Surviving a Room Addition
No one likes to think about having to "survive" anything, and certainly not a remodeling project. But in our experience as professional remodeling contractors, we've come to learn and advise our homeowner clients of the fact that there will be ups and downs with every project. It's our job as your contractor to minimize the instances where you and your family are feeling stressed by the process and to flatten out those inevitable emotional peaks and valleys.
The chances that your stress level will increase is even more common with room additions, simply because they are often the most complex and time-consuming -- and thus intrusive -- types of remodeling projects to undertake.
Consider, for example, the impact of removing your entire roof to accommodate a second-story addition, or displacing your kitchen to add an adjacent family room. Your day-to-day life can be impacted for several weeks, depending on the scope of the addition and related remodeling work, which predictably leads to stress. That doesn't mean, however, that the payoff isn't worth it ... especially if we work together to manage your project and your stress.
To help our homeowners cope, we take time to go over the entire scope of the project before we even sign a contract. We work with our clients throughout the project to identify and rectify "pinch points" that might cause undue anxiety. We'll find out how we can be as unobtrusive as possible. We'll find out the best time to start in the morning and explain how we'll control dust and muddy boot prints from getting past the construction zone. We work hard to accommodate the sensitivities of our clients and reduce the amount of intrusion -- and related stress -- they feel.
We find it useful to sit down with all members of the household to discuss the project, address any potential impact, and map out responsibilities and concerns. It also helps to plan contingencies, such as temporary cooking or sleeping areas, and make those spaces as comfortable and "normal" as possible. The goal is to create a partnership -- between our company and family members -- so that everyone feels connected to the project and excited and committed to the ultimate goal.
Another stress mitigator is to simply know that there will be a dip in your enthusiasm at some point in the process. Typically, when the project starts, everyone is excited. Early stages of construction tend to move quickly, fueling that anticipation. But as the intrusion of the project becomes a daily routine, interest starts to wane for a while. Then, it picks up again as completion is within clear sight. Just knowing that a dip may occur can help ease the situation.
We send out letters (if the job is more than a few weeks) to prepare our clients' neighbors. A room addition project often requires several tradespeople, as well as our crew members, which can crowd a cul-de-sac or street with vehicles. Our neighborhood letter also allows us to introduce ourselves and give contact numbers by which the neighbors can reach the projrct manager in the case of a question or a concern. For large projects, something we enjoy doing for our clients is organizing an open house for their neighbors and friends to show off their new space.
Among all of the room addition stress coping mechanisms, communication is king. As your remodeling contractor, we will set up regular meetings throughout the project to discuss progress, make decisions or selections, and address any concerns. It is incumbent on both of us to keep those lines of communication open, honest, and respectful. If there's a problem that crops up between scheduled meetings, we can usually tackle it together right away, keeping everyone's stress level in check ... and you and your family out of "survival" mode.
