Lately, I've been hearing a lot of stories from friends about their home renovation projects, and they all seem to share the same frustrations: delays, unexpected costs, and a complete lack of insight into what's going on day-to-day. It seems like you have to just place your trust in the contractor and hope everything works out. However, when you check in on the progress, you're often met with issues that are behind schedule or over budget. Would it be beneficial for homeowners to have something like a simple dashboard that shows a timeline, expenses, daily photos, and who's on-site rather than relying on endless WhatsApp messages? Or do you think that's asking too much?
3 Answers
This really goes both ways. Homeowners do have valid complaints, but not everyone wants more communication. Sometimes it just annoys people. I've tried to give frequent updates, and it backfires—people get upset with constant emails about changes. They often end up asking for a simpler weekly summary instead.
That's what having a contract is meant to ensure, right? But I get what you're saying about visibility. The reality, though, is that contractors often can't keep things updated consistently. The schedule can change literally at a moment's notice. For instance, if I have a week set aside for plumbing but the electrical work falls through, everything gets thrown off. It's a real juggling act!
I totally understand! If there were just simple automated updates, it might smooth things over without making contractors chase every detail.
I'm currently undergoing a major renovation and my team uses a tool called JobTread. Everything—from contracts to schedules and milestones—is in there. It's super handy to have everything stored in one place, and I feel more in control of the process!
That makes total sense. Too much communication can just overwhelm people, especially when things are shifting all the time.