Surviving a Room
Addition
No one likes to
think about having to "survive" anything, and certainly not a
remodeling project. But in our experience 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 customers
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 the entire family 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 also advise
homeowners to prepare their 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. Let your neighbors
know what's coming, the time frame for completion, and our daily
start and stop times. It might also be a nice gesture to allow them
to use the dumpsters that we'll have on site for demolition and
construction waste, and to invite them to an open house when the
project is done to show off your new space.
Among all of the
room addition stress coping mechanisms, communication is
king. 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.
Warm
regards,
 
John Todd
Elite
Remodeling
Showroom & Design Center
2930 Preston
Road, Suite 980
Frisco, Texas, 75252
(972) 334-9800 -
phone
(972) 334-9890 - fax
jtodd@elitehomeremodeling.com
www.elitehomeremodeling.com
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