50. Managing stress, burn-out & relationships while building & renovating

Host and interior designer Tanya Neufeld Flanagan discusses the emotional challenges of home renovations, offering insights into managing stress, burnout, and relationships during the process. She shares her own personal experience renovating a Georgian protected structure as well as practical advice on navigating the stress and expectatons from the very beginning of your home journey through to snagging. Takeaways Understand that stress and disappointment start to build up from the buying process Expect cumulative "micro-frustrations" throughout the renovation, and energy will ebb and flow Do as much as you can when you're excited about the project as it will stand to you when you hit roadblocks or have to make a lot of decisions in quick succession Stand up for your role as client, but also know when to walk away/hire different people Divide tasks based on skillset within your family to manage workload effectively Adapt to the informal nature of the trades industry to avoid resentment Keep detailed records of instructions to avoid misunderstandings Be prepared for unexpected costs and have a contingency plan Use creative energy from others to overcome challenges Sound bites "Front-load decisions to avoid fatigue." "Adapt to the informal trades industry." "Keep detailed records of instructions." "Be prepared for unexpected costs." "Divide tasks based on skillset." Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction to Renovation Challenges 00:03:00 Managing Stress and Burnout 00:09:00 Planning and Design Insights 00:15:00 Navigating Unexpected Hurdles 00:21:00 Conclusion and Personal Reflections