Can we live on site during building works?

It can often seem like the cheaper option to remain living on-site during building works. We’ve done it ourselves whilst renovating our own home. However it’s worth considering some of the pros and cons to living on-site before making a decision.

Like camping, but worse

Living on site means living with the dust and noise that comes with a building site. Utilities may be cut off for certain periods and construction often takes longer as builders work around domestic life. There can also be health and safety and insurance implications meaning you are essentially cut-off from certain parts of the house that are being worked on due to the builders contractual responsibilities.

Scope-creep side effects

We’ve all done it. Half way through a project someone makes a suggestion and suddenly everything changes (and gets more expensive). This informal decision making can add both cost and time onto a project as well as affecting the original designs.

Our view

Unless you live in an area where rents are extremely high we would usually recommend moving off-site for a larger project. It means you don’t have to worry about mess, complications or contractors and can enjoy seeing your project come together. The only potential downside is if your project overruns it can lead to an extra cost but it’s worth weighing this up against the peace of mind and ease that comes from moving out.