When you hire a contractor, you can do all the research you want, but in the end, you have limited control over the people they choose to do the actual work. So far, my contractor has been okay, but the subcontractors they brought in for tasks like tiling, glasswork, painting, and trim have been quite unprofessional. Their work has been sloppy, and I've had to hire other handymen and tradesmen to fix their mistakes. Looking back, if I had the chance, I would skip hiring a contractor altogether and find individual tradesmen for each specific job. Right now, I'm eagerly waiting for the arrival and installation of the custom built-in furniture next week, which will mark the end of my contractor's involvement. After that, I'll start searching for professionals to design and install custom doors, as well as a new countertop.

This experience has taught me a lot, but just the thought of going through it again gives me a headache. If I do decide to buy another condo in the future, I'll definitely consider the amount of work required, or just buy a new place that doesn’t require any sort of renovation.