Quick Tips to Survive a Remodel During the Holidays

It’s not always an ideal situation, but sometimes it happens and your remodel is slated for a construction start in the midst of the holiday season.  Just like any other remodel project, paired with eggnog or not, you’ll likely experience the roller coaster of emotions of being excited all the way down to wanting it all to be over.  The stress of the holidays can definitely exacerbate those feelings, from mild annoyance to outright frustration!!  Here are some tips to help ease those potential jitters of remodeling this holiday season.

1. Discuss Your Holiday Plans with Your Contractor.

It’s an important conversation to have! You may have family coming into town from across the country or an ugly sweater party to host.  Whatever festivities you may have while you embark on your project, go over the details with your contractor as soon as possible so they may work the schedule around you or even pause as needed to better accommodate you and your loved ones. If you have family and friends coming over, always let the contractor know well ahead of time that you will be unavailable on particular days. It may also be a good idea to share with your guests that you’re in the process of remodeling! Make sure to have this discussion early enough to not interfere with the work that may need to be done.

2. Make a REALISTIC Plan for Dealing with Holiday Disruptions.

Work with your contractor to develop a plan and a timetable so that everyone is on the same page about what is feasible (and what is not feasible) to do before the holidays and what will have to wait until the new year. What does this look like? If demo hasn’t yet started and a delay was forecasted on certain materials that would be needed first, perhaps the discussion of holding off to demo until after the new year is the decision. If you’re knee deep into construction, review what items are priority over others and how you might address the construction zone while work is paused.

3. Be Open-Minded and Authentic in Your Communication.

Nobody likes to add more stress to an already stressful situation, so keep the lines of communication open with your contractor- your contractor will appreciate you for this! If something is not working, no need to go into immediate panic mode! Talk openly with your contractor about the options for solutions (because there are always solutions!) and be open to compromise to resolve any issues in the best way possible. You might not like some of the solutions or remedies proposed, but keep in mind a good contractor will always have your best interest at heart!

4. Designate a Place for All Merchandise and Tools to Be Stored and Protected.

The holiday season is stressful enough without the added clutter and mess of an active construction site! While the pause in construction might happen, whether it’s a few days or a few weeks, discuss with your contractor the possibility of reserving a dry and out-of-the-way spot for items to be safely and securely stored. Stress can be better managed if everyone is on the same page knowing what items are stored where. I even recommend taking a Sharpie marker and labeling what item is what for ease of picking up where everyone left off!

5. Be Adaptable and Flexible.

If your project is overlapping with the end-of-the-year holiday season, you must have known to some degree that the conversation of workability and flexibility would be had with your team. Develop a flexible relationship with your contractor and their staff. While everyone has the best intentions, sometimes the inevitable will arise (it always does in every project) that will require the contractor and the homeowner to be flexible in handling them- always with creative, collaborative and “solution-minded” approaches.

Remodeling projects during the holidays can be a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be and it is definitely doable! Remember to take a deep breath (are you breathing?!), prioritize what should be done and keep the communication line open (without yelling at anyone, of course!) and put a halt to any panicking. Taking action on the tips mentioned above will help you (and the people around you!) to enjoy the holiday season!