Dreams are a funny thing, lately I have been having many design dreams where I am behind schedule and can’t get things to come together. I usually have those dreams about travelling and not getting anywhere but recently there have been missed deadlines, drywall collapsing on move in day and piles and piles of packaging and decorative items that I can’t seem to get through.
One dream had me unpackaging items only to turn around to an even bigger mound of stuff; it seemed no matter how fast I unwrapped, the pile kept growing.
I woke up SO frustrated!
There comes a point in every renovation, in every house build and even in most real estate transactions where we arrive at what I like to call ‘the tipping point’.
That point where you are ready to cash it all in, move, burn it down, relocate and live in your RV rather than go through one more minute of hell or mess or inconvenience.
Even though your goal may be in sight, your body and brain have had enough, and we come up against a road block so tall that we feel that we cannot reach its summit and our protective nature goes into overdrive trying to shield us from the ugliness ahead.
The most common reason this tipping point happens is that so many people have their nose up against the glass when it comes to their property.
When you are there and watching every minute of the day, you will see the good, the bad, the messy and sometimes it can be too much for you to process. I do understand that you want to check in with your contractor and to make sure things are going according to plan but if you are too close and watching every nail being driven it can take some of the magic away from the entire process, and it will overwhelm you at some point.
My mom was famous for being deeply involved with her building projects.
She would go every day to the job site and vacuum out between the wall studs to make sure there was no sawdust laying around. Where most people would go and observe and possibly clean after a trade had been or before drywall was installed, my dear mom was there constantly looking for a small chip or particle of dust that may get trapped in her walls.
I remember some of the contractors shaking their heads at her meticulous inspection of her home, but they soon learned that to work on her jobsite was to be scrutinized!
I feel that this microscopic inspection of her home build distracted her from some of the other beautiful things which were going on in the build and there would have probably been less on-site conflicts as some things that we feel are a problem often get resolved as the process continues.
If you have hired a contractor that you trust, breathe and have a second coffee before you race over to see how the build or renovation is coming along. You will enjoy seeing larger portions of progress and will give yourself time in between inspections to relax and envision your beautiful, completed space.
Kim Wyse is a Central Alberta freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Ask a Realtor/Ask a Designer’.
