I am thankful to William, who was patient and generally willing to accommodate changes when requested.
More importantly, I'm grateful for the many valuable lessons this renovation taught me.
Lesson #1&2: Two IDs does not equal two IDs and Never recommend your ID to others before completion.
Being assigned two IDs gave me confidence that there would be sufficient support throughout the project. It was an interesting discovery that headcount on paper and actual involvement can be two very different things, especially after initial payment of deposit. I guess business must have been pretty good.
Lesson #3: Everything other than tiling and carpentry planning is apparently the homeowner's responsibility.
I had assumed there would be guidance on <a href='/photos/feature/lighting' target='_blank'>lighting</a>, electrical, plumbing, grouting, <a href='/photos/space/bathroom' target='_blank'>bathroom</a> fitting, furnishing, painting. Instead, I gained valuable hands-on experience researching and figuring out almost all of these decisions myself.
Lesson #4: Project management builds character.
I entered this renovation expecting coordination, planning, and regular updates. Instead, I learned how satisfying it can be to find random new surprises in the house, chase updates, follow up on timelines, and piece together project progress independently.
Lesson #5: Good contractors can save a project.
Thankfully, the contractors were generally capable of carrying out the work. This proved especially important because site supervision appeared to follow a highly hands-off philosophy. The confidence placed in others to monitor quality was truly remarkable.
Lesson #6: Unlimited flexibility.
One major advantage of this company is the freedom given to homeowners. If you're looking for practical advice, functional recommendations, or someone to point out potential issues before they become expensive mistakes, you'll have plenty of opportunities to exercise your own judgment. The focus on aesthetics seemed to outweigh everything else.
Lesson #7: "On-Time Delivery Guarantee" is a very flexible concept.
One of the selling points was the on-time delivery guarantee.
Naturally, I assumed that meant there would be a committed completion date and accountability towards meeting it.
Instead, I discovered that an on-time guarantee becomes remarkably easy to achieve when no firm completion date is ever committed to in the first place, only a proposed one. It's a fascinating approach: if the finish line keeps moving, you're technically never late. (Quote "100% of our projects were completed within agreed-upon timeline.")
Now for more specific items I am not thankful for:
• The <a href='/photos/space/foyer' target='_blank'>foyer</a> niche, which somehow managed to be both underwhelming and built for midgets.
• The 3D drawings, which set expectations that reality had no intention of meeting.
• The carpentry drawings, which alone took two months but left with more questions than answers, and also resulted in a overcharged quotation which refinforced the importance of checking everything persinally.
• The <a href='/photos/feature/lighting' target='_blank'>lighting</a> and electrical drawings, which were especially useful if your goal was to learn <a href='/photos/feature/lighting' target='_blank'>lighting</a> and electrical design yourself.
• All the floortraps were choked despite several requests to check and clear it.
• Lack of fire safety awareness and on-site supervision; contractors repeatedly smoking and leaving behind bottles of ash depsite several reminders.
Looking back, the biggest surprise wasn't the mistakes. Mistakes happen in every renovation. The surprise was how often we found ourselves doing the planning, checking, coordinating, troubleshooting, and decision-making that we thought we had hired professionals to help with.
In the end, I received an unexpected crash course in renovation management.
For the lessons learned, thank you.
For the renovation experience itself, I'm just relieved it's finally over.
