04/22/2026
The decision is made. Yay! You’re doing this! And now the advice is coming from everywhere. Your contractor, your neighbor, your brother-in-law who redid his kitchen in 2019 and has thoughts.
Here is what I have learned after years of walking families through this: what happens before the first wall comes down is what determines whether the whole project goes well or sideways. The preparation is everything, and most people get the sequence completely backwards.
I put together the order of events that actually works, plus the ten things to have ready before work begins that most people skip entirely. Both are in the post, designed so you can save them and actually use them.
A few things in there might surprise you. Like why packing for a renovation is essentially moving, not packing. And why around week four or five there is an emotional wall that hits almost every client, even the ones who have renovated before, and what to do when it does.
Part 2 of the renovation series is live. Link in bio. Part 3 is coming soon: what I wish every client knew before working with a designer, and why bringing one in earlier than you think changes everything.
If you are still in the early thinking stage, my free No-Fail 10-Step Home Design Checklist is a good place to begin. Also in bio.
