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Writer's pictureAndrew Gibbs

The emotional impact of a home renovation

After completing my Carpentry apprenticeship when I was only 23 years old, I

found a General Contractor who had a good first project for me. It was a Mother in-law addition to a house above Lake Union in Seattle, Washington

When a young Carpenter gets their first project there are so many things that go into making every aspect of the project successful. Understanding the plans, getting the materials ordered correctly, making sure the order of operations is succinct so that the sub contractors can complete their work as scheduled. Those are just a few of numerous components that go into project planning. The GC I worked for wanted me to also focus on the most important aspect of the project, minimizing the impact throughout the project this addition would have on the family that was living in the adjoining house

This addition not only signified a major financial investment for the family, but also a major shift in how they were going to all live in their new home. The Mother in Law was literally going to be moving into this new unit so that they could provide care for her during her senior years. Home renovation is very stressful for a multitude of factors. Not only does the work cause a major shift in your day to day routine, you have to also be open to having strangers coming into your home. Even if the client does not vocalize it, everyone has a set of expectations as to how people should behave themselves while in their home. Construction tests all of the apprehensions one has about having a renovation in their home. Tradesmen can be asked to be polite, punctual, and professional, but one thing can always be guaranteed during any renovation, cleanliness can be one of the largest challenges.

It has been stated many times before in project managment that having a clean and organized job site is paramount to having a successful outcome of a project. It needs to be a crucial tenant in an ongoing project. Yet, when I was young and up and coming Carpenter, I was taught to take it further. The General Contractor wanted me to implement systems to reduce the impact of workers, noise, dust and debris in place before any phase of work was to begin. I was assured the extra time that was taken in planning and implementation of these redundant systems would have a long term benefit. The GC had a story he shared with me that he always wanted me to come back to when I was planning and implementing my redundant systems. It was

" A home remodel or renovation can have an emotional impact equivalent to loosing someone you love. The client will probably go through the 5 stages of grief throughout the project. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then acceptance. Be professional and assist them through this journey, do the best you can, and be on the right side of their acceptance of the project at the completion. This is how you grow a successful contracting business."

This professional ethic, that was instilled in me at a young age, has guided me professionally for years. Being in a client's home is a privilege, and needs to be respected as such. Its amazing how some plastic, canvas, vacuums and debris removal can be one of the easiest ways to earn a clients trust and help make a project successful. There are so many things that go into making our project together a success, just know that throughout I will make sure that things are done correctly and with a level of professionalism. And most importantly, I will make sure our impact on your home and environment is respected and most importantly remain clean.



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