Episode 2 of The Renovation Diaries is live — and this one’s about the part nobody warns you about: moving out of your own home so it can become a better version of itself. You’re not leaving because you want to. You’re leaving so you can come back to something better.
The timeline we gave ourselves
Our contractor projected 8–9 months, so we signed a 1-year lease to give ourselves a buffer — the kind that saves you from the stress of a lease expiring before your home is ready. We also built rental costs into the renovation budget from day one, as a line item, not an afterthought.
What we looked for (and let go of)
A rental during a renovation is a different search. You don’t need much space, and you can skip things like a dishwasher or in-house laundry — even for a family of four. It’s a season, not forever. For us, proximity to the kids’ schools and my husband’s office mattered more than anything else. This wasn’t the time to be precious.
Even so, the rental market humbled us. It’s genuinely competitive right now, and we had to be careful not to let that pressure push us into overpaying just to lock something down. Right from the start, we had challenges.
The plan changed
Then the first project delay hit…weather delays! There was a silver lining of buying us more time to find somewhere to live, and we needed it! Packing up took us a lot longer than we anticipated and we were really scrambling near the end. Our living arrangement was not what we intended but we had no great options.
The insurance surprise
This one caught us off guard. Our insurance company wouldn’t cover us during construction, or our storage locker contents past 30 days — their solution was to drop our coverage and pick us back up once construction was finished, which isn’t much of a plan when you need to be covered the whole way through.
The last day
On the last day in the house, I lay down on the empty living room floor and let out a big sigh. My husband asked what it was for. Partly relief that we were basically done packing up, but also a strange calm. With everything gone, the giant to-do list had come to an end, even if only temporarily. I took a few minutes on that well-worn floor to sit in that feeling before what’s coming next.
If your renovation means moving out, I hope this saves you some of the stress we felt. Start earlier than you think you need to and expect a few surprises along the way. We’re settled now, and there’s something clarifying about living simply for a season. It reminds you of what you really need — and what you’re renovating toward.
Stay tuned for Episode 3: The Before Tour
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