Since selling The Happier Yellow House and moving out, my husband, DC, and I had one goal: Move into our new house, The Happiest Yellow House, as soon as possible. But first we wanted to renovate. Our mantra became: Fix it fast.

As anyone who has bought a house and remodeled before moving in understands, managing multiple home improvement projects at once takes the strategic genius of George Washington, the diplomacy of Nelson Mandela and a pot of Irish luck.

I did everything in my power, which frankly wasn’t much. Though many variables were out of my control, what I could control was making decisions. I’ve learned that if you don’t make up your mind fast, you will be waiting at Decision-Making Station a long time before the next contractor comes along. Your painter has better things to

See Full Page