Don’t pull up that shag carpet just yet—read Nina Sachse‘s pro tips for a stress-free renovation before embarking on your home remodel project.

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Take it from me, undergoing a massive home renovation project is no easy task. There are a thousand big and small decisions to be made, from plumbing fixtures to paint colors, tile selections and countertops.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through my own personal home reno process, it’s this: Selecting a solid team to help you make the right decisions will make all the difference in the world (both for your sanity and success). Collaborating—or even offloading some of the smaller decisions to a highly-skilled team—can help so you don’t feel buried under the weight of it all, and even make the process fun. After all, you’re building your dream home, right!?

Here are my other top tips for a smooth and stress-free home renovation:

7 Home Renovation Tips to Help Minimize Stress 

• Take your time picking out countertops. I spent hours daydreaming at different stone showrooms in the city. If you need recommendations, call me! I know them all.
• Start a Pinterest board to share with your architect and designer. I started pinning some inspiration a few months before Deck and I began our renovations, and I’m so glad I did. These ideas have helped guide our conversations and kept everyone on the same page throughout the design process. 
• Divide & conquer with your spouse or partner. If you’re building with your spouse, it’s important to discuss which roles each of you want to take in the process. My husband Deck was in charge of the budget, and I was in charge of the design aspect of our home. We definitely collaborated with each other on things, but by siloing out certain areas we were able to streamline the entire process.
• It’s ok to not know exactly what you want. This is why you hire professionals who can help steer you in the right direction and help you make the best possible decisions to make your #dreamhome. 
• Make sure your architect, contractor, and designer will be your therapist as well. JK…but not really! Establishing a good relationship with your architect, builder, contractor, designer and everyone on the team is crucial for maintaining your sanity. Things won’t always go according to plan, but they’ll be able to talk you through the process and be your sounding board for when things are inevitably hard. 

• Start early on bathroom designs. I thought our bathroom designs would only take two weeks to finalize. When it was all said and done, it actually took us a few months! Who knew there are SO many things to think about in a washroom?!
• Have fun with your project! Enjoy each stage of the process. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a drawing come to life. At the end of the day, you are making a house your home. This is where you will make new memories for you and your family, and that’s what makes it even more special.
• Bonus tip: Lean into rental life. For a big remodel or new build, moving into a rental will no doubt be lots of work, but will be so worth it for your family and will ultimately help minimize the chaos. Plus, moving is a great opportunity to declutter. For our move, we even went as far as bringing and hanging all of our light fixtures and art from the original house, and unpack most of our stuff so that our rental would feel like home.

Of course, if you need assistance figuring out where to start with your home updates, we’re happy to offer our 40+ years of experience and advice.  Whether you’re looking to sell your home soon or make upgrades to live with for years to come, we can help you decide on renovations that will add value to your home. Give us a call today.

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We grew up here. We live here. We’ve been buying and selling real estate in the area for two generations, immersed in the ebbs and flows of the local neighborhood markets. Deep ties to the community keep us in the know. It’s not just a slogan… WE KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.