I’m hoping everyone who reads this has watched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at least once, otherwise the metaphor I’m about to make may not make sense. I’m going to continue on with that assumption, so anyone who hasn’t watched the show… I apologize in advance.
When you get into the selections and design processes of a remodel, there are a lot of questions to be answered. Will you be changing the layout? Are any existing walls to be removed? Do you know if these walls are load bearing? What paint colors have you chosen for the trim, walls, cabinetry, and ceiling? Are you feeling overwhelmed yet?
Luckily, you don’t have to go it alone – you can use one of your lifelines and phone a friend.
In remodeling, the friends I’m talking about are usually structural engineers, architects, and designers. They’ll be able to help you design a fresh new layout, determine if removal of walls is possible and safe, and even tell you that the colors that you’ve picked are absolutely horrendous and that they’re glad that you called them for help (can you tell which one is the designer?). Phoning a friend takes some of the stress off of your shoulders and places it onto the shoulders of people who do this for a living. They live for cabinetry designs. They thrive off of pier tables. They find a special joy in matching backsplash tile to countertops. And they are about to become your best friends.
Don’t know where to find one of these lifesaving friends? More than likely, your contractor has worked with them before and can recommend someone for you to collaborate with.
Lesson four: If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all of the crucial decisions that need to be made in your renovation, it’s is more than okay – if not recommended – to take a step back, phone a friend, and ask for some help.
Continue to Part 6: Apples Versus Oranges
