5 Ways To Prepare For Your Home Remodel

A home remodel can trigger many different emotions.

It can bring on joy and excitement as it’s the first step towards achieving the home of your dreams. But it can also cause a lot of worry, fear, stress and uncertainty. I want to address this because these are all very real and valid concerns that my clients have been faced with. As the professional, it is my job to help you ease all those negative emotions but everyone’s level of trust is different. This is so understandable and I give my clients the time and patience to trust the process and I’m happy to report that it usually works out in the end.

One of the ways I build trust with my clients is to inform them of the process and what to expect, whether good or bad. Because let’s be honest: It’s never going to be rainbows and butterflies during a remodel but as long as my clients are well informed about all the possibilities, it makes the process so much smoother.

Be Prepared For Setbacks

So you’re ready to begin your remodel, you have your materials picked out and a demo date has been set. Everything seems to be going just fine so far, the workers arrive on time and they immediately get to work. You sit nearby anxiously waiting for the work to finish up. And then, the contractor comes to you with a tiny little detail that you weren’t expecting.

While this may not be the case for everyone, it does happen and it can either delay a project or add to the overall costs, making you want to pull your hair out.

So many factors can delay a project.

There may be cases where your contractor discovers something behind the walls that he didn’t realize was there. This could be anything: water damage, mold, a hidden material that was covered up by drywall (surprise!) Whatever it may be you can prepare yourself before the project begins by realizing that there will be setbacks and things will happen beyond your control but it’s not the end of the world. Every remodel has an end in sight so once you get past the initial hurdles then everything else (hopefully) should be smooth sailing. This brings me to my next point.

Add A Buffer For Unexpected Costs

Unexpected costs may arise, which can cause the entire project to go over budget. While we try our best to prevent this, we can’t always avoid it. A good way to prepare for unexpected costs is to make sure you have enough of a cushion or what we like to call in the design world, a contingency budget. This is a separate fund set aside to cover unexpected costs that might happen during a project. 10-15% of the entire budget is a good minimum to start with.

Stress is inevitable

Now, I don’t like being the Debbie Downer here but I like to break it down with the facts. When you have workers coming in and out of your personal space, that alone is stressful. It can be difficult feeling like your privacy has been invaded. But remember, this discomfort is temporary for pleasurable and permanent results.

Another uncomfortable situation, although minor yet inconvenient, is that during a remodel you’ll lose some of the ability to do everyday things around the house.

If it’s your kitchen being torn apart, have no fear… There are workarounds.

You can prepare yourself by creating a small mini kitchen setup with a portable microwave, a storage cart for dried goods, a mini fridge, and a good ol’ Crock Pot or Insta Pot.

You might also consider (if it’s in the budget) to relocate temporarily while the work is being done.

If this isn’t an option, you can remove yourself from the area and go into another room in the house or spend some time outdoors to relieve stress.

It will get dirty

Fact: a remodel is a very messy and dusty process.

I think we already knew this one already. But even with a small remodel, dust and dirt will fly everywhere! And I mean EVERYWHERE. Even when things are covered up with plastic, somehow the dust still likes to settle on everything.

If you can keep windows and doors open, I would highly suggest this to minimize and reduce the dust from flying everywhere. The best thing you can do for your safety and health is to remove yourself and the family while work is in progress. Some contractors will even suggest that you move out temporarily because it can become unsafe living conditions.

Quick tip: Make sure you’re stocked up on all the necessary cleaning products (as well as shoe booties). If you don’t have time to do the cleaning yourself, you can definitely hire a cleaning service after the work is complete.

Meal Prep or Have A Take-Out Budget

A remodel can definitely take a toll on you, mentally, emotionally and physically.

Some days will be so busy and stressful that you may not have the time or energy to whip up a home cooked meal, so you can prepare ahead of time with freezer foods to easily heat up.

But don’t feel bad if you have one too many pizza nights. Again, this is all a temporary discomfort for a permanent reward.

Conclusion

A home remodel will present many different challenges but just think about the end goal and what it could do for your family when it’s all said and done.

Need help with your home remodel? Contact me to book a free discovery call and we’ll discuss your project.