Home Remodeling "Mental Bloat" is my term for a self-imposed, debilitating condition that prevents you from starting and finishing your remodel projects. It's an escalating endless loop that works something like this:
You decide to refinish your bathtub. Then you think that you might as well replace the whole unit. While you're at it, why not also replace that cheap tile surround? And while the tile is out, why not replace the plumbing running up to the shower?
If only in your mind, a $50 project swells into a $2,000 project before it even begins, killing your desire to even start. Here's how to beat it.
1. It Is Reversible
Whatever you do you can undo. Certainly, some projects such as tile, hardwood flooring, or windows are harder to undo than others, but they can be undone. Will it cost money? Will it take initiative? Yes. But never think that any remodel you do is a permanent thing.
2. You Can Re-Use Materials
If you have to demolish or undo a remodel, many of the materials can be reused. It's not always a matter of trashing all of the materials.
3. Perfection Is Not Possible
You can never achieve perfection with a home remodel. With that in mind, you know that anything you do will be imperfect. The quest for perfection is one of the reasons why many people never get started on their home remodels in the first place.
4. You Have the Option of Change Orders
When you're dealing with contractors, there is such a thing as a "change order." Change orders are intermittent changes requested by the homeowner or contractor that alter the course of the renovation. Even if you are doing remodeling yourself, keep in mind that you can send yourself a mental change order in which you change the course of the remodel so that the goal becomes something completely different than what you initially thought. You never have to stick to your original design.
5. Order of Process Sometimes Doesn't Matter
Should you paint the walls before laying down the floor? Should you lay the floor, then paint the walls, and then replace the windows? In remodeling, it is often hard to determine the sequence of events. In most cases, the sequence is crucial. But in other cases, you should not drive yourself crazy thinking about whether the paint will get on your new floor. There are ways of dealing with a reversed sequence.
