Keep your home renovation project on track, pandemic style

Thinking of upgrading the look or vibe of your home? Before you excitedly start renovating your house, keep in mind that the construction work could be extra challenging given the pandemic.

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Although, there is no foolproof way to prevent renovation hiccups, there are several techniques to minimize your risk. The first of which is by keeping your pulse on the project from beginning ‘til end. Jot down your vision and home improvement goals before any work is done to help you stay on track (and hopefully, within budget).

While you’re finalizing home rehab goals, you can start shopping around for a reliable and trustworthy contractor. Get references from friends, family, and colleagues on credible construction firms that can get the work done – accurately and fast.

Once you’ve shortlisted potential candidates, do due diligence. Choose a contractor that has a solid track record and portfolio. Don’t be tempted to do-it-yourself, no matter how small or simple the job seems. Home rehabs are better and safer when done by licensed professionals.

As soon as you’ve signed up with a contractor, ask for a detailed plan and timeline of the job. Review the details of the masterplan, plus the schedules, manpower, supplies, logistics, working budget and other details with your contractor before signing it off to ensure that all your concerns are addressed. Don’t forget to refer to these agreements during the course of the work. 

One more important thing to check before you begin your home improvement is the coverage of your existing home and property insurance. If you plan to add an extension, build a new room, or repurpose the yard, you must review the scope of your policy before the work begins.

Contact your insurance company to ensure that your addition is insured. The insurance agents of Malayan Insurance, for instance, can easily help existing and prospective Home Protect policy holders review, amend, or register their policy to safeguard their entire property.

Since there’s still Covid-19, it would be wise to include several provisions that covers delays caused by manpower shortage due to illness, health and sanitation concerns, or supply chain issues of construction materials. Although there’s a chance that your home renovation may not be affected by the current health situation, it’s better to be prepared for any eventuality.

If your family also has no plans of vacating the house during the rehabilitation work, it’s highly advisable to discuss the traffic or flow of people to and from the construction areas and other parts of the house. Implementing health and safety guidelines lessens the chances of an outbreak during the construction.

If you do encounter delays, the next thing you should watch out for is hasty and haphazard work. Firms often work on tight timelines, and construction delays could force their workers to speed up their tasks at the expense of quality work. Keep a sharp eye on details, and don’t be afraid to call out the workers or your contractor if something is amiss, or worse, if they accidentally damaged a part of the home, in their haste. 

Should anything untoward happen in your home during the construction, don’t hesitate to reach out to your insurance company. Reliable non-life insurers like Malayan Insurance are always at the ready to help their policy holders in the case of accidents, injuries, calamities and other unforeseen disasters.

Pandemic or not, home renovations can indeed elevate the ambiance of a home, and uplift the spirits and mood of its household. With cautious planning, and the right support, putting an annex or expanding a yard need not be as complicated as it seems.