There’s something about having people over for the holidays that makes you look at your house a little differently.
That floor you walk across every day? Suddenly you notice the worn spot. The guest bathroom you’ve been meaning to update? It looks a little more dated when you know family is coming. And that room that never seems to function quite right becomes a lot more obvious when the house is full of people.
But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.
Sometimes living in a home every day makes it easy to stop noticing the things that could work better. The holidays give us a chance to see our homes through somebody else’s eyes and, more importantly, think about how they could serve our own families better.
Pay Attention to Where People Gather
When family comes over, watch where everybody ends up. Usually it’s the kitchen, living room, dining area or somewhere in between. Those gathering spaces tell you a lot about how your home is actually being used.
Maybe the flooring between rooms doesn’t flow the way you’d like. Maybe the kitchen feels closed off. Maybe there’s an awkward transition, an outdated finish or a space that simply isn’t working for your family anymore.
A good renovation isn’t just about making something look newer. It should make the home work better for the people living there.
The Guest Bathroom Tells on You
Nothing makes you notice a bathroom quite like knowing guests are going to use it.
Bathrooms are also one place where what you can’t see matters just as much as what you can.
Beautiful tile is great, but the work underneath it matters. A shower needs to be constructed correctly. Flooring needs to be installed correctly. Materials need to be chosen for the space they’re going into.
I’ve been around home-improvement work most of my life, and one thing hasn’t changed: good craftsmanship starts long before you see the finished product.
Think About How Your Family Actually Lives
When choosing flooring, tile or other finishes, I always think it’s important to consider more than how something looks in a sample.
Do you have kids? Pets? A house that stays busy? Do people come through one entrance more than another? Is moisture an issue? Do you want something that requires very little maintenance?
Your home should reflect your style, but it also has to survive your life.
That’s where experience matters. The goal isn’t to talk a homeowner into what somebody else likes. It’s to understand what you want, how you use your home and then figure out the right way to build it.
Don’t Let a Holiday Deadline Make the Decision for You
If having company over makes you realize you’re ready for a project, great.
Just don’t let the pressure of a deadline cause you to rush into one.
Take time to understand what is being done, what materials are being used and what the finished project should accomplish. Ask questions. Talk through the details. Make sure the people working in your home understand what matters to you.
I started Future Builders in 2010 after spending much of my life around this kind of work. I’m also the fourth generation in my family to work in the trades, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to see that doing a job right matters long after the tools are packed up.
This holiday season, take a look around your home while everybody is gathered together.
Notice where people congregate. Notice what works. Notice what doesn’t.
You may find that your next home project isn’t really about impressing your guests at all.
It’s about creating a home that works better for your family long after the holidays are over.
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