Living Through A Renovation and Staying Sane

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Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 06 May 2009 18:35

Face it. Sooner or later, you are going to wish you had never heard the word renovation. Having renovations done is like sitting in the dentist's chair for four months straight. So here is how to keep moments of anguish, depression and downright hostility to a minimum:

Plan ahead

How long can you live with dust and dirt all over everything? Is the whole family aware that when the kitchen is being renovated, you'll be eating out a lot? Do you and your spouse see eye to eye on the work to be done - or are you going to be arguing about the kitchen cupboards right up to the day they're installed and forever after?

Trust your renovator

He's your best friend until the project is done. Make sure he's a member of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association and check out his previous work. If you've chosen wisely and communicated with him well, you have nothing to worry about. It's also nice to be friendly with the workmen. The odd cup of coffee wouldn't hurt either. It can make the difference between a good job and a rushed one where the workmen can hardly wait to get away from an abusive homeowner.

Don't disappear

It may seem like a good idea to take a long holiday in another country while a renovator solves your problems but it isn't. It's a good idea to stay close to the job and take daily walks through it, if possible. That way, you'll avoid sudden, large shocks.

Be cautious when ordering finishing materials

Oh sure it's fun to get into the showroom and start flinging around samples of exotic materials, but be reasonable. Costs can rise quickly after a few visits to the showroom!

Try to keep changes to a minimum

The more changes you make to the original plan, the more it's going to cost and the longer the job will go on.

Don't rush to the finish line

As the end of the job approaches, it's tempting to bring in all the finishing trades such as painters, tilers and carpet layers - all at once- But you'll get a better finished product if you proceed with one trade at a time. Otherwise, you risk one job interfering with another. Or do you like paint speckles on your carpet?

Take time to get comfortable with your renovation

Rooms that look enormous with only the studs in, shrink when the drywall is up. Spaces that seemed more than adequate on the drawing board suddenly seem cramped when the furniture is in. Give yourself six months to get used to things. It might even be a good idea to resist the idea of heavy duty decorating until you've had a chance to live with the new order.

And remember, a certain amount of doubt and unease is perfectly normal when your life is undergoing such a major upheaval. After all, if people didn't care about their homes, they'd all sleep in their cars, right?

For more information on renovation, phone the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association at 723-2926.