Expectations lead to disappointments, so don’t be surprised if:

1.  The job’s not completed according to schedule:  it could take two to three times longer.

2.  Additional unforeseen expenses arise:  you could end up having to pay two or three times the amount budgeted.

3.  Certain jobs need to be redone, along with repairs to (fresh) damages made by renovators, themselves.

4.  Replacement workers and materials end up being worse than the ones being replaced and corrected—regardless of reassurances to the contrary.

Trying to recuperate payments with the assistance of others can be as much fun as having to deal with incompetent/money nabbing workmen directly. Solutions (and officials), however sensible/appropriate they seem, might be less than ideal:

1.  Better Business Bureaus:  They collect complaints and black-list companies.  However, don’t count on them following up in ways that assist specific customers with specific problems directly.  Besides, businessmen/workmen you’re complaining about usually aren’t members anyway.

2.  Small Claims Court:  Even if you do win, and devote a lot of time and energy to doing so, who’s going to collect the money you’re awarded (and how difficult will that be)?

3.  Visa, Mastercard, American Express:  Paying by credit card is advantageous, but contesting unauthorized phone orders made by merchants isn’t always favorable to the customer. Customer service protocols and card security vary from card to card.

Exercise common sense.  Even if you’re on site/at home while work is being done, you can’t catch everything that might happen, and need to take precautions:

1.  Put possessions away that you don’t want to be broken or have disappear (from anywhere in your home—not just the area worked in).

2.  Lock doors and cupboards, wherever possible, to prevent snooping, wandering, and theft.

3.  Know that your toilet(s) and sink(s) will need a good clean later.  If you have more than one washroom, make sure only one is accessible.  Also, stay on top of garbage, and don’t let it pile up. (Reasonable contractors should be taking it away with them, as well as their cigarette ends and coffee and soda containers.)

4.  Damages will be of all types, and more than expected.  Check your paint work, floors, doors, appliances, and more.  No one will tell you they’ve broken anything, unless you ask.  And, even then, they might deny that possibility or explain things couldn’t have been done any other way.

SWA (Single Woman Alertness) matters! Even strong independent women with the means to do home improvements run into difficulties, and need to be prepared:

1.  Invite a guy friend or relative to be there when confronting workmen who’ve done an unsatisfactory job.

2.  Don’t get too personal/friendly with unfamiliar workmen, who can turn "niceness" against you when complaining about shoddy workmanship later.

3.  Don’t become a coffee shop/luncheonette for your workmen, or offer waitress service.  Good workmen will still do a good job without "extras." Bad workmen will just get you upset—make you feel they’ve taken advantage of you (which they probably have).

4.  Gain technical savvy wherever you can so as not to be blinded by whatever you’re told.  And, more important, stand up to "bullying."  The police can be called in if necessary.

(The last three points apply to everyone—not just single women—though single women do seem to have greater need to be aware of them.)

"Details" might be less important later—what really matters isn’t forgotten:
 
1.  "Word of mouth" is the best recommendation (or not).  Speak up and tell everyone you know about a job done badly, and have as many other renovation experts as possible know what’s happened(ing).

2.  "This too will pass!" Enjoy whatever you can whenever you can. (When your home is disrupted, nothing else might feel right, and it’s hard to keep things in perspective.)

3.  Circumstances aren’t always perfect and you might be less than happy with the final results.  But, nothing has to be forever.

4.  Once the chaos is over, it’s amazing how quickly you can forget about the ups and downs along the way.

The old adage, "Act in haste repent at leisure" doesn’t always work where renovations are concerned. Even when the customer has taken her time and made the right choices, unscrupulous/incompetent installers destroy quality materials.  Then, instead of accepting responsibility, they disappear. Or, they make your extended time with them so uncomfortable, you let things go—unfinished.

p.s.  Home remodelling (and its pitfalls) is obviously a hot topic, as the Today Show’s feature, "Got the Post-Remodelling Blues," (Friday March 9, 2007) demonstrates.  You can find this segment on their impressive new website (made in partnership with ivillage). Search the "features videos" on the home page (for as long as this topic is current) or send an e-mail to WT@NBC.com for further information.