Renovation Home: 5 Organization Tips For Keeping Your Sanity

By Kathryn Haley

Being disorganized will cost  time and money during a renovation. Home organization is the key to success. If it is a large scale project and most of the house is being affected, it is going to be difficult to keep things orderly but with these tips you should be able to stay of top of the chaos.

1. Have files for everything

Keep all of your paperwork in one place. I recommend an inexpensive file folder holder that is portable.  Create a file for all the receipts that you collect. As you post them into the budget, move them into another file labeled posted.

You should keep all of the permits and papers from the city together. You will need to refer to these to make sure you are doing everything they want.

Create another file with your design ideas and pictures from magazines. This is your inspiration file and it will help you make colour and product decisions.

2. Have a spot for tools.

There is nothing more frustrating than searching around for tools that have been misplaced.  I don’t know that you will ever be able to avoid this completely, but if you create an area for tools it will help a great deal.

Create a space where all the tools are put. I find that if you designate a table for tools where tool boxes and small tools are kept. The larger tools sit on the floor underneath the table.  Every time you are finished with a tool, put it back. It doesn’t take any time and it will keep the clean up at the end of the day to a minimum.

3. Be forward thinking

You need to always be one step ahead of the project. It is very frustrating to go to start a project and realize you don’t have everything you need. You either waste an hour driving to the store to pick up what you need, or you go do something else which gets you off schedule.

Make sure you buy all the materials you are going to need ahead of time. For example, if you are doing a Bathroom and the drywall work is being finished, you need to make sure the vanity and tiles are already on site.

After you have finished working for the day, spend a few minutes and think about what is next for the project. Take stock of what you have purchased and if you don’t have everything you need go purchase it. I know the last thing you want to do after renovating all day is to go shopping but it is much more productive that wasting half your morning running to the store.

4. Keep an ongoing list

I don’t care how good your memory is, you won’t be able to keep track of things unless you write them down.  A solution I have found that works is to get a clip board and hang it on a nail in the area you are working. Whenever you realize you are running low on something, write it down immediately. You won’t remember later.

Look at the list every night as you plan the next day and add to it. Check your supply of essentials such as screws, nails and dap. Make sure you have more than enough.

5. Clean up

Keeping the work area clean will keep the risk of injury down and make the job run smoother. Every night after you are finished working, remove all the large debris and shop vac the area.

Remember if you are living in the house while you are renovating you don’t want to be breathing in all that old dust and dirt. Get rid of it as soon as you can.

You will also find it easier to deal with the renovation if you keep the area clean. Even though drywall might be missing and the floor is plywood, is it much easier to handle emotionally if it is tidy.

Have you got a tip for staying organized during a renovation? Share it with us in the comments!

Happy renovating!

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