The Low-Stress Home Renovation

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.”