In The Design Studio: The Jitters of Remodeling

This is a sponsored post by Anna Gibson, owner of AKG Design Studio and an award-winning, certified kitchen and bathroom designer. AKG Design Studio is a boutique design firm specializing in kitchen, bathroom designs and cabinetry sales. Contact her at 571-989-2541 or [email protected], and check out her work on Houzz, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.

You saved your money, you spent hours on HOUZZ and Pinterest. You talked to all your friends and neighbors and you are finally ready to make it happen! Your dream remodel project is about to become a reality.

Looking at the survey from our last blog, 60 percent of you are fearful of problems with the contractor, 40 percent of you fear going over budget and no one has fears with regards to the result.

Here are few tips to help you deal with those stresses during your project:

 Your contractor. Make sure to verify your contractor, not only by checking the quality of his work but also his lines of communication.

Keeping those open will help reduce the stress since you will know how your project is progressing and what the next steps are.

Things will happen, but knowing that it’s being addressed in a timely and appropriate manner, will make all the difference. Make it part of the contract to have set meetings and phone calls with updates on the progress of the project.

Get yourself ready. Seeing the house ripped open (if you have never done it before) can be very stressful. Things will not always go as planned, so make sure you store extra patience and a bottle of wine. Cabinets will arrive broken, extra work will require extra money. Dust will be everywhere and things will get misplaced.

Take a deep breath (preferably outside and not in the dust) knowing that at the end you will have a beautiful space to enjoy. This is a great time for long walks and yoga classes.

Get the house ready. Make sure to move all furniture and valuables out of the way. Your contractor will need to bring big boxes of materials through hallways and rooms. Fragile items need to be stored as the demolition phase of the project can sometimes shake the whole house.

Cover up as much furniture as possible, and yes it will all get dusty. Your contractor will do a basic cleanup at the end of the job, but plan on hiring a team to do a deep clean all around including the duct work.

Get the kids and the pets ready. While your kids and pets are friendly, you want to keep them safe from wondering into the construction zone. If at all possible, close the pets in a bedroom or even send them (kids and pets) away for a couple of weeks, all this noise and commotions can be stressful for them as well. Cats in particular need to be kept away as they love to hide, and you don’t want to rip open your new floor to rescue the cat (Yes this is a true story!).

Alternatives. When remodeling a bathroom have other showering options, maybe shower at the gym. If you are remodeling a kitchen, have your contractor leave the fridge in an area that is easy and safe to access.

Keep a microwave and plenty of paper plates handy. This is a great time to hone your grilling skills and try some new amazing recipes. If you are super-organized and have time, make a few meals ahead of time, freeze and toss in the microwave for an easy home cooked meal. If all fails, it’s time to head out and enjoy a dinner out on the town.

Would like to meet the team behind AKG Design Studio?

Please join us Nov 13 for a private shopping event and a chef demo at William -Sonoma.

For an official invite, please RVSP.