Three things are certain, death, taxes and a renovation freak out.You consider yourself as being a pretty level, reasonable and normal person. So let me give you a scenario: Your living in what used to be your house, its been messy for two months, things dangling from the ceiling, different people going in and out, a bar fridge and microwave have been your kitchen, no matter how much you clean there is always dust, your contractor says its going to take longer then expected, you've spent more money then you expected, everything looks unfinished....so how do you feel now?Ok..so here's what to do
- Accept it's going to look worse before it gets better. One of the highest points of anxiety is at the framing stage. Its hard to imagine what the place is going to look like when all you can see is boards tacked up here and there. Trust me you'll fell better once the drywall is up and you can start to see what your home renovation will look like.
- Move out of the house. You think you can handle living in a renovations but you probably can't. You may have to suck it up and live with some family. Moving out may not be an option for some people so plan a lot of time away for vacation, weekends away, anything. Seriously, add a line item to your renovation budget for time away. You'll need it.
- Remember the contractor has the same goals as you. He's not the enemy here. All he wants is to finish the job, on budget and for you to be happy. I don't know a contractor that likes going over time and budget. So take a deep breath, communicate with your contractor and take a solution approach to challenges that come up.
- As much as you may be tired of the kitchen you lived with, once its been taken out you may miss it. Crazy? Not really. Remember, even though your place might have been dated or old there were a lot of memories created in your house and now its changing. Change can be stressful, just remember why you wanted the renovation and visualize yourself in your new beautiful home.
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