okay, we’re having a little fun with this one. It probably not necessary to let the pizza delivery guy know that your home is being renovated but on the other hand, if you’re expecting a package to be delivered, maybe let the contractor know. Some delivery services are notorious for just leaving things on the front step and your contractor could take the package and bring it in the house for you.