RENOVATION UPDATE: 10 MONTHS + 1 DAY -- for a project we were originally told would take…read moreapproximately 3 1/2 months.
To say this renovation has been a nightmare would be an understatement.
We hired this company because it represented itself as a professional, licensed and insured operation capable of coordinating everything "under one roof." We believed we were investing in our forever home -- something safe, properly built, and made to last. Unfortunately, our experience became the opposite of what we believed we were paying for.
Throughout this project, we dealt with unauthorized changes, work performed before we were given an opportunity to approve it, change orders presented after work had already been completed, unfinished original scope items, repeated requests for additional money, poor communication, constantly changing schedules, and serious workmanship concerns discovered later.
One major example: we came home one day to discover that a load-bearing wall had been removed. My husband had specifically stated beforehand that if the wall was structural, we did NOT want it removed. Yet it was removed without our approval, and we ultimately had to absorb costs associated with that decision.
Another example: we had already selected the cabinets we wanted and provided the information. Instead, we walked in one day and discovered custom cabinets being built. When we questioned it, we were essentially told the cabinets we selected looked "cheap" and that we wanted custom cabinets instead. No -- we didn't. Whether something looks good afterward is not the point. Homeowners should have the right to decide what is done inside their home and what they agree to pay for.
Then there was the ceiling. We wanted tray ceilings. Instead, we came home to a massive opening into the attic because the ceiling had been raised -- another major change we had not requested. During construction, with areas of the home opened up, we ended up dealing with a rat infestation, including rats nesting above areas where our family slept. We hired pest control, and eventually the odor became so severe that our entire family stayed with friends.
Meanwhile, portions of the original work and earlier change-order work still were not completed. We were repeatedly told our flooring, stone for the arch/fireplace, backsplash and other materials were backordered. Weeks turned into months.
My husband repeatedly tried to work things out and even paid an additional $15,000 in good faith, hoping the project would move forward. Instead, we continued experiencing delays and unfinished work, and eventually he terminated the relationship.
The most concerning discoveries came afterward.
We hired MK Electric in Montgomery, Texas, a licensed electrical professional, to inspect and correct problems. After seeing the attic, we were told the electrical conditions were among the worst he had encountered in approximately 35 years of working in attics. Hearing that about the home where our family sleeps was terrifying.
We discovered electrical/fire-hazard concerns and that smoke/fire alarms we expected as part of the work had not been installed. We have also dealt with cracked flooring, HVAC problems, missing insulation in areas, leaks coming through ceiling fixtures, vents coming loose and leaking, unfinished work, and other problems now being evaluated and corrected by other professionals.
We were not provided clear material-cost breakdowns or proper drawings/plans explaining many of the changes taking place. We repeatedly requested documentation and copies of agreements. Communication was inconsistent. Schedules constantly changed. Areas of the house would be torn apart and then left unfinished while work shifted somewhere else.
At one point, we went approximately three months without a functioning kitchen sink or washing-machine setup.
We understood renovations are inconvenient. Delays happen. Materials can be held up. Unexpected problems come up.
But homeowners deserve communication, transparency, authorization before major changes, documentation, and above all -- safe workmanship.
We paid substantial amounts throughout this project and made payments as requested, yet continued receiving requests for more money while portions of the original work remained incomplete.
This experience taught us a very expensive lesson: Integrity isn't proven by what you say on a website. It's proven by what you do when someone places their home, money, and family's safety in your hands.
There have been tears, anger, stress, financial loss, and more "WHAT IN THE WORLD?!" moments than I can count.
Sometimes the biggest life lessons come with a very expensive price tag.
