Alternative Accommodation during your home Renovation Dilemma…

Last summer, whilst overseeing a beautiful period-style property renovation in the South Cotswolds, I watched Sarah and James wrestle with a decision many of our clients face: where to live during their home transformation.

“We initially thought we could just camp out in the spare room,” Sarah told me, laughing at their early naivety. “It took about five minutes of realising the kitchen would be a building site to know that we needed a Plan B.”

Their story, like many we’ve encountered over our 14 years of managing Cotswold renovations, highlights why carefully considering your temporary living arrangements can make or break your renovation experience.

The Stay-or-Go Dilemma

The decision to remain in your home during renovations isn’t always straightforward. Sarah and James’s project perfectly illustrates why: what began as a three-month renovation extended to nearly four when their replacement windows were delayed.

Thankfully, their flexible short-term let through a local letting specialist easily accommodated the extension…preventing what could have been a stressful situation.

When weighing up your options, consider these crucial factors:

Scope of Works

Even with minor remodelling, your home can become a construction site. Trades need access to multiple rooms, building materials and tools require secure storage, and dust sheets become your new décor.  In Sarah and James’s case, with both bathrooms and the kitchen being renovated simultaneously, staying put simply wasn’t practical.

Health and Safety Realities

Despite the best dust containment measures, renovation work generates disruption that can impact your daily life and wellbeing. As Sarah noted, “We hadn’t considered the simple things – like where we’d prepare meals and where we’d shower when the water was turned off for days at a time.”

The Timeline Truth

Something we’ve learned through countless projects: when clients move out, work progresses more swiftly. Trades can work more efficiently without worrying about maintaining a liveable space, often reducing overall project timelines and, consequently, labour costs.

Image: Apartment Living room with dining area

Finding Your Temporary Sanctuary

Through our experience, we’ve seen clients successfully utilise various accommodation options. Here are the most convenient:

Short-term Luxury Lets

This proved ideal for Sarah and James. “We found a beautiful cottage through the Cotswold Letting Agency,” Sarah explains. “It gave us the flexibility to extend our stay when the new windows were delayed, and being fully furnished meant we only needed to bring clothes and personal items.”

These lets typically offer:

• Fully equipped homes
• Flexible rental periods
• Familiar standards of comfort
• Strategic locations

Extended-Stay Hotels Whilst hotels can work well for shorter projects, they’re worth considering when:

• Your timeline is fluid
• You prefer additional services
• Central location is essential
• Storage needs are minimal

Family and Friends Though tempting from a cost perspective, we’ve seen this option create unexpected strains. As James mentioned, “We briefly considered staying with my parents but realised three months might test even the strongest family bonds!”

Making It Work: Practical Considerations

Sarah and James’s experience highlighted several practical aspects worth mentioning:

Location Priorities

They chose a let just ten minutes from their renovation project, allowing them to:

• Easily attend site meetings if needed
• Continue their normal work commute
• Maintain their children’s school routine
• Pop by to check progress

Budget Planning

Include alternative accommodation in your initial renovation budget. Sarah advises, “Factor in some contingency for potential delays – we were so grateful we did!”

Image – The dining chairs are covered in stain resistant fabric

Storage Solutions
Consider what you’ll need to access during the renovation. Sarah and James kept essential items in their temporary accommodation while storing furniture and seasonal items with a local storage company.

The Benefits of Distance
Interestingly, many clients, including Sarah and James, discovered unexpected advantages to moving out during renovations. Having already planned their temporary accommodation as part of our comprehensive six-step design and project management process, they found the physical and mental space invaluable.

“Living in the rental cottage gave us much-needed normality,” Sarah reflected. “With all design decisions made before works began, we could maintain our family routine without the stress and dust of living through a renovation. The children’s school schedule wasn’t disrupted, and we could continue working from home effectively.”

They also found that:

• Regular site visits were more focused and productive
• The renovation team could work more efficiently
• Their temporary home provided a dust-free, calm environment
• Family life continued smoothly without renovation disruption

Planning Your Return

Sarah and James’s experience highlighted the importance of a well-planned return to their newly renovated home. As part of our project management service, the team arranged:

• Professional deep cleaning post-completion
• Coordinated furniture delivery
• Essential services testing and verification
• A detailed snagging list walk-through

Making Your Decision

Whilst every renovation project is unique, the key to success lies in careful planning. Working with established letting agencies proves invaluable when seeking temporary accommodation. The Cotswold Letting Agency specialises in high-quality, flexible rental properties throughout the region, offering everything from period properties to contemporary homes with flexible rental terms. The key is starting your accommodation search early and remaining flexible as your project evolves.

At The House Ministry, we’ve guided countless clients through successful renovation projects. We understand that finding suitable alternative accommodation is crucial to your renovation journey. Whether you’re planning a whole-house transformation or a significant renovation, we’re here to help you understand your options and make informed decisions about temporary housing during your project.

Why not take the next step towards your dream Cotswolds home?  Get in touch or email