How to Reduce Stress While Renovating
Be realistic and set a budget., Manage the renovation as a project., Cope with the inevitable small hiccup with a philosophical mindset., Get professional help for the things you cannot do., Tidy at the end of the day., Take a break now and then.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be realistic and set a budget.
Set realistic goals and a budget you know you can afford.
Setting up a budget sheet so you can see the numbers day by day can help relieve financial stress.
Realize that renovation budgets have a tendency to balloon or blow out.
Are you prepared for this or is there an absolute line after which you'll say, "no more"? Be sensible about choices for fittings and the like.
Do you really need the most expensive when a lower cost item will still look great and function perfectly? Get a range of quotes from different places and service providers.
That way you will know what the basic industry prices are and can bargain better. -
Step 2: Manage the renovation as a project.
Keep good records of expenditure, of things done and not done, contact details of tradespersons, accounts of broken/damaged or unfinished things, and so forth.
Set goals and desired finish times for elements of the project, breaking it down into reasonably achievable chunks.
By staying on top of the documentation, invoices and comings and goings of tradespersons, you'll keep things running much more smoothly than if you approach the renovation in a haphazard manner without goal or end dates.
Divide the tasks among family according to strengths.
If your wife is a whizz with accounts, or your husband is brilliant with bargaining, assign those tasks to the person best able to do it.
Even the kids can get involved, with such things as suggestions for garden designs, searching for fittings online and making a Pinterest board of ideas.
By involving everyone in the project, there is buy in and more interest in the eventual outcome. , Relax. Okay, so if a wall falls down, then you have every right to jump around, stamp your feet and scream from the rooftops.
However, if you find that the dust is piling up in the corner, you've purchased the wrong shaped fittings or the room hasn't been completed precisely on time, then don’t panic.
These things can be rectified easily enough, so don’t let yourself stress out.
Be aware that just as with budgets, deadlines tend to blow out.
Promises made by tradespersons don't always pan out, and expected finish times are often delayed by unforeseen problems that need attending to.
At the end of the day, it is better to approach the renovation slowly but surely than to cover up problems and finish quickly, only to have the problems ending up undermining safety, longevity or soundness. , Avoid doing renovating jobs you have no qualifications for or no idea how to go about.
It's just not worth the hassle and stress involved, and there can be a potential for physical harm too.
In some cases, you may find that working alongside a renovation professional is a good option.
You can be the laborer, the general dogsbody and the professional will do all the hard work.
This can save money, depending on what it is the professional is doing. , After a long day of renovating, the last thing on your mind may be tidying up to create a mess the next day.
But give it a try to see how much better you feel.
Returning to a tidy work site will start your renovation day on a positive note, and it stops the mess from piling up over the course of your renovation.
Enjoy your shower or bath after each day's hard renovation.
Have a bubble bath if you like that sort of thing.
A little bit of pampering is well earned during renovations. , Get out of the house! Pack your loved ones up in to the car, stop by the grocery store to pick up picnic food and head out for a few hours off from your relaxation.
You’ve earned it and you will be ready to work hard the next day.
Eat out or have take-outs now and then, to ease the burden of having to cook as well as renovate all of the time. -
Step 3: Cope with the inevitable small hiccup with a philosophical mindset.
-
Step 4: Get professional help for the things you cannot do.
-
Step 5: Tidy at the end of the day.
-
Step 6: Take a break now and then.
Detailed Guide
Set realistic goals and a budget you know you can afford.
Setting up a budget sheet so you can see the numbers day by day can help relieve financial stress.
Realize that renovation budgets have a tendency to balloon or blow out.
Are you prepared for this or is there an absolute line after which you'll say, "no more"? Be sensible about choices for fittings and the like.
Do you really need the most expensive when a lower cost item will still look great and function perfectly? Get a range of quotes from different places and service providers.
That way you will know what the basic industry prices are and can bargain better.
Keep good records of expenditure, of things done and not done, contact details of tradespersons, accounts of broken/damaged or unfinished things, and so forth.
Set goals and desired finish times for elements of the project, breaking it down into reasonably achievable chunks.
By staying on top of the documentation, invoices and comings and goings of tradespersons, you'll keep things running much more smoothly than if you approach the renovation in a haphazard manner without goal or end dates.
Divide the tasks among family according to strengths.
If your wife is a whizz with accounts, or your husband is brilliant with bargaining, assign those tasks to the person best able to do it.
Even the kids can get involved, with such things as suggestions for garden designs, searching for fittings online and making a Pinterest board of ideas.
By involving everyone in the project, there is buy in and more interest in the eventual outcome. , Relax. Okay, so if a wall falls down, then you have every right to jump around, stamp your feet and scream from the rooftops.
However, if you find that the dust is piling up in the corner, you've purchased the wrong shaped fittings or the room hasn't been completed precisely on time, then don’t panic.
These things can be rectified easily enough, so don’t let yourself stress out.
Be aware that just as with budgets, deadlines tend to blow out.
Promises made by tradespersons don't always pan out, and expected finish times are often delayed by unforeseen problems that need attending to.
At the end of the day, it is better to approach the renovation slowly but surely than to cover up problems and finish quickly, only to have the problems ending up undermining safety, longevity or soundness. , Avoid doing renovating jobs you have no qualifications for or no idea how to go about.
It's just not worth the hassle and stress involved, and there can be a potential for physical harm too.
In some cases, you may find that working alongside a renovation professional is a good option.
You can be the laborer, the general dogsbody and the professional will do all the hard work.
This can save money, depending on what it is the professional is doing. , After a long day of renovating, the last thing on your mind may be tidying up to create a mess the next day.
But give it a try to see how much better you feel.
Returning to a tidy work site will start your renovation day on a positive note, and it stops the mess from piling up over the course of your renovation.
Enjoy your shower or bath after each day's hard renovation.
Have a bubble bath if you like that sort of thing.
A little bit of pampering is well earned during renovations. , Get out of the house! Pack your loved ones up in to the car, stop by the grocery store to pick up picnic food and head out for a few hours off from your relaxation.
You’ve earned it and you will be ready to work hard the next day.
Eat out or have take-outs now and then, to ease the burden of having to cook as well as renovate all of the time.
About the Author
Rebecca Alvarez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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