Turn And Face the Change Order

Turn And Face the Change Order

Life is all about change. Change is good. It lets us grow and innovate. It spurs us to convert that tiny guest bedroom into a luxurious master bath. A desire for change is what starts any renovation project. So, why does it come as any surprise when we want to make changes partway through?

There is nothing scary or wrong about a change order. Change orders are, in fact, a totally ordinary part of a renovation. As much as some of us like to plan ahead for every possible contingency, plans change. Sometimes your original ideas just don’t work. Sometimes you don’t like the way they do. Construction is a fluid process. Ideas occur and designs evolve as a renovation unfolds. It may be that you have a great epiphany about where that kitchen island should go after only after you see it’s planned placement. You may decide you don’t need a kitchen island at all, and you’d rather use that vintage marble slab on a new bar in the living room. You may even decide you’d like to use a different carpenter to build that bar. Nothing is carved in stone, and even if it is, it can be changed.

Any contractor worth her salt knows that nothing is permanent. Talk to your contractor and be honest about what you want. She will work with you to re-estimate. She may even have some ideas about how to expedite the process.

Trust your instincts. Too many people are afraid of deviating from their original plans because they think changing them will be too expensive or complicated. People are afraid of angering their contractors or offending a craftsperson. Making the change is ultimately your decision, not theirs. It’s your home and at the end of the day, you’re the one living with it.

In all cases, changes in process are neither as hard nor as expensive as making them sometime down the road. Changing a plan is cheaper than therapy and nowhere near as complicated as living with a renovation you don’t love.