Smart Solutions: Juggling Professional Help

Jeanine Matlow
| Special to The Detroit News

Coordinating home improvement and maintenance projects can be difficult, even if you hire professionals to do all the work. Since I can only work with one contractor at a time for several reasons, I try to plan for these circumstances, which can often disrupt our daily routines. Also, I’ve found that they can have a domino effect in certain situations, making these appointments feel like a juggling act.

I once washed and stained the front porch and back deck shortly after our windows were cleaned, only to find out how dirty they were from the high pressure spray. However, I had another unexpected setback last month when I scheduled the same maintenance for the week I planned to host my book club. Since my guests had to access my front porch to enter the house, the stain had to be put off until the next day.

Due to timing, we also had to move furniture from our upper deck to the house and back twice because it would get in the way when I was with company.

Similar circumstances were present when we were cleaning the carpets, which I had wanted to schedule for a long time. When I was finally ready to make the call, I found out we were going to be dog sitting, so I thought I might as well wait. We then agreed to watch another cute foster dog for the same local rescue, so I put it off again.

One lesson I learned from past experiences and hope to avoid this time around was that our tile floors became very slippery due to the carpet cleaning solution we tracked around the house. This is something I don’t want to worry about when expecting guests or anyone else like other contractors.

When our window cleaners called to make an appointment, I explained that I was waiting to replace some windows before they came back for work. Now that the energy cleanup is complete, these projects top the list.

My goal is to complete these tasks before our daughter comes home from college for Thanksgiving. It always helps to have some motivation to complete these tasks.

When a friend came over to help me organize the project, we discussed the fact that downsizing your property can lead to home renovations. I still remember the time I went to our storage room to sort through the containers only to find that our hot water tank was leaking and needed to be replaced. When a friend of mine was recently preparing her basement for a sleepover, she found mold and leaks in several places that needed to be addressed.

Whether you’re planning to declutter or tackle a home improvement project before the holidays, there’s no need to wait. However, you may want to consider practical factors such as costs, time commitments, and other conflicts. It also helps to plan them in the right sequence for best results.

Jeanine Matlow is a Metro Detroit interior decorator turned freelance writer specializing in interior design stories. You can contact her at [email protected].