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What to Expect During Remodeling
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 Rosemary Sadez Friedmann - Scripps Howard News Service
Have you ever been through a remodeling process? Did you feel you had been through a war during the ordeal? Have you sworn you'll never do that again? Even if you've never been through the process yourself, surely you've heard many scary stories about it. If you are currently going through remodeling or are considering doing so in the near future, there are things you should know that will make the procedure more palatable. Let's review what to expect and what role you should play in the remodeling game.
The first thing you need to do is find a remodeling contractor you feel you can trust. Confidence and a good rapport in the contractor are of supreme importance. The contractor's company should be large enough to employ all the workmen and women needed to complete the job, yet not so large as to have your project be one of many in the lumber yard.
But even with the most reputable contractor, problems will come up. I've often said that the contractor/remodelers motto is "Expect Delays." If you know there will be delays, changes and some inevitable disappointments, your remodeling project will be more gratifying and less terrifying.
Remodeling will affect your life. Face it. If you are remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, it will affect your basic routines for a long time .... a long, long time. So, let's say it is the kitchen you are working on. Plan meals you can cook on the grill or make lots of reservations for dinner out of the home. You might need to use the laundry room as the alternate kitchen for washing dishes. The refrigerator, microwave, toaster and coffee maker will need to be moved to another room for use during the months of remodeling. If you pack up dishes, don't forget to leave out every day items like can openers, towels and cleaning products. Consider using paper plates.
If it is the bathroom that is getting a face lift, keep toiletries, hairdryers and towels in another bathroom in the house. Is the bathroom that is being remodeled attached or somehow adjacent to the closet? All those clothes are going to get quite dusty. Move what you will use, pack and store the rest. When moving what you will use, remember the motto: "Expect Delays." Keep available clothes for holidays or other 'in the future' items you might end up needing.
During a remodeling project there will be much dust and a good amount of noise. Ask your contractor what he will do to combat these items as much as possible. Remember, that good rapport you must have with the contractor. Rapport often! The contractor should seal doors, cover flooring, use drop clothes and you should change air filters as needed. There should be a designated area where tools and machinery will be stored. Do you have pets? Plan where they will be kept during the remodeling so that they will be safe and out of the way.
There are many stages a home owner goes through during a remodeling process. You can work with a set of plans for months on end but not truly understand the full scope of the project until construction begins and moves forward. If you keep focused on the end result, you will see light at the end of that tunnel.
Some remodeling contractors have showrooms you can view and educational films you can watch to better acquaint yourself with what to expect. Know that you will feel a loss of control, your routines will be interrupted, there will be invasion of personal space and a lot of inconveniences. You will grow tired of seeing the plumber, the electrician, the carpenter and all the mess they bring with them daily. A good contractor will help alleviate those problems.
(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color," available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com) |
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