As a new year approaches on the horizon, I want to make one thing very clear: If you want to renovate or remodel your home, you need to start planning now. As an interior designer, it’s my job to be completely transparent with homeowners. The Jackie Barnes Design team doesn’t just wave a wand and make a project complete; it takes a lot of time and patience to help craft the beautiful spaces we make together.

I’ll make this blog as to-the-point as possible, because I want you to have this information on hand in case you are planning to start a home renovation or remodel soon. No time to waste!

To break it down to a bulleted list…

• Home renovation projects don’t happen overnight. The key to a smooth and efficient transformation process is good planning.

• Yes, COVID changed a lot, even in the home renovation industry.

• Our Timeline and Budget Guide is your #1 source of a professional’s insider scoop on how to approach your next project. Use it!

Home Renovations are Slow, Complicated Processes

There, I said it. Home renovations are slow – sometimes painful – and definitely complicated processes.

But it’s my job to be a part of them, because I love the process! Mostly, I love the result. But life’s all about the journey, right? So, I find joy in the juggling of contractors and shipments because it means we’re getting somewhere.

Progress is progress, no matter how slow.

Let’s get real honest. If you start preparing for your future project in – let’s say – January, then you should plan for at least three months to nail down materials and order them.

Then, you can expect to wait another three to four months to receive those materials due to shipping times and delays, among other everyday complications (more on this later).

So, realistically, you’re looking at actually starting construction on your home renovation six to eight months after deciding you even wanted to do it in the first place. Whew… That’s a lot of time, and not a lot of action. This is where many homeowners get restless.

You can thank COVID for a lot of this waiting and exercising patience. Where projects used to take three to four months to complete, they are now taking about a year. Like I said, more on exactly why later…

Here’s the point:

If you want to complete a home renovation project within the next two years, don’t wait! Start planning now. Also, as your friend, please don’t feel totally deterred by this information. Home renovation projects will always be lengthy processes, and COVID shouldn’t stop you from moving forward with your dream space.

All good things are worth the wait, right?

Despite delays and hiccups due to the pandemic, I’ve successfully completed plenty of projects this year. It can be done. You just need to know your stuff before you start.

It’s COVID’s World, and We’re Just Living in It

OK, OK… That’s a pretty bleak way to look at it. But COVID changed a lot for the home renovation industry, and I’m here to tell you why.

COVID encouraged many homeowners to reevaluate their living spaces and commit to rebuilding and recreating something better. When this was happening, I thought, This is exciting! Finally, more people are seeing the importance of a home that fits them like a glove.

But there’s always another shoe to drop, it seems, with the pandemic.

Manufacturing and shipping times (for all kinds of products and industries) slowed significantly during the pandemic, and it really hasn’t recovered. Some people believe this is due to a loss of workers in these manufacturing and processing facilities due to COVID.

Truthfully, I don’t think we’ll know the full scope of COVID’s effect on manufacturing processes for many years from now. Here are some great materials for your own research:

• COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Delivery Rate for Building Materials

• Home Improvement Interrupted: Labor and Material Shortages Stall Home Renovations in Pandemic Era

• How the COVID-19 Pandemic May Affect Your Home Remodel

The pandemic also contributed to the rise in costs in several areas of our lives, including construction costs. Materials are simply more expensive now as they increase in demand across the world.

Keep shipping times in mind when planning out your project, and remember that we are living in a COVID world (is this thing over yet…?). Normal turnaround times for shipping materials are wrecked, and bogged down contractors may be hard to get on the calendar for your project.

Again, don’t let this scare you from starting your project. Let this be the nudge you need to jump on it now and get it done! You could wait out this new renovation timeline we now find ourselves in, or you could wait for the pandemic to end and for the world to get back to “normal.”

In my professional opinion, this is the new normal. You can keep looking for the “right” time to get started, but you’ll never really find it. There will always be reasons not to start your home renovation.

With a carefully laid out plan and maybe the help of a professional, you can craft your dream home even amidst the changes of the world.

While this issue has definitely evolved since earlier this year, here is our blog, 3 Reasons Why It’s Taking So Long to Get Your New Furniture, which details how the 2021 Texas freeze had a hand in slowing down shipping on your new furniture.

An Interior Designer’s Trade Secrets All in One Place

That’s right. I’m talking about the Timeline and Budget Guide.

The Timeline and Budget Guide is a FREE tool I took the time to thoughtfully build for homeowners. I’m not a fan of gatekeeping knowledge we all should have in our toolboxes.

There are a lot of tiny details that need to get nailed down before starting your renovation. And even when you think you’ve thought of everything… You haven’t.

In the guide, you’ll find a thorough breakdown of how to budget your project before starting as well as how to craft a timeline for the process. This guide is an interactive tool that will help you better understand what you want to accomplish, how much it might cost you, and how long it might take.

It’s important to keep in mind that unexpected obstacles and setbacks happen all the time in this industry. The Timeline and Budget Guide is not written in stone; plans are subject to change and evolve. However, I consider this a tool for showing homeowners just how many details need to be considered every step of the way.

The best part:

If you get stuck or want a professional eye on your filled-out guide, you can schedule a FREE 15-minute Discovery Call with me to talk about your questions and expectations. I’ll let you know the best next steps to take in your planning process.

Wow… Can you believe all of this free stuff I’m giving you? Just call me Oprah, I guess!

Be sure to sign up below for your Timeline and Budget Guide. In the meantime, I hope you close this year out in joy and positivity.

Here’s to next year and all of the amazing work we’ll do together!

Bottom line, it is quite possible to plan a home renovation during a pandemic and there is no reason not to do so.

We don’t know when COVID will let up, and when it does it will have certainly left an indelible mark on our culture. We have a greater appreciation for our surroundings and it is crucial that we keep them in tip top shape if we want to be happy within those spaces.

There is no better time than the present to get started on making your home a place you are proud of and comfortable in, a place that improves your wellbeing.