How good is good enough?

Home remodels are completed by human beings, and as such they are always going to have some flaws in the work.  So how good is good enough?  

At an open house for a newly constructed home I took a couple pictures of areas that would not have been up to my standard for my clients.  In the first photo the outlet was set crookedly, and while usually that wouldn’t bother me so much, it’s against a perfectly gridded background and so it’s glaringly obvious to my eye.  

Either the outlet or the tile isn't set straight, very noticeable with such a strong grid pattern in the tile and the white grout.

In the second photo the groutline between the granite and tile is cracked, and again, should be fixed.

The grout and caulk line at the base of this tile has already cracked.

As the homeowner it is important that from the start of the project you are clear with your standards and expectations and that you and your designer are on the same page.  If you can, try to tour some remodeled homes on the market during open houses and get a sense of what good grout lines look like and what seams look like in crown molding - familiarize yourself with “industry standards”.  

Next, remember that your standards will affect how much you pay.  If you hire the best and expect perfection, you WILL pay more for that because not only are you likely hiring a more experienced, skilled craftsperson, that person will also have to spend more time getting it all perfect.  There is nothing wrong with that, but don’t expect to pay the cost of a Volkswagon and get the performance of a BMW.

Finally, walk through and approve EVERY stage of the remodel.  Fixing grout lines in the shower is much harder once the custom shower door is installed, and rarely turns out very well.  If one of the stair risers is squeaky, that needs to be fixed BEFORE they lay the carpet!

In the end your project will have imperfections.  Decide what you can and can’t live with, and what you are willing to pay for.  And of course remember that once your home is furnished and decorated, little things will fade away.  Once the project is done and you’ve decided it’s good enough, take a deep breath, refocus your eyes, see the “big picture”, and resist the urge to obsess about that one imperfect seam in the floor in the closet - what a way to take the joy out of your beautiful new space!