Starting a home renovation project is a big step.  For most people, it’s a fun and exciting time.  They enjoy the process, have fun selecting their products, and want the very best when it comes to the people they choose to work with.

But every once in a while a client starts the process with a sense of dread.  They’ve heard “stories” from their friends and family about the horrors of construction.  So they worry in advance about the mess and how long they’ll be inconvenienced.  What will they do for meals?  Where will they set up the temporary kitchen?  Will the guest bathroom be too small for both of us while we live through construction?  If you’re considering a renovation or any type of disruptive project at your home.  I hope that you’re not letting these stories scare you away.

I think we’ve all had some type of disruption to our home at one time or another.  Maybe you’ve had new carpeting installed, or hardwood floors refinished.  Maybe the entire house has been painted.  No matter what project you’ve taken on, it probably brought chaos into your life and a lot of anxiety!

We want everything to turn out just the way we imagined…PERFECT!  But too often we expect perfection all along the way, and become impatient if a little glitch appears.  I can relate because it happens to me too.  And what I’ve noticed is when I’m tired, and the chaos has dragged on too long, I get impatient.  I start to hover around the workers (or my husband) to make sure the job is getting done “right.”  And when I find one thing wrong, I start looking for other things that aren’t perfect.  Has this ever happened to you?

Since I’ve been spending some time with cabinet installations lately, and disappointed that a ding or two is keeping that perfect kitchen on hold for a week or two,  I started thinking back on some of my clients’ projects.  I realized that the clients who were the most stressed out were the ones who had unrealistic expectations of how a project works.

And it also reminded me that when stress and anxiety creep up and rear their ugly head, it’s time to follow these 3 Simple Steps:

1.  Take a deep breath!  When you see a mistake, a ding, or anything less than perfect, take a step back and breathe.  Know that it will all come together perfectly in the end.  Maybe not today or tomorrow.  But it will be perfect soon.

2.   Trust that the people you’ve hired want the very best for you and your project.  You’ve hired the very best.  Don’t hover around the job site to watch them at work or ask a lot of questions.  I know you might want to watch the process, but imagine your employer looking over your shoulder all day long.  It probably slows down your work and makes you anxious.

3.   Take a break.  The banging, sawing, and drilling will get on your last nerve after a while.  So make it a practice to get away for a little while each day, especially if you work from home.  When you’re at the job site all the time, you start to notice every little imperfection to a cabinet, wall or seam.  Let your installer work their magic to make it perfect and you’ll never notice there was a problem.  After all, that’s why you’ve hired the best!

If you’re thinking about a home renovation, whether it’s a small project or knocking down walls, you might be afraid of making costly mistakes.  And that’s why I’ve created 3 Costly Home Renovation Mistakes and How To Avoid Them.   All you need to do is click on the button below…easy peasy!