The Negative Effects of Remodeling You Haven't Considered

The Negative Effects of Remodeling You Haven't Considered

Lauren Small

Weiler’s Kitchen & Bath recently had a client mention how grateful they were for our quick timeline because the lack of a cooking area was derailing their weight loss journey during their Philadelphia kitchen remodel. This started a conversation about what other negative effects remodeling can trigger, from financial stress due to the price of eating out to mental strain from routines being disrupted. It’s important to consider timelines when remodeling, because the longer you go without a usable kitchen the more likely you are to see strain in financial, relational, and physical areas.

Eating Out

Our client said she and her husband usually ate home cooked meals and had been following special diets before the remodel started. They had decided to completely overhaul their Philadelphia kitchen from floor to ceiling, a process which usually takes Weiler’s Kitchen & Bath 3-4 weeks. Although they set up a “temporary kitchen” the way we recommend (relocating the fridge, microwave, and other appliances to another room) our clients were unable to follow their typical meal routine and ordered food often. To quote a Top Nutrition Coaching article, “Home cooking gives you complete control over the ingredients' quality, nutritional value, and intake. It's far easier to diet and meal plan while eating in.” Also included in that article "The Cost of Eating Out Versus Eating In” is a table of every state with the costs summed up using Nuembo’s Cost of Living Research from 2025 which summarized their data as, “Americans save around $12 by opting to cook and eat at home, with the average home meal costing $4.23 versus over $16 per meal at an inexpensive restaurant. Annually, it costs over $13,000 more to eat out than it costs to prepare the same amount of food at home.” Not only is eating out tougher nutritionally, but financially.

Stress on the Family

 Remodeling is stressful, there’s a lot of risks to consider and even more decisions you’re expected to make. At Weiler’s Kitchen & Bath we try to streamline this process by handling design, demolition, construction, electrical, plumbing, lighting, and installation. All our clients have to do is select materials and give the ok. In theory. In reality it’s still disruptive to have people in your house everyday for weeks, and even with a crew handling everything there’s always an issue somewhere. Now imagine how chaotic it is to be your own general contractor managing all of these services. Houzz did a 2025 Relationships and Remodeling Report, surveying 540 couples who renovated within the last 12 months. They found that, “The majority of couples describe renovating together as collaborative (59%) or fulfilling (50%). Still, 4% admit they considered separating or divorcing during the process.…The most frequent sources of tension include staying on budget (31%), selecting products, materials or finishes (28%), agreeing on the project scope (20%) and agreeing on the design (20%). Paint colors (36%), furniture (33%) and flooring materials (29%) are also frequent sticking points.” Weiler’s can help by sticking to our estimate and timeline and providing design options for your space. As for the material decisions, there’s a few remodeling bloggers like Young House Love that offer stress management tips including this one for second-guessing choices, “Don’t let the possibility of finding something you love more, make you love the thing in front of you less.”

Other Dangers and Concerns

Interior work is disruptive because it’s best for people to stay away from that area of the home. This might be easy if the project is a hall bathroom, but a kitchen in the center of the home may be difficult to avoid. Risks like unfinished woodwork, tools, or construction dust are common. There are a few types of construction dust including asbestos, silica, and wood. These can cause serious health issues like asthma, silicosis, lung cancer, dermatitis, or COPD, (The Hidden Health Risks of Construction Dust). Our install team at Weiler’s Kitchen & Bath uses air scrubbers to contain and dispose of these harmful particles, but if you’re doing work yourself make sure to wear and use proper protection and keep your family away from unfinished areas. Speaking of keeping family away, to protect your pets make sure you remove or elevate all electrical wires, stay aware of open doors and windows, and either contain or board your animals, (7 Tips to Keep Your Pet Safe During a Remodel). There are way too many horror stories about cats getting sealed into a wall when the carpenter isn’t looking. The quicker your remodel is over the less you have to worry about any household members.

Kitchen remodels are already stressful when you consider the price and the scope of your ideal project. When you throw in the dietary and financial effects of eating out more, the marital stress, and potential risks for your family it becomes clear that if you’re going to do a large remodel, doing it efficiently is important. The average kitchen remodel time is usually 6-8 weeks. If two months seems like too long to wait for a new kitchen, give Weiler’s Kitchen & Bath a call. We've built a reputation over the last 53 years for doing our work within 3-4 weeks, from the demolition to the final touches in Philadelphia and Bucks County.