Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Kayleen McCabe on Rescue Renovation

Rescue Renovation on DIY helps viewers see that sometimes projects turn south, come to a halt at a dead end, and need help.  However, Kayleen McCabe and her team do more than that, they focus in on the issues that have snuffed out the rehabbers progress and help them race over the speed bumps that have turned into road blocks.     

Before you begin a renovation project, you have to be ready to expect the unexpected.  These words are easier to type than they are to embrace.  No driver wants car problems on a busy day and a first time rehabber doesn't want to open up a wall to find unanticipated issues either.  The thing is, if you're going to drive a car you're going to have days when you turn the key and get nothing.  Something similar goes for the DIYer renovating their home because there will be challenges that could not have been planned for.

Back to Rescue Renovation.  Kayleen and her crew are like Construction EMT's making a week long house call.  McCabe and her skilled gang don't just revive the project, they leave it better than the confused renovators had planned for it to be.  Two intertwined scenes stuck out for me in my initial viewing of RR.  The homeowners (Seth and Allison Rankin) had halted their kitchen redux when they wanted to eliminate a wall, but weren't sure if they could.  KMc and crew got professional direction from a structural engineer and then put the kitchen back together. 

Here's the second issue that caught my eye:  Kayleen and Allison easily took down an over-sized mirror because the Rankins had come to believe that they couldn't do it.  This mirror removal was easy.  Seriously.  Kathie Lee and Hoda could have done it, but because of the wall issue the homeowner's confidence had been popped and they were apprehensive about some of the other easy things that seemed bigger than they needed to be. 

When it comes to the difficulties you'll face in a home renovation, think about what our Mom used to say often: "Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill."  If you get into a jamb, get a second opinion from a General Contractor or an engineer.  Paying a professional for some advice is better than throwing in the towel or just sitting there like a hitchhiker thumbing it for an hour when they could just walk half a mile.  Just be ready to be faced with things you're not ready for and allow for unexpected setbacks before you start.  Maybe you'll catch a break and everything will go smoothly with your rehab.  You can tell everyone about it when your through and they'll leave your house thinking you're really lucky or a big ole' fibber.         
 

1 comment:

  1. "Kathie Lee and Hoda could have done it"

    bahahahaa! You slay me! ;)

    ReplyDelete