Navigating the Remodeling Emotional Rollercoaster: A Guide to Keeping Your Cool

If you’ve experienced a home remodel, you’ll know it’s an exciting process. Remodeling your home is a chance to transform your living space into something new, beautiful, and more personalized to your lifestyle and needs.

However, “exciting” is the operative word here. Excitement doesn’t necessarily translate to “fun” or “easy.” Sure, it’s fun and easy to scroll Pinterest, create oodles of boards, and build excitement and anticipation during the initial phases of design. But, once you’ve moved past that stage, you’ll encounter a reality that many homeowners may not anticipate: the remodeling emotional rollercoaster.

Home renovations and remodeling is a journey filled with highs and lows, unexpected twists, and turns that can leave homeowners feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and even frustrated. In this post, we’ll explore the ups and downs of the remodeling process and offer some tips for keeping your cool along the way.

Strapping in for the Remodeling Emotional Rollercoaster

The home remodeling process typically begins at a high point, especially with a design-build company like Red House. The design process is the start of the emotional rollercoaster: design is fun! You’re dreaming about the possibilities for your home, working with a dedicated designer to discover new ideas to bring your dream home to life. This initial stage is filled with (the good kind of) excitement as you envision your new, enhanced life. But then, like many actual rollercoasters, there’s an initial lull in enthusiasm as things move into the preliminary drawings phase, a short rise as you look back to the excitement you had just a few weeks prior, and then a precipitous and harrowing drop as you’re faced with the reality of how much your home renovation will cost. Yikes!

But you steel yourself. Pulling out now and starting over would also be unpleasant. Presuming you’ve gotten other estimates from other contractors, you understand that this is the price of creating a dream home for you and your family. So, after the initial shock and emotional distress, you sign your commitment contract, and you’re back on the emotional climb to the top! Hooray!

Living the Highlife

Once the planning phase is complete and you’ve signed your commitment contract, signaling you’re ready to build, the real work begins. The production crew starts to mobilize, materials and selections are ordered and start arriving, then demolition day arrives, and construction gets underway. Change is afoot, things are moving forward, you can see the fruits of your labor taking place, and once again, you’re sitting at the peak of the rollercoaster, and life is good!

The Second Emotional Drop

That is, until unforeseen complications start cropping up, which can mean delays, additional costs, and added stress. Before you know it, your rollercoaster has just taken a dive and perhaps a loopty-loop.

Things start feeling like they’re taking forever as the initial pace of the demo gives way to the more methodical process of rough-ins, running electric, heating, and replacing insulation–will it ever end? Then the drywall goes up, which is encouraging because you get a glimpse into the future–you have walls again! But then, goodness, drywall sanding has dropped you further…could there be more dust?

The Final Climb as the Ride Comes to an End

Finally, you’ve hit your low point. You just want your personal space back; things feel like they’ve stalled, and you’re ready for this ride to be over. Guaranteed, you’ll be sick of your contractor around this point, no matter how great they are.

But then, what’s this? Your cabinetry has been installed and, while not usable, you’re starting to see that initial vision you had all that time ago. The beautiful tile you and your designer chose is getting installed; floors are being refinished; walls are being painted; fixtures are being installed, too! And–are those functional decorative light fixtures?!

The end is definitely in sight now as trade partners start putting the final touches on their respective specialties. The final inspection has been scheduled, and while slightly stressful, by this point, you can rest easy knowing that your contractor (*cough cough* Red House Design Build) has done its due diligence to ensure the inspection will pass. Once that’s done, it’s easy sailing as you move about your nearly-finished space, building out the final punch list to ensure everything is picture-perfect. You’ve made it! What a ride it was, but you’ve actually made it.

The remodeling emotional rollercoaster isn’t a thing Red House has made up–design-build companies are familiar with this ride. It’s a journey filled with highs and lows, twists and turns. But, by setting realistic expectations, communicating effectively, and staying focused on the end goal, you can navigate the ups and downs of the process with grace and come out on the other side with a beautiful new space to enjoy for years to come. So before you buckle up and enjoy (or try to enjoy) the ride, remember these few tips to make it at least a little smoother:

Set Realistic Expectations

Understand that remodeling projects rarely go exactly according to plan. Be prepared for setbacks and delays, and try to maintain a flexible attitude.

Communicate Effectively

Clear and open communication with your contractor and anyone else involved in the project is key to avoiding misunderstandings and resolving issues quickly.

Focus on the Big Picture

When faced with challenges, remind yourself of the ultimate goal and the positive impact the finished project will have on your home and your life.

Celebrate Milestones

Take time to celebrate each milestone reached along the way, no matter how small. Acknowledging your progress and staying motivated is important.