Tips for living in a new home construction zone

When you buy a preconstruction home, there’s a good chance you’ll be moving into a construction zone. Some people are indifferent to this busy, dusty environment, while others have a hard time dealing with it.

There’s more to a construction zone than noise and dirt. Roadways could be blocked, you may have to wait to put up your fence to allow for construction vehicle access, the views aren’t great, and construction lights can get pretty bright. Of course, there are many pros to buying preconstruction, like staggered deposits, customizability, no bidding wars, it’s brand new, etc. 

We wouldn’t say living in a construction zone for a little while is a reason to not buy a new home - you just need some tips to make your life a bit more comfortable while construction is wrapping up. 

Don’t keep important things outside   

If you have a really nice patio set that you can’t wait to set up in your backyard or on your balcony, we would either wait or make sure you’re covering it with some cloths. In a construction zone, the dust is basically always settling. None of your stuff will actually get ruined, but it can be tough to clean a build-up of dirt from crevasses in patio furniture. 

Give yourself extra time in the morning 

You don’t need a ton of extra time, just a few minutes or so to account for the possibility of being diverted to the other side of the street or taking a slightly roundabout way in your car. Construction vehicles can temporarily block streets, or if a crane is being dismantled, a whole street will be closed for a while. 

Get blackout curtains 

Construction work can start before the sun comes up and continue into the evening. In the winter, the days are shorter so more lights are used. To avoid the possibility of construction light invading your space, blackout curtains specifically for your bedroom are a smart buy. 

Expect delays

You’ve gone through the process of buying preconstruction. There’s a good chance your occupancy was delayed. It’s common and should be expected when buying preconstruction. The homebuilding and development process is complex and has a lot of moving parts. If one thing gets held up, it affects something or everything else. So, when you hear that construction is wrapping up by the beginning of June or sometime in summer, just understand that the delays in construction are still possible after you’ve moved in. The weather alone is an unpredictable factor that can throw a construction schedule off by weeks.  

In general, you should move into your new home and always be mentally prepared for the unexpected. As soon as you accept that you’re moving into a construction zone and you prepare for it, the better you’ll feel. The perks of buying preconstruction definitely outweigh the downside of living in a construction zone for a little while, and for some people who move in at a later date, they never even have to experience it.