Congrats Rosemary on getting the fresh coat of paint in the house, and agreeing on the colors! No small feat. How long will the work take? Might it be possible for you to visit friends or family for the duration of the work? What precautions would you take after the workers are gone?

Since my transplant I spent one summer digging weeds in the back yard and over a year remodeling our kitchen/dining/living room. When it came time to rip down and construct, we closed everything off with plastic. Some of the dust still seeped through, but it was nothing like if we had left everything open. The workers came in the front door into their work area and left the same way. They cleaned up after themselves and my husband did a better cleaning before I returned to the area. I did not have any problems with paint fumes, but the wood finish was strong and took longer to dissipate. We opened windows and ran fans to keep the odors from our living areas until we were able to move back into the construction area. I guess I just wasn't worried that the construction would make me sick. After all, I knew I wouldn't be in the middle of the work, mess and fumes. If you are doing your entire home, I recommend renting a suite or B&B for the time they will be there and maybe a week following. If it is just one room (or a few) that you can close the door to, that is what I would do. Most workers will respect your home and try to leave it in better condition that it was when they got there. Perhaps they could bring their supplies in through a window rather than traipsing through the house with everything. Hire someone to come in for a thorough clean up if you think you need to. One of my friends stayed in their camper parked in the drive for the duration. Maybe that could be an option for you.