Every year, homeowners start thinking about the same thing around the holidays.
People are coming over.
Family is staying for a few days.
The kitchen is going to get used harder than normal.
That bathroom you have been meaning to fix is suddenly going to have guests walking through it.
And all those little things around the house that you barely notice during the year become a lot more obvious when you know people are coming over.
If you are thinking about remodeling or getting some work done before Thanksgiving or Christmas, September is the time to start planning it.
Not the week before everybody arrives.
Holiday Projects Take More Time Than the Work Itself
A lot of homeowners think about a remodel in terms of how many days the actual construction should take.
That is only part of it.
Before work starts, you may need to:
- Decide exactly what you want changed
- Choose materials
- Order fixtures or flooring
- Wait for products to arrive
- Coordinate the different parts of the job
- Make room for anything unexpected once work begins
Even a fairly straightforward project can take longer from the first conversation to the finished room than the actual construction time would suggest.
That is why I would rather start talking about a holiday project early.
It gives us room to plan it correctly instead of trying to force everything into a deadline.
The Kitchen Usually Gets Attention First
The kitchen becomes the center of the house during the holidays.
People are cooking.
People are standing around talking.
Food is everywhere.
Counters get used constantly.
Cabinets and drawers get opened all day.
If there is something about your kitchen that has been bothering you all year, the holidays have a way of making it impossible to ignore.
That does not mean you need to tear the whole kitchen apart.
Sometimes the right project is smaller.
New flooring.
Trim repairs.
Drywall and paint.
Replacing damaged cabinets or hardware.
Improving part of the layout.
Updating fixtures.
Fixing the things that have been worn out or unfinished for years.
A remodel should fit the problem.
Guest Bathrooms Matter More Than People Think
A bathroom you use every day becomes normal to you.
Guests notice it differently.
Loose trim.
Old caulk.
Damaged flooring.
A door that does not shut correctly.
Drywall damage.
Outdated fixtures.
Small problems around a bathroom can make the whole room feel worn even when everything still technically works.
Bathrooms are also one of those places where a small visible issue can sometimes point to a bigger problem.
If there is soft flooring, water damage, recurring stains, or damaged material around a tub or sink, I want to know why before covering it up.
Getting that handled before the holidays gives you a better-looking room and one less thing to worry about when people are staying at the house.
Flooring Changes a Room Fast
Flooring takes up a huge amount of what you see when you walk into a room.
If it is damaged, worn, separating, stained, or just past its useful life, replacing or repairing it can make the entire house feel different.
This is especially true in:
- Living rooms
- Kitchens
- Entryways
- Hallways
- Guest rooms
Flooring projects also need some planning.
Materials have to be selected.
The condition underneath the existing floor matters.
Trim may need to come off and go back on.
Doors sometimes need adjustment afterward.
Those details are easier to deal with when the project is not being rushed against a holiday deadline.
Do Not Forget the Small Stuff
Not every holiday project is a remodel.
Sometimes the house just needs a good repair list.
You may have:
- A sticking interior door
- Damaged baseboard
- A hole in the drywall
- Loose trim
- A broken cabinet hinge
- Flooring that needs repair
- A railing that moves
- Caulk that needs replacing
- A fixture you have been meaning to change
None of those things individually may feel important enough to schedule.
Together, they can make a big difference in how finished the home feels.
If you already know you have several small repairs around the house, make a list.
That is much easier than remembering them one at a time after somebody has already started working.
September Gives You Options
The biggest advantage to planning now is flexibility.
There is still time to make decisions.
There is still time to change a material if something is unavailable.
There is still time to find another solution if we open something up and discover more work underneath.
There is still time to finish the project without somebody trying to paint trim while your family is walking through the front door with Thanksgiving dinner.
That is the part homeowners sometimes underestimate.
Construction goes better when there is room to solve problems correctly.
I Would Rather Tell You What Is Realistic
If you call me with a project, I am not going to tell you everything can be finished by the holidays just because that is what you want to hear.
The scope matters.
The materials matter.
What we find once work starts matters.
Some projects are realistic.
Some need to be broken into phases.
Some should wait until after the holidays rather than getting rushed.
After 27 years of handyman and remodeling work, I would rather give you a realistic plan than promise a deadline that does not make sense.
Start Before Everybody Else Does
If you already know you want work done before Thanksgiving or Christmas, now is the time to start talking about it.
Walk through the house.
Make a list.
Figure out which rooms matter most.
Decide what absolutely needs to be finished before guests arrive and what can wait.
Then we can look at the project and figure out what makes sense.
If you are planning a holiday remodel or have repairs you want handled before family starts showing up, contact Confidence Remodel in Puyallup, South Hill, or the surrounding area and let's get a plan together.