Temporary Housing During Construction: Your Complete Guide

If you love your family and friends—if you cherish those relationships—then please, don’t ask to live with them while your house is under construction. Joking aside, when your home is undergoing massive renovations or complete reconstruction, you’ll need to secure temporary housing. Below, you’ll find the ultimate guide to temporary housing during construction.

Before you pull the trigger on what type of housing you’ll need, there are a few questions you should ask yourself:

• How long will you be out of your home?
• What are the rates you’re comfortable with for this temporary solution?
• What types of amenities will you require?

The housing situation needs to address everything your home usually takes care of—think workspace, relaxation, cooking, privacy, cleaning, and enough bathrooms for the whole family.

The overarching themes here include:

• Determining your priorities – It’s essential to ask what you value in your living space before finding your temporary solution. If you plan on staying outside your home for more than 30 days, consider options that have amenities like a kitchen (fully furnished with pots, pans, serving ware, and other essentials), so that you’re not overspending on restaurants or room service.
• Working with a budget – Hotels can be pricey. If bringing along the whole family means multiple rooms, this price tag can quickly skyrocket, making the renovation project far exceed your expected budget. Consider this the high end of what you’re willing to spend for your temporary housing, and then find cheaper alternatives.

What are those cheaper alternatives exactly? Let’s talk about the types of temporary housing available.

Your Options for Temporary Housing During Construction

Here comes the (somewhat) fun part: choosing among the extended stay alternatives. Being forced to leave your home during construction isn’t ideal, but the options that are available to you present optimistic possibilities.

Ever watched an RV speeding past you on the freeway and thought, “One day.”

Ever wondered what it would be like to channel your inner Tennessee Williams and live out of a hotel?

Maybe you’re shaking your head no; maybe you like your home and can’t wait for the renovations to be done. That’s fine. From the adventurous souls to the more reserved, here are 5 different extended-stay alternatives for when your home is under construction.

Option 1: Blueground

Blueground offers fully furnished housing for those who require short-term solutions but don’t want to sacrifice their comfort. Choose from studios, apartments, and homes of all sizes in the country’s largest metropolitan areas to experience the best convenience and amenities while your construction is underway.

Serving many of the busiest and biggest cities in America, Blueground is always ready to provide the best, most beautiful housing solutions for your stays of a month or longer. Better yet, with our competitive rates, you don’t need to burn a hole in the bank account at a hotel, while also enjoying amenities—from on-site laundry to kitchen basics—most hotels don’t have.

Enjoy living at home while you’re away from it, especially if this short-term period is a bit longer than expected. With Blueground, you’ll experience:

• Guaranteed Quality – We’re not your typical listing site. Each of our homes comes backed by our promise of convenience, comfort, and care. From inspection, and furnishing, to overall maintenance, we guarantee the quality of each property on our roster.
• Well-Provisioned – We design our spaces with aesthetics and functionality in mind. Enjoy excellent WiFi, fresh linens, comfy furniture, and all the amenities you need in serene and lovely living spaces.

Option 2: Rent an RV

A rather dynamic and exciting option is to invest in an RV rental for the duration of the construction. While many might not consider this housing solution to be “ideal,” this is for the landlord or family that has the flexibility to treat the time away as an adventure.

Better yet, don’t stay idle in the RV, embark upon a road trip and put some miles on your temporary home. You can partake in a completely different lifestyle—creating memories, living life on the road (literally), and experiencing a house on wheels.

Option 3: Hotels

While this is the most obvious choice, it makes sense for those who only need to stay away from home for a short stint. Other than that, the obvious factor is cost. Should you need to be out of the home for a few days, consider treating yourself to a staycation and enjoy some quality room service.

Another thing to consider is extended-stay hotels. These establishments are structured for those who need accommodations for longer periods—usually spanning weeks or months—and the price per night is reflective of this.

Yet, booking a hotel depends on the time you’re going to be away and what you’re willing to pay. If the quality of your stay isn’t a factor, a cheap hotel might be the best solution. If you’re not willing to make any sacrifices, then a fully-accommodating hotel can get expensive.

Option 4: Impromptu Trip

Another option in the same vein as the RV—why not use the time to go on an adventure? Consider going camping with your friends and loved ones, tenting in the wild, and spending some time away. Grab the essentials, pack the cooler, and head out somewhere beautiful. Once you’ve returned, you’ll be greeted by a finished home.

Additionally, it doesn’t need to be camping. The idea here is that if you’re going to spend money on temporary housing, why not do it somewhere afar? It’s cash you need to spend, so you might consider spending a bit more to make it a trip. Instead of a less-than-ideal temporary stay somewhere in the city, use the opportunity to go on an unforgettable voyage.

Option 5: Teardrop Camper in the Backyard

Who said a vacation can only take place in another location? For another exciting option, rent a teardrop camper and put it in the backyard. If you have children, this is something they’ve likely dreamed of—an adventure right there on the premises.

If you want to get creative (and your home/location can accommodate), start a fire, read a book out loud, put away your technology, and end it all with a backyard s’mores session.

• Proximity – For many property owners, leaving while construction is underway simply isn’t an option. You need to stay put, evaluating the progress of the project throughout each day. If you decide to go the “backyard adventure” route, then you haven’t left home. It’ll make it easier to track the status of the project and weigh in when necessary.

Other Considerations for Temporary Housing During Construction

Once you have your temporary living situation in mind, you’ll need to accommodate all the other facets of your life as well. That includes:

Your Family

Hopefully, the whole gang is going to be just as excited as you are when you bring home four tents and four sleeping bags from the local rec outlet store. However, to have all your bases covered, communicate your plans and let each voice be heard. This will help make your solution for temporary housing during construction successful.

Your Pets

People can, at times, forget that when they vacate their premises, all living creatures must go with them. If you don’t consider your housing safe while under renovation, it is also unsafe for your parakeet or cat. When you search for temporary living solutions, as a pet owner, make sure that whatever option you choose is pet-friendly.

Your Stuff

While this discussion should, and almost always will occur well before construction on your home begins, it bears repeating here. If the renovations demand that your stuff be stored elsewhere to ensure their safe maintenance, do this before you opt into temporary housing.

Consider using:

• Storage units
• Detached garages
• Friend or loved one’s home
• Shed on a different part of your property

While you’re at it, take a lesson from Marie Kondo and the minimalist fad of decluttering your home and removing any possessions you no longer need. Consider the fact that you’re forced to wade through the boxes of your old record collection and high school trophies—what better time to send your things to the chopping block (or better yet, a good old-fashioned yard sale)?

Preparing for the Big Day

In most cases, large construction projects don’t suddenly need to happen right away. They’re typically planned weeks or even months in advance. This gives proper time to the contractors and construction crew to adequately prepare their plans. During this same time, you should be making a plan of your own. These plans need to involve temporary housing during a home renovation, accommodating the whole family—pets included—and ridding your space of all the stuff that isn’t immediately necessary.

Doing so will make your home construction a breeze.