Remodeling your home is a process that can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it. It can be a string of yes/no decisions that you make as you come to them, or a conceptual project that is guided by an idea. It’s going to take plenty of hard work either way, but it doesn’t need to be made more complicated by hemming and hawing over countless decisions along the way.
For sure, you’re going to have flashpoints along the way, because remodeling is a process, but it will be much more relaxing in the long run if you can have a way of making those decisions, moving on and getting the job finished. Below, we’ll look at a few examples of the kind of decision you may have to make during a remodel, and how you can make them without everything devolving into an interminable tug-of-war.
For sure, you’re going to have flashpoints along the way, because remodeling is a process, but it will be much more relaxing in the long run if you can have a way of making those decisions, moving on and getting the job finished. Below, we’ll look at a few examples of the kind of decision you may have to make during a remodel, and how you can make them without everything devolving into an interminable tug-of-war.
Remodeling Showdown: Making Those 50/50 Decisions
DIYing or hiring a contractor?
Many of us will watch remodeling shows on TV and second-guess all the decisions the people on screen are making. A primary example is when those people choose to hire a contractor for a job we feel we could do ourselves. The truth about DIYing is that while it’s usually possible to do the job, you have to ask whether you can do it well. If you have particular expertise in an area of DIY, then go for it. If not, consider a contractor because they’ll get it right first time - so you won’t find yourself back here in 12 months’ time trying to untangle your own mess.
Carpeting, or bare floors?
Completing a renovation is much easier when the “big” work is done; that’s walls, floors and doors. Smaller jobs can be completed around those pieces, but the big decisions have to be made and stuck to, because the work on them can take days as opposed to the half-hour/full-hour stints required to complete things like flat-pack furniture and installing lamps. You need to make these bigger decisions early on - do you want plush carpets throughout, or would some areas benefit from rustic, charming Mexican tile instead? Additionally, some of these jobs will be best contracted out, leaving you free to do smaller jobs and cutting the time the whole process will take.
Budget conscious, or willing to pay a little more?
One mistake that often gets made on a remodel - particularly by prospective house-flippers who want to maximize their margins - is when you plump for the cheapest way to do things. It can work in places, but rest assured that when an entire remodel is done on the cheap it will be unmistakable. The key here is that budgeting decisions can be made based on the size of the job or item. For example, it’s worthwhile paying less for a lampshade or a net curtain, as these make little difference to the overall aesthetic. However, buying the cheapest paint or flooring won’t save you money in the long run, as it will need to be fixed up later.
There will be dozens of little decisions to make during your remodel, so don’t get hung up on each of them. It won’t do you, or the project, any good in the long run.
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