The part nobody warns you about: once you open walls, you discover secrets. Ours included old wiring spliced together like a science experiment and plumbing patched with duct tape. It was stressful and expensive but also necessary.
Fixing hidden issues felt boring compared to choosing finishes. But those “unseen upgrades” made the house safer and more reliable.
Renovation taught me something important: pretty doesn’t matter if the structure underneath isn’t sound.
Conclusion: Budget for the unexpected. When problems appear, fixing them now prevents bigger disasters later.
