On more then one occasion, I have received an email, a text, or a phone call from someone asking me to give them feedback on a space they remodeled themselves. It usually goes something like “Hey, come look at this space we did by ourselves.” Ya know, like, “Hey here is some business you didn’t get that we want you to come look at.” Let me tell you, these are usually some of the hardest moments for me to keep my mouth shut. Like your mom always says, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” In some situations, I just call it “positive feedback”. In this blog, I’m not talking about you DIYers that like to paint their walls in some funky striped pattern or make some cool floating shelves for their bathroom. I’m talking about those DIYers you see posting their before and after pictures on Instagram that will make you cringe. For example, I may be thinking, “Are you sure that drawer will open next to your range?”
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE working with DIYers (honestly, no sarcasm there). Some designers reading this right now probably think I’ve lost my mind. Typically, your normal DIYer has a LOT of pinterest inspiration in their life but may not necessarily realize their pinterest inspired photo will cost them $100k. Nevertheless, they typically come up with or are extremely open to some super creative and unique things in their spaces. I find, more often than not, that DIYers have excellent ideas that are very creative but also know their limitations. They realize that they may not be able to execute and bring to life their full vision. And typically, 9 times out of 10, if you just educate them on the actual cost of their Pinterest photos then they have the correct expectations and understanding and they become the perfect clients.
Just some positive feedback for those of you out there that think you are fully capable of executing the $100k pinterest inspired picture in your kitchen: When it comes to changing the layout of your room, relocating any plumbing or electrical, re-tiling floors or a shower, or you are just gutting a space … You should ALWAYS have a designer or a experienced contractor/architect involved (in the beginning, before you tear anything out). There really is so much value in hiring an experienced professional to help guide you or manage your project. It needs to be someone that you trust, that perhaps has worked with someone else that you know, and someone that has plenty of experience working on areas and things in which you are interested in remodeling.
Remodeling projects have so many variables. SOOO many things that can go terribly wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, just because you hire a contractor doesn’t always mean that he is good at what he does. It doesn’t mean that he has any idea of what he is talking about (no offense - but it’s the truth, I’ve seen it first hand). These are perfect examples of times in which you can really get yourself into some seriously hairy situations.
I have seen so many people with a project that has turned from a 4 week project to a 6 or 9 MONTH project. Those are NOT the people you want to be working with. Now, occasionally, you will run into road blocks that do hold up projects (and that’s another blog post). Be sure to ask questions and look for feedback from other people that have worked with your contractor or designer in the past. Don’t assume that this person is doing everything with your best interest in mind. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves. I am always extremely careful as to whom I work with on my remodel projects and that they always have my client’s best interest in mind and not necessarily their own.
Basically, all I’m saying is, be sure to hire a professional. It is worth your money. At least to have them come in and take a look around and give you some ideas. It may just help you realize that this project is a little to large for you to take on by yourself. Don’t get in too far over your head. It’ll end up costing you a lot more in the end and possibility jeopardizing whether or not you are able to resell your home.
If you are planning a remodel and you want to do it all yourself, know this: you’re going to spend a lot of money & even more time doing it alone. It may not look the way you want it to in the end - and if you’re anything like me, it won’t be perfect. It will drive you completely insane and you’ll end up hiring a professional eventually to do it - so what was the point of attempting to do it alone?
