How?

I keep wondering how...why? How can I find so many terrible contractors? Why can nothing be done simply and without incident? Why do all my house projects turn into disasters? Do I have something stamped on my forehead that says, "Cheat me, mess up my house,"? Am I trying to do things too cheaply?

Then I have to remind myself that this is the nature of remodeling. Nothing goes right.

And I had a good reminder last night while watching TV, a show called, My Amazing Remodel.

A husband/wife bought four apartments in a Chicago highrise and remodeled them into one 3,300 square foot home. Their original budget was $800,000.00 and the completion was estimated to be a year. Five months after their forecasted completion date, they were $200,000.00 over budget and not finished. They didn't do anything cheaply, they bought the best of everything, they paid big time contractors...but everything still went wrong. So I guess these kinds of things are equal opportunity, sparing nobody - cheapsters or spendthrifts.