If you’re taking a serious look at remodeling your home, you’re facing a major decision. You may be wondering if you are doing the right thing. And you may be wondering if you’re doing it for the right reasons. There are legitimate reasons to build or remodel. Let’s look at one of the most common reasons clients tell us they want to remodel.
Feeling self-conscious about your home.
You want your home to be a place where you’re secure, comfortable, happy, and relaxed. This is the place where you’re supposed to feel . . . at home! Your house should be a place where you can invite family and friends to come and feel good about it. If your focus is on your house’s shortcomings rather than on your guests, something is out of kilter.
There’s something else you need to take into consideration. It’s easy for us to get a bit too familiar with our surroundings. Sometimes we don’t even notice things that others see when they walk into our home. Our senses get dulled and we overlook things that would have been obvious to us when the house was new. If there are things you see that embarrass you about your house you can bet that someone else sees them, too—and maybe sees some things you don’t.
You can tackle this problem by making a covenant with a good friend or relative. Maybe your agreement will sound something like this: “If you notice something that looks shabby or worn out in my house, or if you see something that makes you feel uncomfortable, you have to agree to tell me. I’ll do the same thing if I notice something when I come into your house.”
This is not about having the most expensive or most extravagant house. It’s not a contest. But if there are things about your current house that are putting your focus on the house—rather than on the people—you might want to take a closer look at remodeling.
What are other legitimate reasons for remodeling that come to mind?