Lessons Learned
Participating in the One Room Challenge was an excellent experience; I encourage any DIYer to take part. I’ve put together a few lessons I think would be useful in helping you make the decision to sign up. So, let’s get it!
#1
Procrastination is real… no matter how pumped you are for your project!
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I’m more than sure this is one everyone knows; yet the reminder is still needed. My bathroom update took me about 4 months. You would think I learned how to lay tile in all that time. Nope‼️ I was living it up while my daughter visited her grandparents for the summer. Any, and just about all, spontaneous events were welcomed with open arms. This continued welcoming pushed the timeline lol. Whether you call it procrastinating or living life, there are controllable factors you’ll need to keep in mind. That brings me to the next lesson.
#2
Have a life outside your project
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If you find yourself feeling mentally and/or physically drained, you may have project fatigue. Make time to relax and not think about the project. Even if it’s 30 minutes to an hour, give yourself mental and/or physical breaks. There’s nothing like being recharged so you can get back in the swing of things. Life is happening all around you -LIVE IT!
#3
Know when to ask for help
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The struggle to remove the pre-existing faucet was more physically exhausting than anything. I tackled this; however, when I saw water coming from under the baseboards, that was mentally exhausting! I didn’t have the capacity to further trouble shoot what I already knew was a problem bigger than my YouTube University courses. I knew it was time to call in the professionals. I didn’t want to spend the money BUT having a professional give me peace of mind was worth the cost.
#4
Project Creep will mess up your zen
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Try sitting in your project’s space, look around, and make note of everything you intend to do before getting started. This will give you a good idea of two things: (1) the resources (i.e. videos/blogs) you need to study for additional knowledge and (2) you may be able to determine what supplies will be needed. Trust me when I say, all the pretty things are great to have but focus on the must haves first or else you’ll risk getting off track. As much as I was ready to buy all things decor, I needed to have the right tools and more importantly – funds for the project.
#5
Have fun and Be okay with things not being perfect
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Admittedly, there were moments when I got super frustrated during this project. For example, walls not being straight or as previously mentioned, getting that dang faucet off was NO FUN. Ohhhh and the epoxy escapade <insert eye roll>. Though I was quite irritated, I still was having fun. For those moments when it wasn’t fun, I walked away and recharged. Sometimes, the recharge!
Bonus
Double the budget! While I am sure it’s quite doable, I really thought this entire bathroom renovation was going to run me $500. Negativo. Wrong. Do not pass go; do not collect $200. See the Budget Bathroom or Budget Bust post for full spending details.
Had I followed rule #4, I might have had a better idea of how much I was going to spend on this bathroom’s supplies. Additionally, the biggest takeaway for me is to include money for incidentals. The biggest hit to the budget was needing a plumber for a sudden leak -not caused by me (just FYI). Nonetheless, there may be unforeseen events that can quickly add up.
Either from your own project(s) or based on watching others, what else would you add to the Lessons Learned log? Let me know in the comments. Until we meet again…Keep It Genuine!
Ya girl, Kim!
Go see what took place week to week for the One Room Challenge. Check em out through these links:
