Remodeling your home is a major project. Most people don’t realize
just HOW major of a project it is until they’re deep into it, however.
If you aren’t careful, a remodel can cover everything with dust, throw
off your day-to-day plans and leave you feeling more frazzled than
you’ve ever been. More than one homeowner has found themselves
wondering, well before the job was complete, why they ever decided to
undertake such a monumental task. Whether you’re already hip deep in a
remodel or you’re just considering one, here are a few ways to keep you
from experiencing this same sense of mid-remodel regret.
Start Small
While it’s tempting to launch into a full remodel and get everything
done at once, taking the time to prioritize certain aspects of the
remodel can make it much less disruptive and easier to control the
budget. Consider which issues are the most pressing as well as which
would be the most difficult to pull off. Avoid projects that are
excessively difficult such as moving plumbing unless there’s a good
reason to take them on. Prioritize everything else so you can complete
each project in turn and move in on the big picture over time.
Respect the Construction Zone
Remodeling creates a LOT of dust, debris and noxious odors. Many
contractors will put up plastic sheets and take other precautions to try
and keep all of this out of parts of the house where they aren’t
working, but there’s only so much that can be done in this regard. Try
to plan your time at home so that you aren’t there during the worst of
the noise and fumes. Pick up an air filtration system or two that you
can put near the work areas to grab as much dust as possible. Pack up
belongings that you don’t want exposed like you would if you were
moving, putting them in boxes and sealing them with tape. This lets the
remodel proceed as quickly as possible without giving you such a huge
mess to clean up afterward.
Stick to the Budget
One big issue when remodeling is that the budget tends to spiral out
of control. Once you get going, you may find that there are extra bits
of spending that are needed to finish the job. There’s also the
temptation to upgrade some of your plans since the newer version
wouldn’t cost
that much more. Unfortunately, changing your
plans or upgrading your purchases can really add up over time. Make a
budget for what you want, add about 20% to 25% to account for the
unexpected, then stick with it. If there’s anything that you REALLY want
to upgrade but aren’t sure that the budget can handle it, save it until
as close to the end as possible before authorizing the cost.
Talk It Out
Communication with your contractors is a key component to making it
through a remodel unscathed. This doesn’t mean that you should require
them to report every little thing back to you, of course; unless there’s
a problem that they need your insight or authorization for, you’ll be
best served to let the pros do their job. That doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t check in and see how things are progressing, especially if you
need to structure part of your day around the work that’s being done.
Talking with your contractors regularly helps you to plan your life
better around the remodel and saves them the trouble of tracking you
down when they need to check with you about something.
No comments:
Post a Comment