Your kitchen remodel has the potential to improve your home’s comfort, functionality and aesthetic in addition to increasing your home’s resell value—at least after the remodel is finally completed. In the meantime, remodeling the kitchen can turn from calm to crazy in a very short time. Here are ways to avoid the stress and maintain your peace of mind.

Allow Adequate Time

Most people who start a DIY project underestimate how much time it will take. This is especially true if this is your first DIY kitchen remodel. If you plan on a project taking one day and it ends up taking three, you will end up feeling unnecessarily frustrated. For every day that you plan for a particular task, add one extra day. This provides a bit of a buffer so that you are less tempted to hurry through jobs that require your attention and patience, such as tiling and grouting, sanding, or painting the trim on kitchen cabinets.

Plan Meals Elsewhere

Keeping the space as uncluttered as possible is important during any remodeling work. It is usually best to avoid using the kitchen at all until the work is mostly completed. The tidier the area remains, the easier it will be to avoid misplacing tools or feeling harried. If you have to cook at home, try easy meals that require few dishes, little cleanup and can be enjoyed in another room, such as a dining area or living room. This will keep the kitchen clean and organized.

Order Sample Materials before Purchasing

It is difficult to tell how a particular color, pattern, tile, wallpaper or counter top material will look in a kitchen until it is physically there. Differences in lighting and other architectural or decor features influence how colors appear, and products may look significantly different in your kitchen than from the photos online or how they appeared in the store. Always bring home samples so that you can look at them under your kitchen lighting and see how well the colors, patterns or textures work with other design features already on site. This prevents buyer’s remorse.

Measure Everything Carefully

Measure once and then measure again and perhaps even a third time. One of the most frustrating things that can happen during a remodel is to discover too far down the remodeling road that the new counter top, new appliance or new kitchen island is the wrong size. Therefore, measure the space and then measure the fixture and write all of these measurements down before making a purchase. Keep in mind that some appliances, like standard refrigerators, often extend beyond cabinets and will therefore stick out from the space you put them in. A specialist from Rentec Direct recommends considering a fridge with the same depth as your counter, to ensure a good fit. This will help your kitchen look seamless, with all counters and appliances fitting together effortlessly.

The key to stress-free remodeling is to plan it well and to take your time. Planning alleviates guesswork that can add tension to a project. Practice patience and focus on one task at a time rather than worry about completing the remodel in its entirety. Remember to take time away from the project to give yourself space to breathe and to allow new design ideas to come to the forefront.

Author: Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based in Boston. When not writing, she enjoys baking and reading. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2