Managing Expectations During a Remodel

If you’ve been dreaming for months or even years about a home remodel, you’re sure to feel a lot of excitement when the process finally gets going. You are ready to make decisions, see progress, and watch your vision become reality. But then…your remodel hits a snag. Work slows down a little, or something unexpected comes up, and you feel blindsided. Don’t worry! It’s common for remodels to go a little differently than you expect, and managing your expectations on the front end will lead to a smoother and more satisfying experience for you overall.

What to Expect: The Timeline

Setting realistic expectations for how long you anticipate each part of the remodeling process to take is vital. Nothing is more frustrating than being sure a remodel will be finished by a particular date and then realizing that it’s not going to happen. There are a variety of reasons your remodel might take a little longer than you think, including:

• issues with permits and inspections
• supply chain delays
• unforeseen issues that only arise when the work has already started
• changes in the design or in the selections you make as you go

When your contractor gives you a remodeling timeline for your Lancaster home, it is a guide to help you know what to expect. It’s not a schedule set in stone, because delays can and sometimes do happen. But if you have a good contractor, you can expect him to stay in close communication with you during your remodel, updating you if there are delays, explaining the reason, and telling you what to expect going forward.

So what can you do to prepare yourself for a possible delay? Build a buffer into your schedule. If you need your remodel to be finished by a particular date, give yourself a few extra weeks. This will keep your stress level down and allow you to enjoy the process rather than stress about your deadline.

What to Expect: The Budget

Budgeting for your Lancaster remodel can be hard. A quick Google search for how much a remodel will cost will give you such a broad range that it really doesn’t help you plan. You know you’ll be paying for labor and materials, but you might not factor in other costs like permitting and design. You should work with your contractor to figure out a reasonable budget for the work you want to do. But sometimes, even with all the careful planning, unexpected costs crop up and you’re left feeling caught off guard.

How can you plan for the unexpected? Understand where these budget shifts generally come from:
Hidden structural issues or unforeseen problems with your original plumbing or electrical components.
Changes you decide to make partway through, like material upgrades or design modifications.

The best way to plan for the unexpected is to set aside a contingency amount of 10-20% of your total budget. This way, you’re not left scrambling if something comes up. Remember that budgetary adjustments aren’t a setback—they’re just sometimes a part of the process.

What to Expect: Design

Sometimes, as your remodel moves along, you might decide to make some changes. As you see the space in real life during the construction phase, your perspective might shift a bit. New ideas can come up that seem like a better fit. Or your designer might suggest something you hadn’t thought of, and now you love that idea and really want to incorporate it.

One of the best parts of working with a design-build firm like McLennan Contracting is that you spend time with a designer before any construction starts. You talk through your goals, desires, and tastes, and she helps you translate that into the perfect plan for your home. Making all the design decisions beforehand helps you fight decision fatigue and reduces last-minute changes. 

Even with a great design, sometimes changes are still helpful or even necessary. Balance sticking to your vision with being open to adjustments that might make your final product even better than you imagined.

Trust the Process

The remodeling journey is exciting at the beginning when you’re looking at floor plans and designs, and making selections. And it’s thrilling at the end when you see your dreams realized and your home becomes everything you wanted it to be. But in the middle, the remodeling process can feel…messy. Walls are down, there’s dust everywhere, and it feels like your home will never be anything but a construction zone.

It’s normal to feel everything from unsettled to tired to stressed during this middle part. It can help to remember:

• Your design-build team has navigated this process many times. And they’re here to answer your questions. If you’re concerned about any part of the remodeling process, reach out and ask them about it.
• Try to stay flexible and keep a sense of humor. That alone will lower your stress level and help you enjoy the process more. And take care of yourself and your family—schedule some fun things to do away from your home/construction zone.
• Keep your eye on the prize. Remodeling won’t last forever, and it will soon be nothing but a memory as you enjoy living in your dream home. It will be worth it.

A More Peaceful Process

You can’t predict how every detail of your Lancaster home renovation process will go. But by setting realistic expectations about your schedule, budget, and design decisions, you will be able to enjoy the process more. Rather than feeling blindsided, stressed, or upset about changes that crop up, you’ll be able to roll with them, knowing that a certain amount of unpredictability is normal and that the end result will be worth it. 

Of course, you can’t enjoy the process if you don’t trust your team. The right design-build firm will help you translate your dreams into a workable plan, create a schedule and budget that makes sense for you, and overcome common remodeling challenges. They will design and build your dream home and will guide you through each step along the way with clarity and care. McLennan Contracting is that trustworthy team for your Lancaster home remodel. Contact us today, and let’s talk about what you want your home to be and how we can help you get it there.