Pick Two

by Shannon Levy

When it comes to home renovation, there’s an important adage that comes into play: pick any two.

As my husband and I were trying to figure out whether or not to move forward with a kitchen renovation under a tight timeline and a tight budget - while also taking care of a one year old - our contractor tried to help us decide what to do:

“You are given the options of fast, good, and cheap. You can pick two. What is important to you?”

Wait...we can’t have it all?

Nope. Home renovations can be costly, time-consuming, and frustrating. But when you choose your priorities wisely, you can make the process much smoother and ensure that the most important things to you are taken care of. In our case, we decided to focus on good and cheap (although I prefer to use the word “affordable”). We knew we couldn’t focus on fast and cheap and also get good, which is why we decided it was worth it to go through a slower process so we could be happier with the results without having to spend a fortune.

Before the reno...

While our renovation was happening, we had to sleep in a studio apartment and pave a path to the bathroom to clean baby bottles because we didn’t have a working kitchen. We also had a backup plan of staying with family when things really got tough.

In the end, it was worth it! Our floors turned out beautifully and we learned our strength as a family through the process. You’d be surprised how creative you can get when you don’t have a functional kitchen or other important rooms of the home...

Success!

So what’s your home renovation priority? If you’re short on time but doing well on budget, then fast and good could be the combo for you. If you’re a bit better on time but need to keep the budget tight, then you may want to choose good and cheap like we did. (I don’t recommend sacrificing the good part of the equation for any home renovation).

At the end of the day, it’s all about understanding your priorities, being open to compromise, and then having a backup plan for the compromise you make. When you end up with a space you can love for years to come, it will all be worth it!