If you’re thinking about remodeling or are about to break ground on your first renovation, odds are you probably know a bit about how the project is going to go. After all, you’ve watched a few TV shows, your cousin’s husband is a general contractor and the guy you sit close to at work tells you every detail of how his wet bar is coming together. 所以你几乎知道所有该知道的，对吧？ 别这么快。

Live Remodel 1： JLB地产发展， Houzz上的原创照片

As much as you may be able to glean from friends and family, articles and TV, there’s no experience quite like personally getting down into the dirt (more on this later) of a remodel. And what you don’t often hear about are the harsh realities of wading through such a detailed, often stressful project.

We’ve written before about how remodeling a home is the ultimate litmus test for your relationship. And that’s why I think understanding a few of the common negative things that happen during remodel is a vital component of being prepared.

I’ve not only braved a few remodels myself, but I’ve worked on the other end as a general contractor, and while I can’t claim I know everything, I do think I have a lot to share. Here are a few things you should know about what it’s 真的 like to live through a renovation.

相关: How to Survive the 'Punch List' Phase of a Remodel

Live Remodel 2： 特恩布尔·格里芬·海斯卢普， Houzz上的原创照片

它会打乱你的日常计划

比如说，每天上班前，你喜欢泡一杯茶，把平板电脑放在早餐的角落里，浏览电子邮件，为这一天做准备。

现在想象一下，当你的厨房和早餐角落正在建设中时，你的日常生活是怎样的。 早晨静修时的平和与宁静（还有清洁！）不复存在了。

你可能需要稍微改变一下你的日常生活，在家附近找一家可以放松的咖啡店，或者搬到卧室去喝一杯心爱的茶。

有习惯的生物们，请注意：在你重塑的过程中，你可能不得不（在这里深吸一口气）改变你的一些习惯。

相关: 改造你的厨房？ 把咖啡台搬到客厅

承包商通常喜欢在车库里开店（如果允许的话），因为他们通常可以在离工地近的地方制造更多的混乱和噪音。 If you want certain parts of your home, yard or garage to remain sacred, talk with your contractor about areas where work can ,不能 occur.

Live Remodel 3： 卡斯珀定制改造有限责任公司， Houzz上的原创照片

会有灰尘

这一点对一些人来说可能是显而易见的，但对另一些人来说可能是令人震惊的（再次深呼吸）。 Some contractors will give hints that the project will get dusty, such as: “We will take measures to put up dust barriers around the area of the remodel” or “we will keep a broom and dustpan on site at all times.”

但无论涂上多少防护产品，施工的某些阶段可能会变得很激烈（例如，打磨干墙）。 在工作进行时，灰尘不仅会被抛到空气中，而且在工作结束后还会在空气中漂浮一段时间。 And floating dust’s favorite pastime is, regrettably, travel.

It may travel to d如果ferent areas of the house, settling into your dog’s bed, onto your kitchen counters and even into your lungs. You may be thinking, “So what? 我一直在吸灰尘。 That’s just l如果e.” This is true, but the dust you’re usually inhaling is dirt and dead skin cells and other organic stuff. 重塑粉尘可能是由不太好的东西构成的，比如油漆、玻璃纤维绝缘材料或水泥中的化学物质。

和你的承包商谈谈，看看他或她是否打算在你的改造过程中使用空气洗涤器，以及防尘屏障和传统的清洁。 这种组合系统有助于防止灰尘的传播，并且在空气中有时间侵入你房子的其他区域之前，它也会带走很多令人讨厌的颗粒。

While most contractors genuinely work to keep your home clean, safe and comfortable during a remodel, sometimes dust control isn’t a top priority. It will quickly become front and center in your home, though, 如果 it isn’t properly managed from the start.

相关: 浴室装修吗? 准备好在卧室里安静地度过一天吧

Live Remodel 4： studiovert设计， Houzz上的原创照片

这可能是一场情绪过山车

每个人处理压力和情绪的方式都不一样，但事实是，一群不熟悉的面孔在你眼前把你的房子弄得乱七八糟是很有压力的。 I know that sounds like a bit of hyperbole, but when you’re actually living through a remodel, that’s exactly how it feels.

It can be tough to keep your head on straight when you’re trying to make selections for tile and lighting fixtures that suit your budget while simultaneously worrying about whether the project will end on time. 再加上家庭和工作生活？ 呵。

Now that I’ve worked you up, let me provide some peace of mind: Contractors know what they are doing. 他们会尽其所能确保你对你的家感到满意，并确保工作及时完成。 当地的基督教青年会提供瑜伽课程，这对管理压力非常有帮助。 感觉好点了吗?

接受你会感到一些压力和情绪，并允许自己接受这些。 It’s a part of the process. Freaking out about the fact that you’re freaking out will only make things, well, freakier.

Live Remodel 5： 阿曼达·阿姆斯特朗·萨瓦， Houzz上的原创照片

Now that I’ve shaken up any romanticized beliefs you may have held about remodeling, let me instill a bit of faith by saying that it’s not all bad. Remodeling can actually be quite pain-free, in fact, 如果 you communicate. I know I’ve harped on this before, but I can’t stress the importance of it enough. 在工作开始前与你的承包商讨论诸如日程安排、粉尘控制和沟通偏好等问题。 这会让世界变得完全不同。

So, yes, there will be dust, and yes, you might get tired of seeing your project manager every day, but there will be days when you come home after work and see new countertops being installed, and it will stop you dead in your tracks because — whoa — those look 伟大的!

Other times you might have the house to yourself for a second and you can poke around to “ooh” and “ahh” over all of the new, shiny things filling your beloved home. 所以它不仅不全是坏的，有些实际上还很好。 事实上，你甚至可能在第一个项目结束之前就开始考虑你的下一个项目。

汉娜·卡斯珀（Hannah Kasper）， Houzz