There is a lot to love about a new build, including the latest in tech and design and being able to choose your finishes and features right from the start. However, the reality for many new build homeowners is that at least a part of their homeownership experience will involve living in a construction zone, while neighborhood development is finished.
What should you expect from your builder during construction? How can you find out more about what to anticipate? What are some survival tips for dealing with the dust and dirt of a new build construction zone?
How can I find out what’s happening with my development?
Typically, homeowners can find out about future development, along with the timelines of their current development, from their municipality, or other governing body, depending on where they live.
Often, it is the municipality, in some cases the state or province, that sets rules and regulations around obligations for builders and developers during construction.
Additionally, sometimes individual neighborhoods or HOAs develop codes of conduct for builders, more common in established neighborhoods where there is new construction going on close by or within the development.
With a new build, there is usually a clause in the purchase agreement, regarding future construction. Make sure to review it, and to understand what might happen if that changes, and if you might be eligible for compensation as a result from the builder.
When selecting your builder and your lot, it’s wise to ask what the timelines are for the development completion.
- Are there multiple releases and/or phases?
- What phase is your potential home in?
- At what point of the neighborhood construction are shared amenities, such as parks, being built?
- What about shared services, such as mail delivery and emergency services?
- Where is the model home(s) located? There will be additional traffic and parking requirements while the development is still being sold and the model being shown.
- When will the streets be paved and curbs installed?
- Are there multiple builders within the development that might have different timelines?
In addition to asking your builder questions about the development, it’s a good idea to connect with other homeowners, if they are already living there, to learn first-hand about what daily life is like living in a construction zone.
You’ll also want to investigate with the municipality what community amenities, such as schools and shopping, are slated to be built to service the new neighborhood, and what completion dates are on tap. If you are one of the early residents in a new neighborhood, you may have to travel in the early days to reach these amenities, until local ones are built.
Builder obligations
Builders are obligated to protect the health and safety of their workers and to abide by regulations to minimize disruption to area residents.
For homeowners living in a construction zone, here is what you can usually expect from builders:
- Limiting construction to specific hours, usually to typical working hours.
- Being responsible for the activities of their trades and subtrades.
- Typically, builders are required to do street sweeping/cleaning regularly. You can confirm when/how often.
- People working onsite are not allowed to park in areas that would block resident’s driveways.
- Portable toilets should be placed a reasonable distance from where current residents are living, if possible.
- Dumpsters for construction debris should be locked to discourage dumping and scheduled to be emptied on a regular basis.
- Deliveries for construction materials must be made and placed in areas where construction is happening, not in homes that are occupied.
Tips for living in a new build construction zone
Here are some survival tips to keep your home clean and minimize disruptions while living in a housing community still under development.
How to minimize the dust
The biggest challenge with living in a construction zone is a steady stream of dust.
- Keep windows closed as much as possible, to keep dust outside.
- Install HEPA filters on your HVAC and change regularly.
- Adopt a regular cleaning routine, with an eye to reducing dust. Start with cleaning ceilings. Make sure to dust walls, cabinetry, surfaces, and vents, preferably with a wet microfiber cloth.
- Vacuum surfaces with a strong vacuum, ideally with a HEPA filter installed.
- Wash windows semi-regularly, removing screens to clean them as well.
- A pressure washer is a good investment to clean your home’s exterior, cars and outdoor fixtures, which will gather dust too.
Dealing with the mud in a new build
It may be some time before you have grass and roads and driveways are paved, which means a lot of dirt and mud potentially being tracked into your home.
- Some common-sense solutions, such as leaving footwear outside, or just inside the door, can help, but some of the mess can’t be avoided.
- Putting down stepping or paver stones temporarily to create a walkway into your home can help keep mud off your shoes.
- Lay entry mats outside doors with coir or other stiff, textured material to give footwear a good scrub to remove loose mud before entry.
- If you are a pet owner, investing in a dog wash is a desirable upgrade, no matter the state of construction your neighborhood is in. However, if it is still under development, this is a sanity-saver, as muddy paws are going to be the reality until the area is finished.
- Bringing mud into the garage on car tires can be a problem too. You can mitigate this with an extra layer of gravel on your driveway, or with boards as a temporary solution.
Reduce the noise
While construction activities are likely limited to certain hours of the day, those hours are sure to be noisy, and it is something to anticipate, especially if you work at home, work shift work, or are at home with young children who are napping during the daytime.
- You can’t remove the noise altogether, but investing in thick, blackout window treatments will muffle noises.
- Populate your home with soft surfaces, which can minimize acoustic effects. Lay area rugs on hard floors and choose plush, upholstered furniture and lots of textiles.
- Decorating with wall panels is trending now, particularly with wood-slat design; wall panels also offer soundproofing. Soundproof wall tiles also do the trick.
Modify your outdoor space
- Backyard bay might be a spot on the horizon when you move into your new construction home, as you may need to wait for grass, or to erect fencing.
- Until your landscaping is more established, focus on furniture and features that you can move and store easily, such as modular patio seating with covers, or folding furniture and tables.
- Find storage inside for items that you can’t cover, as they will get covered in dust.
- If you simply can’t wait for some landscaping, invest in simple planters, placed strategically in your outdoor area. They provide color, and potentially privacy, depending on what you choose.
