Hey there!
What a week it has been in our home. Home renovations can really turn a house upside down. Thankfully it was pretty stress free!
ICYMI – I shared at the beginning of the week that while hubs was off work we were doing our floors and our half bath. You can read that post here.
We started by ripping the carpet and old flooring up, then our half bath. What a mess this house was and with all the kids in tow. Thankfully we had some help, and the weather was beautiful so we could kick the big kids outside.
This weeks project marked over a dozen projects hubs and I have worked on together in this house. Mind you, I say worked on together, but it’s more like he does the work and I do some heavy assisting.
With that said, it got me thinking all we have learned over the years doing these projects from simply hanging up pictures, to building a chicken coop, to remodeling bathrooms. So, I wanted to share some tips for stress free home renovations!
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7 Tips For Stress Free Home Renovations
Okay, so like I said before, we have done over a dozen projects in this house – I do consider painting a project for us, with the amount of chaos in this house, everything can be turned into a project!
With that said, I wanted to share what I have found helpful, or even what we will implement on future projects.
Without further ado and in no particular order, 7 helpful tips for stress free home renovations.
Find a sitter
I guess this tip isn’t for everyone, but if you have kids, find a sitter! This past week, hubs grandparents took the younger kids of the bunch a couple of days while we were doing the floors. If they didn’t help with the twins, there is absolutely no way we would have been able to get all this work done in the timeframe we allotted.
Set a deadline and stick with it!
I can’t tell you how many times we have started a project with no set deadline. You know what happens when you don’t set a deadline? You never finish the project. It could be 3 1/2 years later and still, there is work to be done *cough cough, hubs*. But seriously, when we remodeled our master bath, we kinda just started it with no plan and no set deadline so it took almost a month to finish and still there is no trim – 2 years later.
This week however, hubs was only off work just shy of a week so we knew we had to have everything done before he went back. Because we had the deadline, we were done with everything by Thursday evening.
Well, besides the toilet being installed in the bathroom, that won’t be here until next week.
Make a project playlist
If there is one thing that hubs and I bicker about with house projects, is the dang music!
He loves to listen to loud, obnoxious rock, where as I’m all about being able to use my paint brush as a microphone and singing my heart out to some Taylor Swift.
Don’t judge. I’ve been listening to Taylor since 2006. I’ve grown up with her and I’m not about to stop listening to her now.
Anyway, I came up with creating a playlist with music we both enjoy and therefore the annoyance of listening to ACDC every other song can go out the window.
Make sure you are on the same page
This one is a must! When we had set our plans up for our chicken run – this is one project that will be completed on Sunday. Hubs and I had two completely different ideas for our run.
I had planned out the elaborate and beautiful run that would enhance our backyard, instead of just adding some taller fencing. I mean, I had been saving and pinning for months for this run. Then I started planning with hubs and clearly, he had no intention of making the run pretty, ha!
With that said, make sure whatever project you are working on, be sure you are on the same page by sharing pictures and ideas.
Give your partner some space
If you are working on your home reno, you most likely are going to have a partner to be helping. Whether this partner is your significant other, friend, family member, or hired help, make sure to give them some space and understanding when working.
For hubs, he gets in the zone when doing big projects. He gets in the zone and any distractions can easily set him off course. I used to get so annoyed with this, but I’ve learned it’s just the way he works and I need to be understanding and give some space to let him work.
Plan and OVER budget
Home renos, even as simple as purchasing new decor can be super pricey and they don’t look like they are going to get more affordable any time soon.
Personally, with 6 young children and 2 giant and active German Shepherds, I like shopping at the dollar store for inexpensive decor like picture frames or shelf fillers that won’t be a big deal if they break or get ruined.
As I mentioned previously, we remodeled our master bath with absolutely no plan at all. Because we didn’t plan or even budget at all, we ended up spending almost 4k and don’t have anything fancy at all. Never again!
Now when we plan for projects, I over budget by rounding to the next 10, 50, or 100 dollars depending on what item it is. This way, we are over estimating and the extra money is allotted for anything unexpected that comes up. Simple, but works.
Keep the outcome in mind
Honestly, I don’t enjoy house projects because the house is always a bigger mess than usual, routines get out of whack, and the anxiety that comes with the mess is annoying.
So when the mess started getting overwhelming on this last project, I reminded myself that the nasty dining room carpet would be gone and we would have beautiful matching floors when it was all over.
Sometimes just remember what you’re working towards is what will help get you through to the next day.
Actually, use this last tip for any difficult obstacle that stands in your way!
Hopefully these 7 tips help you during your next house project!
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Until next time,
