My Relationship with Change

Written by: Rene

I have a very complicated relationship with change. On the one hand, my brain is always pinging with ideas, and constantly changing thoughts and plans (Hello ADHD!). But when I have a clear vision in mind that I love, and things suddenly change - it can take me a second to absorb the shift, flex to Plan B (and truly feel just as confident in it). And let me tell you … renovations do a great job of forcing us to practice being flexible and going with the flow. 

When setting up most midterm rentals, the reality is that it often makes the most financial sense to focus on cosmetic updates or minor renovations. The goal is always to bring the space up to a standard that feels functional, clean, updated, and modern—without completely blowing the budget. This project is a little different, because we're starting with a blank slate and get to have a bit more creative freedom.

That said, I think there’s this expectation that comes with a “blank slate” that everything will go exactly how you planned, and you’ll be able to check every item off your wishlist. In my experience, that almost never happens. Renovation has a way of humbling you pretty quickly. It forces you to adapt, rework your plans, and make decisions in real time as new information comes to light. No matter how much you plan ahead, there are always going to be surprises.

We are very much in that phase right now. Even though we’re still at the beginning of construction on this basement project, we’ve already run into our first major pivot.

The plan is to convert part of the basement into a new 1 bed, 1 bath rental with a separate entrance, while still maintaining a fully separate space for the upstairs tenants. That includes creating a more functional flex space and storage area for them. As part of that plan, we originally intended to move the laundry to the main level so the upstairs tenants wouldn’t have to carry it up and down the stairs. It was initially expected to be a relatively simple and low-cost update.

However, once the plumbing was opened up and we had a clearer understanding of what would actually be required, it became obvious that the scope was much larger than anticipated. Moving the laundry upstairs would involve significant plumbing adjustments and structural changes. After weighing the pros and cons with the landlord, we ultimately decided that it just didn’t make financial sense to move forward with that change.

So, the plan has shifted. The washer and dryer will remain downstairs, now located in what was originally intended to be a mechanical and storage room. It’s not exactly the polished, fully finished laundry space I had in mind to design. 

That said, this is where the balance of function, budget, and design really comes into play. While it may not be a perfect or traditionally “beautiful” space, there’s still an opportunity to be thoughtful about how it comes together. Even a laundry room within a mechanical room can feel intentional and considered with the right small touches.

This is one of those moments that feels like a good reminder of what these projects actually look like in real life. Not everything goes according to plan, and not every space will be the perfectly curated before-and-after pic for social media—but there’s still a lot of value in figuring out how to make it work well and feel good anyway.

See what other changes I have to make by following along with this project on my Tiktok, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

I'm so glad you found your way to this little corner of the hosting world. Here’s to better Midterm rentals (and fewer headaches).