How to avoid the 'home-wrecker' remodel

Now may be a good time to remodel with prices down an average of 5% to 10%, but before you embark on that ambitious project, ServiceMagic.com warns you to make sure you're aware of some of the emotional risks beforehand.

Yes, you read that correctly. It's not just your house you have to worry about, but also your family and relationships while the project is taking place.

"When going through a stressful home improvement project, people either roll with it or endure," said David Lupberger, the company's home-improvement expert. "But for some, having their routines disrupted can put them, and perhaps even their relationships, on edge.”

According to a recent survey, ServiceMagic.com found that 78% of remodeling professionals have witnessed an argument during the past year between a couple either in the planning stage or during a home remodel project, and that 64% of them even had to play the role of relationship counselor.

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It's gotten so bad for some of the contractors that 79% of them have walked away from at least one project at some point during their career because of excessive client arguing.

“Under adverse conditions and the inundation of the unknown, families can often project stress upon one another,” Lupberger said. “Done wrong or without clarifying expectations, home remodels can put extensive strain on not only the immediate family, but also neighbor interaction and the children’s playmates.”

Mothers and wives often get the brunt of the stress, being most significantly affected 69% of the time. And 82% of professionals said a kitchen remodel causes the most stress among homeowners.

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But with a little preparation and a lot of understanding, you might be able to avoid these awkward moments.

Lupberger advises homeowners to try to have fun with the family during the remodel, by possibly camping out in the backyard or having "picnics" in the living room if the kitchen is unusable.

However, he says the key to success is maintaining good lines of communication between family members as well as with the remodeler, with a focus on these criteria from its Homeowner Toolkit:

• Enforcing a project-milestone checklist
• Establishing a cost-status breakdown
• Recognizing and setting ground rules
• Full project disclosure and constant communication through biweekly meetings

Still interested in that remodel? Just keep in mind, it'll all be worth it in the end: The survey also found that 60% of couples’ relationships sprang back to normal and became exponentially less stressful after the remodel was finished.

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Just think, if you play your cards right, you'll have fun during the remodel and be happier with each other and the house in the end. And that's a goal every family should be striving for.

(ServiceMagic.com is an MSN Real Estate partner.)