Coping With Construction

A remodeling project is often more than just blueprints, nails, and wood. A remodeling
project involves transforming the home and working within the delicate boundaries of
family, lifestyle, possessions and privacy. Here are some helpful tips for making your
remodeling experience as stress-free as possible. [more]

• Put Safety First
Concern for the safety of your family and property is foremost on the mind of
both you and your builder. Taking positive steps to put safety first can allay fears
and bring you peace of mind.

• Maintain Lines of Communication
Remain involved in the project and its scheduling, along with decisions that are
being made. Use daily discussions as well as mandatory weekly and milestone
meetings to discuss concerns honestly and openly. Keep written records so that
both you and your builder remember what decisions were made, and when.

• Attend Mandatory Milestone Meetings
Milestone meetings are critical for evaluating construction progress and making
important decisions about the way you'll really be living in the house. They may
even be tied into your construction payment schedule.

• Take a Mini-Vacation
Coming home to strangers, dust, and noise can make even the most resolved of
homeowners feel stressed.

• Be Flexible
Usually, remodeling is a compromise between our fantasies for a perfect house
and the reality of what we can and cannot do.

• Take Lots of Photos!
Once you start living in your beautiful new home, those memories of the
construction process will begin to fade away. Keeping a journal during
construction is a great way to memorialize this special time in your family's life.
Jot down your feelings during the construction, as well as any interesting stories
to tell later! [more]