By Ankit Vora
It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on everyone all across the world.
Times are tough.
Most people are sitting at their homes, waiting for all of this to be over soon.
And trust me, we will eventually come out victorious stronger than ever.
With you spending so much time inside your home, you might have come across various flaws like frayed carpenting, outdated kitchen cabinets, or something else.
Chances are that the thought of renovation might have crossed your mind during Covid-19.
But wait!
The time’s not right. We are going through a pandemic.
So, should you even consider something like this?
It depends.
You won’t face a hard time getting in touch with a contractor and proceed forward with your renovation plans during Covid-19, as home construction, including the remodeling part, has been considered to be an essential business.
And with social restrictions loosened, we’ve witnessed many homeowners willing to undertake a remodeling project.
There are tons of benefits you’ll be subject to, with respect to the financing as well as project planning.
However, there are various risks involved as well.
Hence, we’d advise you to consider a few things prior to getting started.
And that’s exactly what we will be discussing here.
Well, let’s get started straight away.
Things Homeowners Should Consider Prior to Getting Started with Renovations During Covid-19
Listed below are the points we’ll be discussing here:
• Take the Discussions Online
• Communicate with Your Contractors Regularly
• Ask the Contractors to Show Their Covid-19 Preparation Plan
• Cleanliness & Safety Basics
• Leave Your Home, When Possible
• Be Patient
Let’s take a look at each of the points one at a time.
Take the Discussions Online
As soon as Covid-19 hit, various homeowners halted the renovations.
However, this hasn’t put a full stop to consultations, initial meetings, walk-throughs. All of these are taking place online.
And if you are looking forward to talking to your contractors, we advise you to take your discussions online.
Ask your contractors whether they are up for virtual meetings to take your discussions further and decide your project as well as provide estimates, design work, and quotes.
We advise you to conduct a video call. This will help you avoid an unnecessary trip inside your house.
Communicate with Your Contractors Regularly
Throughout the entire process, you should communicate with your contractors on a regular basis.
Ask them the necessary precautions they are taking in order to curb the spread of the virus.
Here's a list of a few of the questions you should ask them:
• How will you be keeping my family members safe while carrying out the remodeling project during Covid-19?
• Are there any written policies or procedures that I can take a look at?
• Who will be enforcing these policies?
• How will you be carrying out the paperwork as well as the payment process?
These are the must-ask questions that will help you be clear about everything.
Various contractors have taken the necessary precautions, keeping in mind the safety of the homeowners.
And you should give them some assurance as well.
You need to let them know that the work environment will be completely safe.
You need to make sure that you are taking the necessary precautions, on your side, to keep everyone safe.
Don’t be afraid of discussing it further with your contractors.
Ask the Contractors to Show Their Covid-19 Preparation Plan
With Covid-19 looming upon us, you need to ensure that your contractor has a Covid-19 preparation plan in place.
What’s more important, you need to make sure that everyone’s following the plan.
Each and every worker onsite should, without failure, follow this plan.
While conducting virtual meetings with the contractors, don’t be afraid of asking the contractors to showcase their Covid-19 preparation plan.
Review it. Be aware of who’s working onsite.
After all, you and your family members should always feel safe and sound, right?
Cleanliness & Safety Basics
Once you have hired a contractor, you need to keep in mind the safety basics.
Both parties must follow the CDC guidelines.
Listed below are a few rules you should enforce:
• All workers must wash their hands for about 20 seconds.
• Everyone should wear masks
• Masks must be accompanied by eye protection as well as gloves.
• Each and every worker must maintain at least 6 feet distance from one another
• Only a limited number of workers must be present on the worksite at a given time
Click HERE to know more.
Leave Your House, When Possible
If there’s any way possible, I’d advise you to leave your house.
If you think there’s a place you can go to, you shouldn’t hesitate on leaving immediately.
After all, the safety of your family members might be at the top of your priority list.
What if you don’t have any place to go?
In that case, I’d advise you to avoid the work area as much as possible.
Be Patient
Your contractors might be trying their level best to get things done safely and in an efficient manner.
And the best advice I can give you is to be patient.
Staying in touch with them regularly will help you have a better understanding of any sudden change in plans.
What if one of the workers got affected by Covid-19?
In that case, you should take the necessary precautions and schedule a meeting with your contractors immediately.
No questions asked!
Conclusion
Times are tough.
We are going through a pandemic. And it’s huge.
We will eventually come out victorious.
As soon as the pandemic hit, various homeowners all across the world delayed their projects immediately.
However, as the restrictions are being lifted, don’t be afraid of getting in touch with your contractors.
On top of this, one of the benefits of carrying out your renovation projects right now is that the interest rates are relatively low.
