 |
|
Home Fixer - Home Repair & Home Improvement |
|
|
Home Fixer - Home Repair & Home Improvement |
|
Top Ten Remodeling Tips
My husband and I just completed our first remodel. It was a period renovation of a Victorian Gingerbread Craftsman. (I'm so thrilled I can talk about it in the past tense). We haunted architectural salvage houses for just the right windows, bid on eBay for period-correct light fixtures, spent an entire afternoon driving all over L.A. for a screw that they stopped making in the thirties and generally worked to the point of insanity. Tiptoed up to the line but never crossed it. So here, ripped from the headlines so to speak, are my Top Ten Tips for Remodeling. Read 'em and weep. 1. There is a solution to every situation. But it's not necessarily yours. You go where the solution is - it doesn't come to you. 2. There is no medicine for whatever ails you quite like hard, exhausting, purposeful work. 3. Chew your own food. Don't make your problems other peoples. They've got their own. 4. I'm not psychic. Maybe you are. Guesstimates of time and money are just that. Reality has a way of intruding. When in doubt - go with Reality. (I don't know when I'm going to die either). 5. Pain fades with time. Remodeling is like giving birth. When you're in the middle of delivery you swear you'll never do it again. But then the kid turns out to be a looker, a few years go by.....Yadda yadda yadda - you're in escrow. 6. There are no problems - only opportunities for creativity, action and collaboration. 7. You're born alone, you die alone - you don't have to win alone. Everyone can win. Some win more than others but there's enough in the pot to spread around. If you squeeze a vendor to bid a job so low that they can't make money, harbor resentment and cut corners - you both lose. 8. Nobody owes you anything. If they help you it's because they're generous people. Acknowledge them. 9. Everything comes to an end. And then it starts up again. 10. Remodeling really is like Improv. You show up without a script. You have no idea what's going to happen next ( except you can be sure that whatever you think it'll be - you're wrong). You're dependent on others for their performances. So help them shine. You make it work by paying attention to everything and dealing with whatever Reality presents to you. Do the best you can with the resources you have and don't forget to enjoy the ride. 11. Okay, I lied. There are more than Ten Tips to Remodeling. There are actually thousands. This last one, though, is the most important. Don't forget to put yourself on your own Punch List. No pressure of work or money is reason enough not to eat right,sleep enough, monitor your health and appreciate your family. Mary Rosendale is a Certified Life Coach, Author, Speaker and serial remodeler. Visit her on the web at TheConstructedLife and sign up for her one-of-a-kind newsletter.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Home Floor Plan Designing For Your Future Home 5 Reasons to Make Early Spring Firewood Time at Your Home As the weather hints of warmth and the spring buds appear on trees, firewood may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But early spring is the ideal time to buy or gather your firewood for your fireplace or woodstove. What You Should Know About Laminate Flooring Laminate flooring imitates the aspect of traditional wood. Their biggest advantage is that they are very easy to install and very durable. Successful Motor Protection Formulae As we have discussed before, all overload relays have one major limitation - because they operate on line current, they do not directly sense the motor temperatures.However, with proper heater selection and careful attention to the factors that affect heater performance, the overload relay can work extremely well to protect the motors. Inspecting your Swimming Pool With the varied availability of swimming pool equipment and designs, you have a lot to think about when it comes to safety. Whether you use different types of swimming pool liners, or think about purchasing a new swimming pool toy, there are a lot of pool inspection tips you should consider. How To Choose House Style Mailboxes Your mailbox is not simply a receptacle for your mail; it is an extension of your home and a statement of your good taste. You can find extraordinary house style mailboxes that will be a beautiful addition to your outdoor décor. Designing With Hardwood Floors Hardwood floors are suited to both casual and formal environments; they feel at home with modern or traditional and will compliment the decor of both minimalist and eclectic designs. Hardwood can be classic, rock, jazz, country, or hip hop. Why Hardwood Flooring is a Good Investment Hardwood flooring has a timeless air of qualityHardwood floors have decorated some of the most exclusive mansions and estates in history and still exude a feeling of permanence and classic quality compared to manufactured floors.Hardwood floors are naturalHardwood floors bring the natural outdoors inside, and do not contain man-made chemicals in the wood itself. Choosing The Right Window When you have reached the decision to purchase new windows for your home, be sure you choose the right windows to suit your needs. Determine the reason why you are replacing your windows. Stair Railings Styles The stair railing at home is more than a simple way to get from a floor to another. You can create an extension of your personal likes in decoration, with ornamental parts of wood, iron and other material easy to install that will increase the value of your home at the same time. Upholstery Fabric Will Give Your Furniture a New Look! Upholstery fabric will put some new life into your old and ragged furniture. If you notice that your furniture has been starting to look a little worn and shaggy recently, upholstery fabric may be just what you are looking for. 10 Tips for Working With a Contractor This is the year you're going all out. You're going to build a deck, add a porch, erect a gazebo or lay a patio. Do You Have a Master Bedroom? You Shouldnt! Tips for Remodeling Your Bedroom The word "master" is an antiquated term that suggests control, domination, and inequality, and in today's cooperative partner and/or single parent household, the label "master suite" has become obsolete. In that light, master bedrooms would more properly be called "main bedrooms" in today's society. How I Got A Robot To Vacuum The House Like most people I really hated to vacuum the house. I thought anyone who enjoyed vacuuming was close to insanity. Hardwood Floor Refinishing - For The Faint of Heart Are your beautiful hardwood floors not so beautiful anymore? Maybe they just need a refinishing job. It can be a daunting task, but here are some ideas to make it a little easier. Dining Rooms: Designing for Your Emotional Well-Being I read an interior design book last night. Since I can't recommend it to you, I won't reveal the name. Outdoor Decks - Understanding Seven Elements of Good Deck Design You're all comfortable in your favorite lounge chair, reading your latest novel with a cool beverage nearby.. The Advantages of Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings Steel is a remarkable material that has been steadily increasing in popularity for construction. It is 66% recyclable, which offers both environmental and financial benefits, and is especially strong and durable. Mexico: Who Farted? Do you have embarrassing gas problems? Do you find this problem creeping up on you when you least expect it? I bet not.If you have lived in the United States all your life, I bet you've never seen a gas main or line and have just taken it on faith that it is there pumping gas into your house. To Picket Fences Of the 359 homeowners in my area, 112 are running afoul of the law in a deviously blatant way by committing the heinous "fence offence;" in other words, breaching Los Angeles municipal code sections 12.21 and 12.
|
