How to survive the renovation and not go crazy: 11 tips from Lifehacker readers

«Let me know” is a rubric for the stories of our readers. Every week we launch a survey and look forward to your comments. The most interesting of them end up in articles and collections.

Last week, a reader reached out to us with a request to share some home renovation hacks. We organized a discussion and got a lot of useful tips - we publish the best ones.

Be patient. The overhaul lasts six months for me, and I almost went crazy. At the same time, he did not save on attracting specialists! But at every stage, I still have a lot of problems. Once again, be patient.

Order a design project. Repair is a lot of decisions. The design project will allow you to make them in advance, and not at the height of the process, when the foreman stands over your soul and demands to immediately tell you how to lay the tiles, where to hang the mirror, and so on.

I have done repairs three times in my life, and only the last time we ordered a design project. The specialist was in another city. Therefore, an assistant came instead of her, took measurements and a photo, and we discussed the details already in correspondence. As a result, we received a multi-page document, where, in addition to technical diagrams and drawings, there were detailed 3D visualizations of the intended result.

This allowed us to plan the location of sockets and taps in advance, select finishing materials and estimate the amount of upcoming expenses. But most importantly, we had a complete picture of the interior of the apartment after the renovation.

Agree with the second half that the repair will not cause a divorce. And I know such cases! My wife and I immediately established that we would respect each other's decisions regarding the future of the interior. Eventually repair got long and complicated. The pandemic happened and we faced a lot of surprises. But our agreement helped to get through all the difficulties.

Plan your budget and time ahead. When you calculate how much money and man-hours you will need to implement your ideas, you will need to multiply these results by 1.3. Better yet, 1.5.

Few understand, but, for example, replacing wallpaper is not the same as “tearing off the old ones and sticking new ones on.” In between, you will need to finally clean, putty or level the walls and prime the base - and the primer or paint should dry for 1-2 days!

Take out your things and move out of the apartment, if there is such a possibility. We, for example, during the overhaul of the kitchen rented a house during two months. Believe me, your morale will be much better if in the evening you do not have to return home to the world of paint and construction dust.

In addition, the process will go much faster if you or your children do not interfere with the workers to conduct electrics, putty walls and glue wallpaper.

If you are remodeling your bathroom, consider where you will shower. Initially, we planned to live in a rented apartment throughout the renovation. But it took longer than planned and we didn't have time to finish the bathroom. We had to look for a place where we could wash. The child was happy to go to sleepovers with friends a couple of times a week. And my husband and I used the shower in the gym.

Buy building materials with a margin. Firstly, their mountain will not allow stretching out the “pleasure” and doing repairs forever. Secondly, it will save you from unnecessary trips to the store.

For example, initially it seemed to me that I had thought of everything. But no matter how. Due to the joining of the wallpaper, several meters of material were lost. I had to buy him. But there was no exactly the same party, so one part of the wall is a slightly different shade. Also I forgot about ceiling plinths — I had to purchase and install them later. The spatulas were uncomfortable, they also had to be changed.

The experience was not bitter, but rather useful. If you first decide on all the repair items and purchase all the materials in advance, this reduces the time by several times.

When I did repairs in a private house on my own, work on two children's rooms - from puttying walls to wallpapering - took a total of 10 days. I finished the second one much faster than the first, as I was already fully armed.

Come to the store to view the material before buying it. For example, if you order wallpaper over the Internet, then it will be problematic to change them: get, bring home, see a marriage, open a dispute with a supplier, return, wait for a replacement... Repair all this time will stand on pause.

It is better to buy in construction stores - the quality and assortment of goods can be seen at their point of sale. And in order not to think about how to bring everything home, order delivery.

Remember that sometimes it's better not to save. If you have already taken up the repair, try to do everything with high quality, so that later you do not regret and do not redo it. For example, it is better to pay a little more for good flooring, as it is very difficult and expensive to replace.

Trust the masters. Having gone through two repairs - at my brother's and at my own - I can state this with confidence. A simple rule works here: if you don’t know how, you will ruin it and you will regret it.

As a last resort, refrain from at least some types of work: electrical work, plumbing installation, stretch ceilings and doors. These cases are best left to the experts.

Remember that the repair will end, and the nerves cannot be returned. Therefore, you should not tear your hair on your head if something went wrong. Most of the jambs are fixable.