Experience the renovation

 　　Home renovation can indeed drown you in a sea of ​​countless details, making you feel like you're on the verge of suffocation. It can make even the most mild-mannered person lose their temper repeatedly, cause your savings to vanish as if they had legs, and ruin your good mood with shoddy workers, overpriced merchants, and suppliers of inferior materials. In short, home renovation is meant to make you suffer and exhausted…

　　Now, I'm renovating again, but my first renovation experience two years ago is still fresh in my mind. Based on my feelings back then, I thought I would never renovate again. But I don't know why I'm repeating the same mistakes.

　　When I renovated for the first time, I heard people say that everyone gets sick and stressed from home renovation, but I didn't believe it. I thought home renovation was an art of imperfection; only those who strive for perfection would be exhausted by it. Someone as simple-minded as me certainly wouldn't get tired of it, especially with a renovation company and a contract. At worst, I could just get a full package deal. But an expert warned me, "A full-service package will cost at least 20% more." I stubbornly believed that spending 20% ​​more for a hassle-free experience was worthwhile, so I chose Dayi Company, which seemed reputable, had a good track record, and was the most expensive at the time. I figured while they worked themselves to the bone, I wanted to experience the thrill of paying for a relaxing renovation.

　　I did follow the proper procedures: first, I hired a designer, then the renovation company built according to the plans, and I hired a project supervisor. I only visited the site every few days, like a tourist. Initially, I was happy to have a relaxed experience because I completely trusted everyone, and I was also quite clueless about the project; my visits were pointless. But

　　karma finally caught up with me. When I realized that spending more money still didn't achieve the desired results, I panicked. One day, I took my colleagues to see a renovation project. What I thought was perfectly fine was immediately riddled with flaws by them: the cabinet boards were thin, the door material was flimsy, the internal lining was sparse and prone to warping, and the kitchen tiles, the pipes buried in the walls, etc… They warned me: "If you don't buy the materials yourself and don't supervise the work properly, even if it looks beautiful, who will you complain to if there are problems inside?!" I

　　was stunned. I rushed to the building materials market, and what I saw shocked me. The same plywood cost over 200 yuan for some, and only 30 or 40 yuan for others. Once it was made into cabinets and painted, no one could tell the quality of the plywood inside. Everyone says there's a bit of "water" in renovations, but I thought it was only a few inches deep. Now I know there's even water that can drown you!

　　Helpless, I had to urgently call my busy mother. My mother is a shrewd and capable person. Once she arrived at the site, she almost completely overturned the entire design plan and started over. I thought the renderings were quite beautiful, but my mother said that home decoration should highlight the feeling of home, be practical and warm, not like a hotel, and not add unnecessary embellishments. Fortunately, the designer who originally managed my house at Dayi was from my hometown, so it was easy to negotiate. Under my mother's guidance, the project was adjusted and the plan was revised. My mother unknowingly became both "designer" and "construction supervisor"...

　　This incident caused my trust in the world to collapse in an instant. After that, I suddenly went from being indifferent to being involved in everything. I went from being a smiling and easy-going person in front of the workers to a picky and questioning female boss. We always carried a measuring tape and calculator in our bags. Whenever we had doubts, we would take them out to measure and calculate. Whenever there was a problem, we would question people in a harsh voice. No matter how beautifully I dressed or how much makeup I wore for a banquet, I couldn't shake off the terrible image of a female contractor. Especially since my mother, a powerful figure in the area, was working like a laborer every day, constantly exhausted and on the construction site. It was both heartbreaking and laughable to see.

　　In short, the renovation cost money, I was exhausted, and countless regrets remained. However, what's even more regrettable is that I haven't even had a chance to catch my breath before I have to experience this again. But this time I won't be so naive. I will never trust renovation companies again. I will pretend to know what I'm doing and act like an industry insider. I will use jargon to negotiate with the contractor. Of course, there will be another round of hard work and another round of being gently ripped off by the renovation company!