I don’t think anyone has ever told me that they’ve enjoyed the renovation process. It’s something that takes a lot of time and energy, and the stress and distaste over the process has only risen with COVID. However, while renovating or upgrading your home will always be stressful because of inevitable unknown variables, there are definitely ways to reduce or channel this stress. Here are some of our suggestions:
- Plan Over a Year Out: It may seem a little too optimistic to start planning a renovation project over a year out. However, giving yourself cushion time to figure out what you really want is incredibly important and planning can make all the difference! Sit down in the room you’re planning to renovate and find where the light falls, what spaces seem a little too small, and what you can envision to fill up the room. Get excited about your project and create a Pinterest board to plan out what you like for changes to a space, pieces to put in the space, and what materials you would want to use. Having a plan for what you want to upgrade will help you get what you want and prevent last minute planning stress.
- Interview Several Contractors to Find the Right One for You: You don’t want to go with any Joe-Schmo contractor. You want to make sure the person you’re letting into your home and working on your space can understand and implement your vision. To keep yourself safe during COVID, give potential contractors virtual tours of your home and ask for a consultation including cost, timeline, and COVID precautions. If you’re not renovating a whole room in your house, consider hiring a specialty contractor who is an expert in what you’re trying to do. If you’re trying to open up your space, a great way to do that is by trading a wall for a sliding glass door, and you want to have an expert like Cal Sliding Door do that for you!
- When You’re Ready to Start the Project: The fun part is always getting started – all your work and stress leading up to the point where the renovation takes place finally feels worth it. To make your starting point easier, have all your materials ready – paint colors, fabrics, etc. Make sure that you’re communicating with your contractor to ensure that everyone is on the same page and you know what materials they’ll be providing and what you need to have at the ready. And finally, for projects in 2021, make sure that COVID guidelines are followed: ensuring that your health and safety are taken into account is the most important part of this process.
While renovations and the idea of letting someone into your home right now may be incredibly overwhelming. It’s not bad to dream of a full or small-scale-style renovation, because we’re all feeling the fatigue from being inside these days. So whether you’re over or just a year out, even if you’re getting close to the deadline you set for yourself, have fun with it. Using our guide, we hope you have an incredibly smooth renovation project in your future!
