How to renovate a house while living in it: Living in Your House During a Remodel: 10 Proven Tips

Living in Your House During a Remodel: 10 Proven Tips

If “Location! Location! Location!” is top of mind when buying a home, then “Hassle! Hassle! Hassle!” is certainly unavoidable throughout its renovation. Whether contracting a small job or large one, your family must tolerate the inevitable disruptions from dust, noise, and a steady stream of workers temporarily trudging through your home. Entire living and working spaces become inaccessible as your everyday lifestyle is forced to adjust until the whole job is done.

Although the ends gloriously justify the means, the process can be challenging — especially if you need to live in your house (LIYH) while it’s being renovated. The good news is that a little bit of planning, creativity, and flexibility go a long way to help transform an otherwise uncomfortable and inconvenient situation into one that’s manageable and even memorable for you and your family. So here’re 10 proven tips that years of experience have shown are useful and effective.

10 Remodeling Tips While Living in Your House

LIYH Tip #1: Work with a Calendar

The antidote to “Hassle! Hassle! Hassle!” is actually a simple one: “Plan! Plan! Plan!” Partner closely with your trusted contractor to capture start, middle, and end dates for your renovation project, designating significant milestones every step of the way. Remodeling is complicated with many moving parts, so a detailed yet flexible timeline creates a foundation around which you can effectively coordinate everything necessary to make things as smooth as possible.

That level of transparency and communication throughout the project will enable you and your family to adjust to the ever-changing circumstances with a minimal amount of inconvenience. By determining where and when work takes place throughout your home you can isolate noisy and dusty areas, redistribute essentials, and keep your loved ones out of harm’s way. Creating proactive bathroom, kitchen, and outdoors strategies will also make life easier from day one.

LIYH Tip #2: Designate Work, Live, and Play Areas

Once your schedule is in place, make sure the areas under renovation are clearly identified and sealed off as best as possible. Temporary barriers, alternate routes, and substitute facilities will help keep you and your family away from the dust, noise, and dangers of an active work site. Talk to your contractor about their containment and clearing procedures, which can include HEPA vacuums and air filters, plus protective equipment for workers to keep them and you safe.

On the flipside, you can repurpose non-renovated living areas to perform multiple functions including substitute eating and resting spaces. While your kitchen or master bedroom is “under construction,” take this time to discover new local restaurants and move beds to quieter and cleaner places better suited for a good night’s sleep. Bathroom out of service? Use the spare and establish designated times so your spouse and children don’t fight for limited availability.

LIYH Tip #3: Move Food, Supplies, and Distractions

Inaccessible rooms will deprive you not only of their utility, but their storage capacity, too. Before work gets started identify essential items you’ll need and take them to separate rooms where they can be put to good use throughout the project. Don’t forget to remove anything else that will get in the way or could get damaged during the renovation; make sure things you’ll need most frequently are easily found. Now’s the perfect time for getting rid of things you don’t need.

Creativity and flexibility will help you retain a sense of normalcy. If a renovation or home addition knocks out your main living room, for example, then create a temporary but comfortable alternative by relocating and setting up your home entertainment system elsewhere. Kids’ bedroom unusable? Have them bunk downstairs and throw slumber parties. Impossible to cook in the kitchen? Convert your dining room into a full service prep, storage, and eating space.

LIYH Tip #4: Protect Kids, Pets, and the Elderly

Amid all this commotion don’t forget to prioritize the safety of the most vulnerable in your family. A straightforward and effective way to do that is by assigning separate work and traffic spaces for them and the renovation team. If possible, devote the back door exclusively for workers and the flow of all heavy equipment, materials, and fixtures. Contain and clean those areas, and keep your children, their grandparents, and your pets in other rooms and using other entrances.

Children get restless, and seniors need distractions, too. Repurpose rooms solely dedicated to keeping them entertained and separated from the commotion elsewhere in the house. Fill these spaces up with toys, reading material, electronics, and games. Pets need love and attention, so kill two birds by letting your dog or cat roam free but within limits. If necessary set up temporary barriers and schedule times for “no fly zones” when the renovation work is going full steam.

LIYH Tip #5: Create Bathroom Strategies

Bathroom renovations result in their own complexities, especially in larger households when the demand for them can be acute. Simple survival techniques work well, but everyone needs to be on board: If possible, renovate only one bathroom at a time to keep at least another one available. Then create a daily schedule where everyone is given specific times to prevent traffic jams. Make sure there’s enough room by using only the essential bath and shower products,

Adding a caddy or carry-on can help make the most of limited bathroom area. For overflow a nearby bedroom or living space could be made to accommodate what doesn’t fit. Moving mirrors, lights, and electrical appliances like hair dryers and electric toothbrushes free up space, and give family members more breathing room and comfort. If the situation gets particularly tight or uncomfortable showering at your gym could even be an option. It’s all about making do!

LIYH Tip #6: Create Kitchen Strategies

Second only to the bathroom, your kitchen is the area in your home you truly can’t live without. Compounding the challenge of a renovation there is the reality that most homes only come equipped with one, so using a spare or backup is typically not possible. But good old fashioned American ingenuity goes a long way, as does a willingness to improvise meals. For starters, adjusting your menu from heavily prepared to lightly processed foods will go a long way.

To that end stock up on nonperishable items, disposable plates and silverware, and recipes best prepared with the appliances you have at hand. In lieu of a functional stove, oven, big fridge, or sink, switch to meals cooked on electric skillets, storable within a mini-fridge, and cleaned in a bathroom or out in your yard. Winnow down what you need and stay focused and functional. Most importantly consider the experience an adventure, and use it as an excuse to order in.

LIYH Tip #7: Create Outdoor Strategies

Now’s also a great time to make the most use of your backyard and outdoor areas. Depending on how much land you have and what the weather will be like, incorporating habitable spaces outside could be an important part of your live at home approach. Free of dust and distant from the workers and noise, you and your family can enjoy eating, resting, and playing outside. Taking advantage of your grill also brilliantly solves your kitchen makeover cooking challenge.

So before renovation starts, survey what you’ve got and see if you can make use of what you have and what you can create. Playground for the kids, mini-dog park for your pets, patio and other lounging areas for adults, BBQ pit for hearty meals, and shaded areas for seniors all help make an otherwise stressful and inconvenient renovation project palatable and even fun. Let the air out of your dusty, noisy, and crowded home renovation project with the bright outdoors!

LIYH Tip #8: Create Mental and Physical Health Strategies

If “Planning! Planning! Planning!” is your best bet for the smoothest and least stressful LIYH renovation experience, then “Attitude! Attitude! Attitude!” is the mindset you’ll need to succeed. Staying focused on the vision of your future home will help you overcome the many challenges you and your family will face seeing it through. After all, your home is your sanctuary, the place where you go to get away from it all; a renovation turns it upside-down, at least until complete.

Another proven way to get to the finish line is by simply making the most of the disruption and chaos. Accept the inevitable, and embrace the improvisational. Organize games, indulge in distractions, and take the pressure off. Rather than fighting against the mess, find fun things to do you otherwise normally wouldn’t. If nothing else, LIYH renovations force quality time with your family, and create endless valid excuses for just wasting time and enjoying yourself.

LIYH Tip #9: Partner with a Trusted Contractor

As you can tell, figuring out effective ways to survive and hopefully flourish during a home renovation demands an experienced and empathetic contractor. Ensure your contractor listens to your needs and anticipates your expectations. They should come prepared with an LIYH plan that’s succeeded with other clients while being customized to your specific circumstances. Most importantly, they should be as creative and flexible as they expect you and your family to be.

Especially nowadays, safety is of paramount concern. Qualified contractors should be able to describe and substantiate protocols they have in place for containing and cleaning their work areas, keeping their employees and your family separate and secure, and ensuring a minimum level of dust, noise, and disruption to your home. They should be your trusted partner every step of the way, and be responsive to your concerns and answer all of your questions throughout.

LIYH Tip #10 Choose Blackline Renovations

Founded and personally managed by Chris Black, Blackline Renovations is a dynamic design-build residential remodeling firm exclusively specializing in residential work. They routinely tackle complicated projects with clients living in their homes and are eager to ensure you and your family are safe and comfortable from start to finish. Blackline also offers the latest innovative designs; take a look at some of their visionary projects in homes near you.

Start Working With Us Today!

Still have concerns about LIYH renovation? Effortlessly ask for a free personal design consultation. Having earned a reputation for excellent communication, quality construction, and outstanding customer service. Blackline is eager to apply its proven process that brings efficiency and economy to your LIYH renovation!

Join hundreds of satisfied Greater Dallas area homeowners who continue to enjoy award-winning projects done safely, smoothly, and with minimal hassle.

Living on site while renovating: 22 top tips

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If you’re planning a major home renovation and thinking about living on site while the work’s done, it’s important to make sure you know what to expect. Staying in the home you are working on has several advantages including saving money, you are always nearby for builders’ queries and it also means the property is more secure than if it is left vacant. In fact, as your home insurance can be invalidated if you leave the property empty for longer than 30 days, it pays to stay put unless you make arrangements with your insurer first.

We won’t lie and say living on site is easy, but understanding what’s involved will mentally prepare you and hopefully give you some renovation survival tips along the way. We’ve come up with a list of the good the bad and the ugly, as advised by the people who’ve been there and done it.

Looking for more renovation advice? Our guide to house renovation tells you everything you need to know.

1. The dust gets everywhere (and we mean everywhere)

This is especially during the destruction phase of a house renovation. You’ll try hard to remember what things look like under the layer of mud and dust, but as soon as you wipe surfaces down, they’re covered again.

Getting used to a dirty place is one of the first lessons learnt – no amount of vacuuming, cleaning or sweeping is going to cut it. If you are knocking through though – to go open plan for example – make sure you keep all other doors shut during the work and use plastic sheeting to close off the space elsewhere. This will at least contain the dust… kind of.

2. Lie-ins are a thing of the past

Whether it’s the stress of the task at hand waking you up before dawn, the builders arriving as the cockerel crows or the incessant sound of digging, drilling and lorries coming and going, you can be sure that sleeping in is one luxury that you won’t enjoy for the duration of your project. What’s that about early risers being the most productive?

3. So is a good night’s sleep

A house with no heating, no internal doors, half-built walls and very few home comforts makes for a challenging sleeping environment. Add to that the constant worry that you’ve forgotten to ring the plumber/electrician/surveyor, you’ve chosen the wrong shade of grey for the bedrooms, or wondering whether the kitchen units you’ve ordered are really perfect, and you’ve got the perfect formula for becoming a near-insomniac.

However, you will reach a stage in your renovation where exhaustion hits and you’ll sleep like a baby through even the loudest of drilling.

A change of bedding and temperature! As things speed up around here it’s time to stop living like a tramp, a trap that’s all too easy to fall into when you have dust rolling in under the door, a mattress on the floor, animals that think your bed is now their bed and just two sets of clothes that are both warm enough to wonder through an Un-heated downstairs and old enough to get covered in plaster and paint (and no washing machine). . But we’re nearing the finish line and the air in the house is feeling cleaner. It’s also warmer with an industrial fan we have hired to dry the plaster faster downstairs. It’s been like a bloody sauna in here today, a big change from the chilly climes I’ve become accustomed to! . Also a big fat thank you to all of you for all your lovely support for Plaster Fever! Massively appreciated and you’ve given me a right royal glow inside xxx . . . . . #interior4you1 #bedroomdecor #bedroomideas #renovation #howwedwell #panneling #hanginglights #interiorboom #myperiodhomestyle #myperiodhome #myrenostory #victorianhome #pursuepretty Lu – Plaster fever

A photo posted by @thehousepotnoodlesbuilt on Jan 25, 2019 at 1:22pm PST

4. You’ll develop the patience of a saint

Living on a building site, plus children, plus partner, plus many other bodies coming and going every day can feel very crowded.

There will be times when a quiet (dust-free) room will be all you wish for, but you’ll grin and bear all requests from the trades on site, every stress-induced tiff with a loved one and possible tantrums from younger family members who just want to play, and get on with it – one day at a time.

5. Everything becomes a possible playground

Speaking of kids, if you have them, they’ll find a way to play on or with just about anything on site.

While safety is, of course, a primary concern (find out your health and safety responsibilities) when it comes to exposed wires, heavy machinery and unstable structures, a mound of dirt, pile of leftover bricks or discarded bathtub can provide hours of fun. Aim to have one room that is safe for the kids to play in while you chat with the builder or sweep up after the carpenter.

6. You’ll become chief health and safety officer

If you do have children on site, you’ll need eyes in the back and every side of your head to make sure they’re safe. Plus, you’ll be forever asking family members to wear protective clothing and remember their hard hats, especially during the early destruction phase of a project.

7. You could rival Olympic hurdle jumpers

Navigating your way around a site full of deliveries is no mean feat. Climbing across a new WC, around a stack of new fixtures and fittings, over semi-constructed walls will become a perfectly natural way to enter the house.

This is why experienced renovators tend to have at least one room that acts as a storage area for items that are yet to be fitted. What’s more, keeping everything in one place is a sure way to prevent buying duplicates.

8. You’ll need wall planners, diaries and lists galore

A benefit of living on site is that you’ll be there to keep track of the build progress, know what each trade is doing and be there to accept deliveries or make decisions on any changes or unexpected issues.

Effectively, you can become the project manager, saving money on hiring a professional to do so, and your collection of timetables, payment plans and delivery schedules will be your most-prized possession for the duration.

Have a read of our guide for tips on project managing your renovation. Or if you have nailed your project management skills, treat yourself to a beautiful new wall planner.

9. You can never have too many teabags (or sugar)

A stereotype of builders and trades that’s so often true – they love a cuppa. Invest in catering-sized packs of tea bags and even an extra kettle to keep their favourite beverage flowing.

They’ll thank you by cracking on with the work at hand, keeping the renovation going at a good pace.

10. One thing will take way longer than expected

Thought everything would go exactly to plan? Think again. There will always be one part of a renovation that throws up unexpected challenges and seems to drag on beyond what you thought you could handle.

Hang in there, though. With a clear plan of how to bring this part of the project to completion and faith in the trades you’ve hired to help, you’ll get there in the end.

11. The builders will seem like part of the family

There when you wake up, all day and when the family comes home from work or school, your contractors will seem like they live on site too.

Having a good, professional relationship with the people you’ve hired to construct your new home is essential to project success and the build completing to schedule, so the quicker you get used to their constant presence, the better.

Our guide to hiring a reliable builder is a must-read.

12. Evening and weekends – what are they again?

No matter how much you try to relax, there will always be something that needs doing. Whether it’s decorating, stripping floorboards or ordering more materials, a renovation project will take up all your free time. Remember to try and take some time away, though, for your sanity’s sake.

13. You’ll be master of the camping stove

Sunday dinner made on a small, portable stove and in a microwave? Done. There’s a good chance you’ll become a professional at cooking family meals with as little equipment as possible, but the tenacity to give proper meals a go will earn you Masterchef status in your household.

Here is our pick of the best microwave ovens so if you are going to be living off ready meals, at least you can do it really, really well.

14. Cold nights? Easy

If Ranulph Fiennes can handle losing his fingertips to the cold, you can endure days and nights spent on a freezing (and sometimes wet) building site.

Whether you’re living on site in summer or winter, the unpredictable British weather will most likely mean you’ll suffer some pretty chilly times. Be prepared with a stove, lots of layers and sheer determination.

15. Outerwear makes great loungewear

Because of the aforementioned cold and wet, you may as well say goodbye to comfortable, soft pyjamas and dressing gowns and hello to thick jumpers, trousers, waterproofs and wellies. While, hopefully, these parts of living on site will be short, have plenty of warm and waterproof garments ready for when you need them.

Tarpaulin and umbrellas will come in handy too while your site is made weathertight – especially if you’re having a significant extension built, or bringing an old building back to a shell before modernising.

16. You’ll experience open-plan living like never before

Just as the weather can come in, creating a not-so-great indoor outdoor link, another side effect of a renovation project is the lack of room distinction before the final layout starts to take shape.

With walls knocked down and partially rebuilt, no internal doors or room dividers, as well as setting up a living space or kitchen anywhere you can find room, privacy will be totally non existent.

17. Your friends and family will think you’re mad

Those closest to you will not understand the level of upheaval living on a renovation site will cause and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it. You’ll tell them all about your project and they’ll nod and listen, but they’ll never know what you’re going through unless they’ve done it themselves.

18. No guests allowed

Contractors and your family on site is cramped enough, so there’s no way you’ll invite visitors for tea. You will, however, willingly accept any invitation to dinner at a friend’s – anything as long as you’re not hosting.

19. Progress will be slower

If you live elsewhere during a renovation, the builders can work on all areas of the property. But, if you live on site, they’ll work around the areas being used as temporary living spaces, meaning the timeframe from start to completion may be slightly longer. However, by staying put, you’ll save money on renting elsewhere or paying two mortgages.

20. You know each part of your renovation inside out

A great plus of living on site – you’ll know and appreciate how each room has been put together and be best informed of how each element of the design works, why it’s there and how it was constructed. Not only will the house truly feel like ‘yours’, you’ll be well equipped to know how to maintain the design and fix any minor damage in the future.

21. Each milestone will bring such joy

Your new kitchen has been fitted and you’re seeing it for the first time – who’d have thought this would make you so happy?

Similarly, each time a part of the project comes together and begins to look like an actual living space, you’ll feel a sense of pride like no other.

22. You’ll appreciate the finished renovation more than ever

You’ve gone through months of cold and wet weather, frayed tempers, stress, feeling unsettled and the ups and downs of renovating, but once that final finishing touch is installed and your house becomes a home, you’ll breathe a deep sigh of relief and realise that it was all worth it.

You’ll appreciate every inch of the structure and know the effort that’s gone into achieving the end result. You’ll soon be inviting guests around to tell them all about how proud you are – all visitors welcome, finally.

More about renovating successfully:

Cutting renovation costs: 15 clever ways
Living in or out, find out about insuring your home while renovating
Discover how to give your home’s exterior a healthcheck

What is better: a private house or an apartment?

Content:

Pros and cons of a private house.
Pros and cons of the apartment.
Summing up: for whom an apartment is suitable, and for whom a private house.

Where is it better to live: in a private house or apartment? Both options have advantages and disadvantages. To make a wise choice, you should weigh the pros and cons. This is what we will do.

Pros and cons of a private house

Advantages of a private house:

Large space

The size of the house, as a rule, is larger than the area of the average apartment. Imagine that you have the opportunity to buy a house in the Moscow region for the same money
90-100 sq. m with a plot or an apartment in Moscow with an area of approximately 30–40 sq. m. Thus, for the same price, the area of \u200b\u200bthe house will be 2.5–3 times larger.

It should also be taken into account that the house stands on a plot, and this is also additional space, where, depending on the area, you can plant a garden, put a gazebo,
bath, garage and even a swimming pool.

What’s more, additional spaces can be added to the house, such as a veranda or storage room.

There is always a parking space

This is convenient, because it is sometimes very difficult to find a place for a car next to apartment buildings.

Good environment

The air outside the city is often cleaner than in the city. If you pay special attention to health, then it is better to choose a private house for living. In addition, in your own area
you can grow vegetables, fruits and berries.

Silence

Loud music, screaming neighbors, the sound of a perforator – all this brings considerable discomfort in an apartment building. A private house wins in terms of soundproofing.

Good conditions for children

Country house and yard is a large and safe space for children: they can play hide-and-seek, chase, ball games. In winter, near the house you can
build an ice slide, and in the summer install a pool or your own playground.

Also for animals

It is more convenient for pets to live outside the city. If you have a large dog, then living in a private home is the only possible option. Even in the biggest
apartment large animals suffer from a lack of free space.

Individual layout

If you are not buying a house, but building it yourself, then you have the opportunity to choose its size, the number and arrangement of rooms, the type of roof, materials and much more.

Cons of a private house:

Independent connection of communications

Living in an apartment, you get a complete set: gas, water, electricity, sewerage. When buying a house outside the city, you will most likely have to
to conduct a gas pipeline to the site, install a septic tank, and in the absence of a central water supply, drill a well and buy a pumping station. Living for
city, be prepared for occasional power outages. In order not to dine by candlelight, it is better to purchase a gasoline generator.

Permanent housework

Mow the grass in the summer, clean the gutter in the fall, and shovel the snow in the winter. At the same time, something will break down in the house from time to time, and repair and construction work
can become a way of life. Even just cleaning the house takes a lot of time. You can hire household staff, but it will require money.

Additional costs

When purchasing a house, be prepared for financial costs: for periodic repairs, installation of heating equipment, gasoline, septic tank cleaning, garbage disposal and other expenses.

Travel time

If you work in the city, but live beyond it, then every day you have to spend time on the road. Although if you work remotely, from home, then country life
may be the best option. But if you are an active and sociable person, then life away from civilization can be uncomfortable.

Infrastructure (lack of it)

Sometimes there are no big shops, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, or places where you can spend time culturally near private settlements. Delivery of online orders,
groceries, as well as calling a taxi may not be available or require a long wait.

Pros and cons of an apartment

Advantages of the apartment:

Infrastructure

If you live in an apartment building, you can quickly get to work, shop or fitness center, and if you have children – to school, clinic or kindergarten.

Management company or HOA

If you live in an apartment, then you don’t need to clean the snow near the house, take out the garbage and do other work. All this is taken care of by the management company.

Communications already installed

After buying an apartment, you do not need to install the heating system, gas pipeline, sewerage yourself. This saves energy, time and money.

Low maintenance

Repair in an apartment will cost you less than in a private house. You will not need to take care of the condition of the roof, facade, site and the buildings located on it.

Liquidity

The demand for apartments is usually higher, which means that such properties will be easier to sell. In addition, the apartment can be rented out and receive additional income from this.

Cons of the apartment:

Small area

We have already mentioned that for the same money you will buy an apartment, which will be smaller in area than a house. In addition, in it, unlike at home, there is no possibility
expand the space. If you have a large family and many animals, living in an apartment can be uncomfortable.

Noise from neighbors

This is a serious problem for many residents of apartment buildings. The walls are often thin, and therefore your peace can be disturbed by loud music, the screams of neighbors, the sounds of a drill
or hammer. To solve this problem, many soundproof walls, floors and ceilings. At the same time, noise is not the most unpleasant surprise from neighbors: they can make a flood or a fire.

Parking difficulties

Houses are getting taller, more people live in them, and the number of parking spaces remains the same. If you can always park a car next to a private house,
it is more difficult for residents of apartment buildings. It is possible to purchase a parking space or buy a garage, but this will incur additional costs.

Bad environment

The ecological situation in the city is worse. This is influenced by the presence of a large number of cars, factories and a relatively small amount of green spaces. Sometimes the quality
products from the supermarket and water coming from the tap leave much to be desired.

Dependency on utilities

Living in an apartment, you may be left without water and electricity. If the apartment has centralized heating, then in the cold summer and early autumn you will have to freeze.
At the same time, utility bills may exceed the maintenance of a private dwelling. In addition, living in an apartment building, you will have to pay for major repairs, garbage collection, elevator maintenance, etc.

Summing up

It is impossible to say unequivocally where it is better to live, in a house or an apartment. Living in a country house has its advantages and disadvantages. Living in a private house is better if:

You have a fairly large family and many pets.
You have a car.
You work remotely.
You enjoy growing your own crops.
You are ready for the fact that the house will need to be constantly cleaned, painted, repaired.
You have funds for repair work, purchase of household equipment, purchase and installation of communications.

Many people prefer to buy housing in the city, and there are good reasons for this. Life in an apartment is suitable for you if:

It is important for you to lead an active lifestyle: go to cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other places located, as a rule, in the city.
You do not like gardening and you are indifferent to nature.
You do not like to build, repair and do other chores.
You have a dacha that you visit from time to time, and this is enough for you.

Either way, the choice is yours.

Coffee Machine opened in Moscow

We got to Moscow! On May 5, , the first coffee island in the capital was opened – in the Gavan shopping center at the Water Stadium. Yes, a company originally from Primorye landed in the right place. There is a lot of symbolism in this story, now you will understand for yourself.

We already talked about the format of coffee island itself – you can read here . It was no coincidence that we decided to enter the western part of the country with this format, and not with a classic auto coffee shop.

To open auto-coffee shops, you need land plots in the “travel” areas of the city / suburbs, and moreover, they meet certain requirements that we have formed over 12 years in this niche. The density of development within the city limits, the rather strict policy of the Moscow authorities regarding land and non-stationary retail facilities complicate the entry of our business into the capital in the usual format.

You will either have to spend resources on a long search and agree on places with uncertain prospects for obtaining them, or follow the path of our competitors from the Big Three with the construction of capital buildings and the organization of the drive-thru format based on them, but this will increase the amount of investment in the launch one object 5-10 times compared to the current budget. As a result, it will be more difficult for our partners to enter this market and scale up in a short time. At the same time, the commercial real estate market, including space in shopping and business centers, is extremely developed in Moscow, and it is much easier to work on it than on the land market. Plus, we successfully tested the Coffee Machines coffee island format in our home region, so everything worked out — we decided to introduce the brand to the capital in this way.

And then we met Sergei Vishnevsky , a Moscow businessman (owner of a business-class taxi company) originally from Vladivostok, like Coffee Machine. A person who has long wanted to bring a piece of the Far East to the capital, just like us! Sergey became our first metropolitan franchisee.

“I have always loved Coffee Machine as a consumer, I have always been interested in their product. Being in Primorye, he often visited our autocafes with pleasure, bought drinks and overtones. I watched with interest the development of the company in the Far East.

A couple of years ago, the idea of opening a Coffee Machine in Moscow first appeared. At first it was only in the format of an idea, but in the summer of 2022 I read a book that inspired me. And it so happened that at the moment when I decided to bring Coffee Machine to Moscow, Coffee Machine decided to enter the Moscow market and the European part of Russia. Accidents are not accidental. That’s how we found each other, ”said Sergey.

The next non-random accident was the place where we opened the first Moscow Coffee Machine. Sergei made the same decision to open a coffee shop while living in a hotel called the Harbor. And when we offered a number of suitable objects for opening a coffee island, Sergey liked the shopping center with the same name the most. At the time of the conclusion of the contract with the Gavan shopping center, Sergey no longer lived in that other Gavan, but he understood the sign!

Opening in a new region is always very exciting, even for a large network, because it is impossible to take into account all the factors that may affect the launch. But the opening of the coffee island was supervised by Anastasia Markhel , Coffee Machine project manager , she personally flew to Moscow to launch, so we were calm. Part of the project team was in Vladivostok, but even the seven-hour time difference did not prevent us from doing everything on schedule.

Nastya spoke about the peculiarities of the opening in the capital:

“It was nice to discover that Moscow is a storehouse of valuable personnel. In the shortest possible time we recruited a team of qualified and experienced baristas, it took much less time for the guys to immerse themselves in the standards of our company than expected.

Developing the Coffee Machine chain in Moscow, we focus on high-quality coffee and service – this is something that does not depend on the location of the coffee shop. We cannot supply confectionery products from our workshop in Vladivostok, so now local pastry chefs make pastries and desserts for us, but in the near future we plan to open our own production in a new region and close this issue. Otherwise, there were no significant differences between the discoveries in Vladivostok and the discovery in Moscow.”

Nastya also well formulated what we think about competition:

“Naturally, the competitive environment is very high. There are many coffee houses with their own chips and chains that have proven themselves in the market. But I believe that this will not prevent us from developing. We have our own product, our own values and the trust of guests who have been with us for 12 years. This means that in Moscow we will definitely find our like-minded people. We already find it!

It is still too early to draw conclusions about the success of the project based on numbers, but we can already rely on guest reviews, and they make us very happy. Separately, it is pleasant to note that people like the design of our branded glasses. You quickly get used to the beautiful, and Moscow guests look at them with a completely fresh look and respond with delight!

We also have a review of our franchisee Sergey , but this time about partnership with Coffee Machine – and we cannot but share it!

“The franchise market has always been interesting for me. Although I am new to this field, I know about many pitfalls. When I started working with Coffee Machine, I was repeatedly convinced that the guys are different from other franchises, including those represented in Moscow. In this regard, we are not only close in the spirit of the Far East, but also close as partners. It is really pleasant to work with Coffee Machine, there is always the possibility of dialogue, and for me this is very important.

Of course, there were doubts in the choice. This is a story about business and risks, in which doubts are always present. They were, are and, probably, will be, but they are not connected with the brand in any way. I definitely have no doubts about Coffee Machine.

Impressions about working with the company cannot be expressed in a few words, because I want to pay tribute to the whole team. It can be seen that every person in the team is interested in its development. With whomever of the employees I have to interact, it is always about a positive response, pleasant cooperation.