Whether it’s supervising a cabinet install or getting your paintbrush wet, working on a renovation is less stressful if you can do it during daylight hours. Sure, you might need a beach and a drink after your reno, but chances are that your time will be better served at your house. If you or your spouse are lucky enough to have vacation time, now would be a great time to use it. That means no browsing for home stuff online or talking about the reno after certain hours - and keeping my sanity. That way, when I’m spending my time with family, I’m not focusing on fixtures or paint samples. I like to look at it as a work day: I can put in ‘x’ amount of hours but when I’m done for the day, I focus on other things. Who can think about date night when your kitchen is in shambles? But compartmentalizing the renovation helps you leave the stress of cost, materials and contractors behind when you spend time with your family. When your renovation is eating up so much of your time and budget, it’s easy to start letting it color all of your interactions. Image: ungvar/Shutterstock Compartmentalize the process Taking your kitchen out of commission can cause major stress. You’ll get what you want without going completely crazy in the process. When our shower contractor couldn’t get my first-choice finish in on time, changing it for something more accessible was no big deal.Ĭhoose your top three renovation must-haves and then be flexible on the rest. Identifying my one must-have has made it easy to defer and compromise on other details. At the very start of our renovation, I pinpointed the one thing that I wouldn’t budge on: countertops. How will you love your kitchen if you don’t pick the perfect paint color? But nitpicking every detail might be one of the biggest factors in renovation stress. In your quest for your dream space, it can be easy to get fixated on the details.
It’s not always the most pleasant conversation, but setting a budget and creating a contingency fund will help you keep your calm when other reno issues arise. Nothing is more stressful than seeing your funds dwindle faster than they should.
How much do you have saved and how much will you use other funds (e.g., credit cards, home equity loan or other methods). Your budget (and being clear on how you’ll pay for things) will color your entire experience, so make sure it’s your first discussion. Renovation budget issues are probably one of the biggest complaints between couples. Image: hanohiki/Shutterstock Be clear on the budget Make sure you nail down a budget before you start renovating.