Having your home remodeled can be a relatively simple process, or it can be long and disruptive. When you’re planning to have your home remodeled, you and the contractor should discuss every detail so you know what to expect.
You Have to Decide on the Order of the Project
In a multi-faceted remodeling project, work needs to be done in stages. Some types of work have to be done before others. For example, if you’re planning to change your home’s layout, walls will have to be torn out first. New walls will have to be constructed before cabinets can be installed. The contractor will have to take measurements to make sure that the cabinets will fit properly with the new walls.
You Need to Understand How Long It Will Take to Renovate
Customers who have never had a home renovated often have no idea how long various projects take. Something simple, such as replacing cabinets, may be done quickly, but remodeling an entire floor, removing walls to change the floorplan or building an addition may take months.
You Have to Figure Out How Your Family Will Cope With Disruptions
Knowing how long renovations will take will allow you to plan accordingly. If you won’t be able to use your kitchen for weeks, you will have to figure out how to handle meals.
If it will take several weeks or months to renovate your house and you don’t think your family could deal with the stress of living at home with workers there every day, you may decide that it would be better to stay somewhere else. You may find a short-term rental or decide to stay with family or friends who live nearby.
You Should Be Prepared for Delays
Even if the contractor is realistic when estimating how long the renovations will take, work may be delayed. Subcontractors may be running behind schedule, products may be out of stock and poor weather may force contractors to put some parts of the project on hold. The contractor should build a buffer into the schedule to account for possible delays.
Workers may discover additional problems that will throw off the timeline. For example, when they tear out walls, they may find mold or an issue with the electrical wiring. That problem will have to be fixed, and it may delay the project’s completion by several weeks or more.
Having Information and Being Realistic Can Help You Minimize Stress
Knowing what to expect can help you deal with the stress of home renovations. You may be surprised or disappointed to learn that a project will take longer than you anticipated, but that information will make it possible for you to come up with a realistic plan.
