Starting interiors before Diwali: a realistic calendar

Every year, from July onwards, we get calls from families who want their new home ready for Diwali, often for a griha pravesh on an auspicious date. Some years that is possible; often it is not, because the calendar is tighter than it looks.

A full home takes four to five weeks for design and then 8 to 14 weeks on site. Add a buffer of two weeks for decisions, approvals from the society, and delivery of items such as appliances and lights. For a Diwali in late October or early November, that means signing the design brief by mid-June at the latest. If you are starting in August, a kitchen and wardrobes can still be done by Diwali; a full home with false ceilings and flooring cannot.

The monsoon affects the schedule too. Painting and polish work slow down in July and August, because humid air delays drying. We plan carpentry for those months and keep painting for September. The weeks before Diwali are also when every contractor, painter and electrician in the city is busiest, and material deliveries slow. Labour often goes home for the festival, so little work happens for about 10 days around Diwali itself.

If Diwali is not possible, Uttarayan in mid-January is a good second target, with a terrace ready for kite flying. Starting design in early September usually allows a move by then. Whatever date you choose, tell us at the first meeting. We would rather say honestly that a date is tight than promise it and miss it.