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Understand the Construction Business
Contractors are notorious for taking on more than one job at a time. This means you might have a crew in on Monday to put in the floor, but they might not return until the following week to finish the job. And understand that contractors do not have absolute control over the sub-contractors, such as plumbers and electricians.
Also, don't think that just because on TV they can build an entire house in a week that your project should move with that kind of speed. Renovating an existing home can actually be more complicated than building a new one from the ground up, Christenbury says.
Avoid Becoming Overwhelmed
The signs of stress can be insidious at first: your foot shaking when you're on the phone with your contractor or your heart racing when staring at a wall full of tile samples, says Anutza Bellissimo, executive director of the Stress and Anger Management Institute in Hermosa Beach, Calif. Unless this stress is addressed, you will react negatively, such as yelling at your contractor or your spouse, seeking comfort in a pint of ice cream or developing sleep-stopping heartburn.
Making lists of what you need to do and the questions you have for your contractor can help ease that overwhelming feeling, Bellissimo says. Being honest with the people involved in your project is also helpful, she adds. Tell your contractor what you need. Tell him what you're unhappy with. Do it unemotionally, without yelling, and you're much more likely to get the resolution you want. "Bullying will only get you short-term results," Bellissimo says. "It will eventually backfire because there are only so many times you can bully someone before they begin to bully you back."
Plan for Delays
If your contractor says a project will take three months, plan for it to take six, Dr. Wish says. If you are renting a place while your house is being worked on, get a month-to-month lease that won't have you forced out the door before your home is ready.
Moving out of the home while it's being renovated can also speed the process. This is especially true if by being there, you are limiting your contractor's access to the home. "A family might not want repairs done on Fridays or they only let us work after 10 a.m. when the kids have left for school," Christenbury says, adding that those limitations can delay a project.
Another way to avoid the stress of delays is to make sure you are not a cause of the problem. Paint colors, plumbing fixtures and cabinet styles are all decisions you should make before the construction even starts. That way, supplies can be ordered in advance of beginning the project, reducing the chance that shipping and inventory problems will delay your project.
Any home improvement project, no matter the scale, is going to come with its own surprises and challenges. But preparing yourself mentally and being organized from the get-go can ensure that you end the process more in love with your home than when you started.
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Text by Cynthia Ramnarace
© 2008 BobVila.com
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