The two weeks before a renovation starts are more important than most homeowners realise. A little preparation on your end makes a real difference to how smoothly the first week goes. Here is what we ask our clients to do and why each item matters.

Clear the Work Area Completely

This sounds obvious but it is the thing that most often does not happen. Cabinets need to be emptied, drawers cleared, and anything fragile moved out of adjacent rooms. Artwork on shared walls should come down. We protect floors with Ram Board and doorways with plastic sheeting, but we cannot move your belongings for you. A clear work area means we can start demolition on day one instead of spending the morning moving things.

Set Up a Temporary Kitchen or Bathroom

For kitchen renovations, you will be without a functional kitchen for most of the project. Set up a folding table in the dining room or living room with a microwave, kettle, and a small fridge. Stock up on things that do not require cooking. For bathroom renovations, make sure you have access to another bathroom in the house, or talk to us about scheduling so the bathroom is usable on weekends.

Confirm Access and Parking

We need reliable access to the property from 7:30 in the morning. If you have a security system, make sure we have the code or a key. We also need a place to park a truck and, for larger projects, a bin on the driveway or street. If your street requires a permit for a bin, we handle that, but we need to know the address details in advance.

Make Your Material Decisions Early

The most common cause of project delays is a homeowner who has not decided on tile, fixtures, or cabinet hardware by the time those items need to be ordered. We give you a decision deadline for each material category when we send the project schedule. Missing those deadlines pushes the project back. We are happy to help with selections, but we need a decision, not a shortlist.

A well-prepared client and a well-organised contractor make for a smoother project. We do our part on the scheduling and communication side. The prep list is your part, and it genuinely matters.