Fun fact: I was a KBH client before I became an employee.

I still remember the first day my husband and I met KBH co-owners Jesse Johns and Andrew Risinger. A designer had referred us to them when we started planning our kitchen remodel. They introduced themselves, shared a little about the company, and asked us to walk through our current space and describe our dream kitchen.

Before they left, they handed me a simple piece of paper titled “The Homeowner Emotional Roller Coaster” and suggested I keep it. By that point we had survived many remodels with different contractors  including backyard/pool remodel, primary bathroom, whole house floor replacement, etc., but never once had we seen this document. What caught my attention was how accurately it captured feelings I’d experienced before but had never heard anyone talk about so openly.

 

 

What is the Homeowner’s Emotional Roller Coaster?

I’m not sure where this graphic originated, but someone perfectly captured the emotional stages of a remodel. Whether the project is a simple remove-and-replace or a complete redesign, the same basic pattern takes place. The length and intensity of each stage may vary, but the highs and lows are still there.

It doesn’t matter who you hire, how well you plan, or how easy-going you think you are, you will hit all these highs and lows. So, buckle up and I’ll take you through my experience riding the Homeowner Emotional Roller Coaster.

 

Stage 1: Planning – A Steady Climb…Mostly

The ride began with a slow, exciting climb. My husband and I met with several designers, chose our favorite, and shared every detail of our dream kitchen—along with a budget we thought was more than generous.

Our wish list was ambitious: reconfigure the entire kitchen and eating area by moving and removing walls and use only top-of-the-line materials. Our designer understood the vision immediately and created a layout that exceeded our expectations.

Then came material selections. The list seemed endless. Some decisions were easy; others nearly broke us. Let’s just say I lost count of how many slab suppliers we visited before finding the only slab in Dallas that my husband and I could agree on.

Still, our excitement kept climbing. When the designer placed our selections into a rendering, our dream kitchen came to life—at least on paper. We were nearing the top, thrilled by the view and convinced the hardest part was behind us. Then we reached the First Budget Review.

 

Stage 2: Budget – A Stomach-Dropping Plunge

Behind the scenes the designer and project manager were working on the Scope of Work. For those unfamiliar, the KBH Scope of Work is a 16+ page spreadsheet that line-by-line itemizes every material and labor cost necessary for your remodel down to the penny. Completing the document is a lengthy process but well worth the wait. However, when the total appeared, our “generous” budget looked like pocket change compared with the actual cost of our dream kitchen. To be completely honest, it barely covered the appliances we had selected. After weeks of decisions and anticipation, my emotions were plummeting downhill. I was heartbroken—and embarrassed that I had so badly underestimated what everything would cost.

Thankfully, the KBH team had anticipated the shock and reminded me about the plummet shown on the Emotional Rollercoaster graphic. They had already identified ways to lower the cost, and hy husband and I also decided to invest more of our own money to preserve the parts of the design that mattered most. Each revision nudged us back uphill.

Even after everyone had made revisions without losing the integrity of the project, it still remained over budget. Frustration rose, and we hit what felt like a brick wall. Then Andrew walked us through the Scope of Work line by line and what a huge difference that made. Seeing how every necessary detail contributed to the total changed everything.

Within 24 hours, we signed the contract and written a check. After the steepest drop so far, we were climbing again—and we were certain we would stay at the top this time.

 

Stage 3: Preparation – A Moment to Catch My Breath

Preparation felt like a steady climb. Permits were issued. Final measurements were taken. Materials were ordered. We emptied the kitchen, got rid of things we had not used in years, and built a makeshift kitchen in the laundry room.

Momentum was on our side, and our excitement was building again. This stretch of the ride may have been brief, but it lifted our spirits and gave us a chance to enjoy the progress.

 

Stage 4: Project Management – The Rush, Drops and Unexpected Turns of Construction

Demolition brought a whole new set of ups and downs. The old, ugly kitchen disappeared, framing began, and I could finally see the new layout taking shape. For a moment, the ride felt smooth and steady.

Then the trades cycled through, and my excitement dipped, fast. Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work were essential, but none of them were pretty. People were constantly in my space. The room seemed full of wires and pipes instead of progress, and the beautiful light fixtures, tile, and faucets I had chosen were nowhere in sight. At one point, I actually missed my ugly, outdated kitchen.

Then drywall went up, and my spirits began crawling back toward the top. The walls took shape, the space looked like a room again, and I could finally imagine the finished kitchen.

And then came drywall sanding.

As the dust piled up, my spirits took a nosedive. No amount of zip walls, plastic, tape, or vacuuming could contain it. Dust found its way everywhere. But this drop was thankfully short lived.

 

Stage 5: The Final Stretch

The day our Custom Wood Products cabinets arrived, my spirits began to climb again. They arrived on time, installation went smoothly, and they were beautiful, functional, and such an improvement over what we’d had before.

Flooring and paint kept the momentum going while we waited for countertops. Once the countertops were installed, the remaining pieces arrived in quick succession: backsplash, plumbing fixtures, lighting, final details, and cleaning.

Don’t get me wrong; there were plenty of bumps and sharp turns along the final climb.

We spent days trying to determine how to lay the three-dimensional backsplash so the light switches would sit level.

Several mechanical issues prevented our appliances from being installed as scheduled. At that point, Jesse, a KBH owner, sincerely said, “This is embarrassing, and it’s not how we like to do business.” That one line stayed with me, and I will always respect his honesty and professionalism.

I blew my gasket over the placement of an outlet that I was certain did not appear on the plans. By the way, I checked the drawings again. It was there. Taking a page from Jesse’s book, I swallowed my pride, apologized, and admitted I was wrong.

Finally, after all the climbs, drops, loops, dust, delays, and difficult decisions, we reached the top. And even better, after the series of highs and lows, we can in UNDER budget!

 

Exiting the Ride

Standing in our finished kitchen, I realized we had overcome every frustrating decision, unexpected setback, and difficult week along the way. Every remodeling project has its own version of this emotional rollercoaster, with exciting climbs, sudden drops, and slow recoveries. What ultimately makes the difference is how a company guides its clients through the ride. In my experience with KBH, that meant open communication, taking responsibility when things went wrong, working through problems, and treating both us and our home with respect.

That was what stood out to me about KBH. The team’s honesty and professionalism impressed me so much that I asked if I could work for them, and they said yes! Five years later, I use my experience on both sides of the process to bring a homeowner’s perspective on every project to continue improving our processes and to help other homeowners like me navigate their own ride on the Homeowner’s Emotional Rollercoaster.

But that is a ride—and a story—for another day.