Been there myself—it's always something, isn't it? A few things I've learned the hard way:
- Always get insurance details upfront (awkward but necessary).
- Document everything with photos, even if it seems minor.
- Expect at least one surprise issue per project—it's practically a law of DIY building.
Sounds like you're handling it well though. Hang in there, it'll be worth it once you're finally settled in...
Couldn't agree more about documenting everything—saved my sanity more than once. Learned the hard way on insurance too, awkward conversations beat awkward surprises any day. You're right though, once the dust settles, it's totally worth it...at least that's what I keep telling myself, haha.
"awkward conversations beat awkward surprises any day."
Couldn't have said it better myself. Couple things I'd add from experience:
- Always double-check exactly what's covered—fine print can be sneaky.
- Don't assume builder's insurance covers your personal property or temporary housing if things go sideways.
- And yeah, documenting is key, but also keep a running log of conversations/emails. Saved me big-time when memories conveniently got fuzzy...
Still skeptical about the "totally worth it" part, but fair enough, haha.
Yeah, learned the hard way myself when a pipe burst during our reno. Assumed builder's insurance had us covered—nope. Ended up footing the bill for temporary housing and damaged furniture. Definitely second the advice about keeping track of conversations; saved my sanity when things got messy. Also, never hurts to ask directly about specifics upfront... awkward or not, it's better than scrambling later.
Yikes, that's rough—sorry you went through that. I've seen similar headaches pop up on projects I've been involved with too. One thing I've learned (sometimes the hard way) is to get everything spelled out clearly in writing right from the start. Builders' insurance can be super specific about what's covered and what's not, especially when it comes to temporary living arrangements or personal property damage.
Another helpful tip is to consider checking with your own homeowner's insurance before starting major renos, just to see what they'd cover in case of mishaps. Sometimes they'll have your back for things builder's insurance won't touch, or at least offer an add-on policy for extra peace of mind. Learned this after a client had a pretty nasty roof leak mid-reno... thankfully their own coverage kicked in.
But yeah, totally agree—asking those awkward questions upfront beats dealing with chaos later on.
