10 Ways to Survive Building or Remodeling Your Home Part 2
6. Yell at someone other than your kids – and not feel guilty.
Honestly, as a modern woman trying to juggle the running of our
homes, possibly a job, and the future Olympic soccer aspirations of
our children, you have the primal need to yell. At someone. Anyone.
Often our spouse and children suffer from this need of ours to
release pent up negative energy generated from nothing more than
some miniature human leaving smelly gym shoes on the kitchen table.
(Ok, that probably deserves a bit of yelling – we eat at this
table!) But when you remodel your house, you have a whole cast of
characters – and believe me, they’re characters – that often deserve
a good scream from time to time. Like when they tell you that they
tore out the fireplace because they didn’t think it looked right. Or
when they show you a mistake made three weeks ago that now requires
half the house to be torn down in order to fix. Yelling isn’t
immature or a result of too much estrogen, it’s therapy.
7. Throw out (finally) your significant other’s treasured [fill in
the blank] from his bachelor days.
You know what I mean. It could be the semi-nude poster he won’t get
rid of. Or his collection of exotic beer cans. Or all of his Sports
Illustrated magazines since the Chicago Bears last won the Superbowl.
Now is the perfect time to get rid of it. If you need to move out of
your house while the remodeling is done, or you are moving to a new
home, such an opportune time may never occur again. Say it won’t fit
in the rental house. It’s either this or his golf clubs. Gently
remind him that the sentimental item really serves as a reminder of
his advancing years. Anything. Get rid of it. It will be one
positive you can remind yourself of when the stress of remodeling
makes you feel that this project was the biggest mistake of your
life.
8. Grow closer to your family through forced bathroom sharing.
The saying goes that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps
that wise pundit had to share a closet sized bathroom with three
kids and a spouse. In reality, there’s no greater way to create
intimacy in a family than by all trying to get ready for the morning
in the same 7’ x 5’ space. You’ll learn new exciting things about
your children – like toilet paper is purely optional for little
boys. You’ll discover that there is no bond quite like the one
created when the entire family brushes their teeth together over the
same sink. You’ll realize why the older generation of your relatives
only washed their hair once a week instead of facing communal
bathroom time. But most importantly, you’ll no longer need to yell
at your kids to hurry up for school – they’re standing right next to
you.
9. Earn free flights from all of your purchases.
In what is admittedly (and somewhat sheepishly) the only practical
survival tip on this list, get an airline mileage credit card.
Charge everything on it – lights, plumbing fixtures, windows, doors,
lumber, carpet. The windows alone can get you close to one free
trip. Whether you decide to share your miles with anyone else in the
family or to escape on your own to a world of quiet solitude and,
preferably, an open bar, is entirely up to you.
10. Hire some good looking contractors and feel like you’re 15 years
old again.
Hey, guys get a whole chain of restaurants and bars where the main
attraction is busty waitresses in tight t-shirts (Hooters). Why
can’t us gals have some eye candy once in a while? Besides, it’s a
productivity tool. You’ll be more likely to inspect the job or meet
the architect if some young, fit, good-looking men are there –
especially in the summer months when shirts tend to become optional.
For example, we once hired a roofing crew of male model wannabees
for a house we built. My husband called them the “Beefcake Roofers.”
They created quite a stir in the neighborhood that summer. Let me
tell you, it made rushing to stop by the house to go over notes with
the trades first thing in the morning a bit more interesting … and
much more fun!
Finally, remember, the end result of your new house will be worth
the aggravation of the process. Plus, think of all the good stories
you can tell!
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters , electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer
a great selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be
found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube