When There's a Delay in the Renovation Timeline
When I am asked by my clients to manage the renovation for them, I create a construction calendar to ensure a renovation timeline is set and shared with all trades as well as my clients. Last week, I posted a live Facebook video about a renovation curveball that was thrown my way.
Renovation Timeline
A Little Background Information
As each renovation is different and unique in their own way, I will strictly talk about a specific renovation timeline for a home that I am working on. The project I am going to talk about is a project I've called 'Rustic Dreams'. There's a couple of reasons I've called this project Rustic Dreams:
- The design for this main floor and upstairs renovation has a very rustic theme.
- For my clients, this is their forever home. It is their dream to change it to make it their own!
How a Renovation Timeline is Created
For this specific home, since the kitchen is being redesigned, we are using brand new cabinets. Since cabinets are being ordered and delivered, I do some backwards planning from the time the cabinets are delivered, and then I do some forward planning from when the cabinets are installed. There is work to be done prior to the cabinet install and there is work to be done after the install.
When $hit happens to the Renovation Timeline
When I created the renovation timeline for Rustic Dreams, I worked around the date given to me regarding the kitchen cabinet delivery and install. I made it very clear to my clients that the items that they were to look after (the demo work they were going to do prior to cabinet delivery) be done within the timeframe that I set out. My clients were so keen on getting started, they started a week before the renovation timeline actually started. My clients were honest about being nervous about the kitchen cabinets. Although we set extra days aside for the cabinets to arrive (just in case), my clients were still nervous about messing up the calendar.Early last week, I got the dreaded call from my client that the kitchen cabinets were going be delayed. As disappointed as I was, that was nothing compared to how my clients were feeling. They of course, felt terrible as all of the trades that were booked (almost 1.5 months ago) needed to be called and rearranged. As it turned out, my clients were responsible for wrecking my renovation timeline.
Take Action
I'll be honest, when I hung up the phone with my client, I may have said one or two not-so-nice words to get it out of my system. After that, it was time to take action. I looked at the renovation timeline that I had originally created, bumped back the trades to accommodate the new kitchen cabinet delivery and install dates, and then started to call, email and text each one.
When I was talking with each trade, I told them the issue: the kitchen cabinets are delayed. Although I had already penciled in when I would like the trades to come in, I respectively asked each one if the date I had moved them to would work. For some of the trades, the change worked out just fine and they were extremely accommodating. For others, the change was not going to work. For each of my awesome trades that the dates did not work, they presented me with an option with other dates and times. They wanted to do what they could to still carry out their work AND work in a timely way to help out this family. Some of my awesome trades will be working over the weekend (and one trade will be working over the May long weekend) to get this project complete. How great is that!
What Perspective Will You Take?
After the updated calendar went out, I was talking on the phone with my client to make sure things were all set with the new calendar. As some of you may know, I always try to be a 'half-glass-full' person. 
Renovations are typically stressful and with this situation, my clients felt just horrible about the delay. Here is what I told my clients. We can't change the fact that the cabinets are delayed, the trades have all been extremely accommodating and are all re-booked, so let's move on. There is no point in holding our heads down, there is no point kicking ourselves repeatedly in the ass. What I did said to my clients is:
"One day closer to the dream."
During a renovation, sometimes shit happens that is totally beyond our control. While you can kick and swear to the cows come home, how far will that get you to the end goal? I mentioned that I may have said a couple of not-so-nice words. Yes- you bet! I laid out the 'F' bomb in the privacy of my office. After I got that off my chest, it wast time to re-group and get things back on track. If you have gone through a renovation and your timeline was extended, what perspective did you take?
Not sure where to start with the planning of your upcoming renovation? Contact me today to discuss your upcoming project.
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