2. Next, communicate and set expectations high. You will want to find out what days and hours work will be conducted, that they will be done in the right order, and when they are said they will be. If you are living in the home while you remodel it, you want to make sure you aren't going to be in the shower when the electrician gets there.so plan ahead.

3. Cover your bases. Because you won't always be home when sub contractors are going to be at your house to work, you may want to find someone that can be there, or you may even find that you need to give out keys to your home. Find out which worker will be responsible and trustworthy. Thoroughly check references, and get plenty of their personal information, such as SS #, driver's license #, license plate #, etc. These will come in very handy if you need to find them, if they steal from you, etc.

4. To avoid confusion, choose one person in your family to act as spokesperson, you do not want to have any sort of miscommunication with subs, so pick a person, and don't play then "He said, she said" game, only have one person that will say anything.

5. If your remodel requires you to have large amounts of materials, be sure to store them somewhere safe. They should be protected from the weather as well as theft.

6. If you are doing anything with plaster than take precautions to prevent plaster dust from spreading. Hang plastic sheets over doorways to work areas.

7. Show workers which bathroom to use and where to wash brushes, and be clear about what portions of your house you don't want them in. This is not a miscommunication you want to have.

8. Lay ground rules with everyone that will be working on your remodel project. Let them know whether or not they can use your telephone, where they can park, where to put trash, how loud their radio can be, etc.
9. Be considerate of the people you have working for you, have drinks available to them, and some space to be when they take a break.

10. Don't let your whole home be remodeled at once, leave somewhere to live and relax where you won't be constantly reminded of the work that needs to be done.

11. Be thorough and remember to check materials and fixtures before they are installed. For example, once the track lighting is hung, it may be too late to change it.

12. If it applies to your project then be sure to plan ahead and know what you are going to do and where when workers turn off power or water.

13. Expect delays. Don't think everything will go off perfectly because it won't.

These are tips for getting the project to go smoothly, but you also need to make sure that you do not let remodeling stress overwhelm you, especially since living in the midst of a remodeling project is stressful. So, to fight this stress, plan some meals at your favorite restaurant, get away often, and plan to indulge yourself some.