Eclectic Kitchen Eclectic Kitchen, Burlington

The two are slowly replacing the appliances, starting with a noisy dishwasher. "This year we replaced the fridge with a counter-depth one which really opens up the space," she says. "Next year we will get a new gas range. I don't think everything needs to be done all at once, you do what you can and work around it." There are many design blogs and websites that show homeowners moving through house projects rather quickly, but this is a refreshing outlook, and I think it can help a lot of people feel more at ease about the progress of their own home.

1. Learn two valuable words: “Um, no.” When someone suggests something to you, you might find that what you really mean to respond gets buried in formality and politeness. “Well, that’s a good suggestion. I see your point; I guess I could consider painting my fireplace, but let’s hold off on that for a little bit …” Sometimes what you really need to say is flat-out, “Um, no. I don’t want that.” Houzz user chaefender employed it perfectly. “I let someone move in with me while I was in the midst of painting my whole house inside and out,” chaefender writes. “I guess she felt left out and said, ‘Hey, we should totally paint the kitchen dark green.’ Um, no!”When a house inspector suggested to badlelly, “Sure, the parquet floors are in great condition, but if I were you, I’d replace them all with some nice laminate,” the response was simple: “Uh, no.”Suedee spoke a couple of choice words when a builder’s consultant said there was no need to add insulation to the interior walls for sound absorption, even for the wall between the main bathroom and the family room: “Um, awkward.”