First-time homeowner and I'm in way over my head with this fixer-upper
I bought my first house a few months ago and I was so excited to finally have a place of my own, but honestly, the reality of homeownership is hitting me hard right now. I knew the place needed some work when I bought it, but I think I seriously underestimated how much time, money, and energy it takes to actually make things happen. The kitchen cabinets are falling apart, the bathroom tiles are cracked, and there's this weird smell in the basement that I can't quite figure out. I've been watching YouTube tutorials and trying to DIY some stuff, but I'm quickly realizing that I don't have the skills or the tools to do most of this work properly. I've already made a few mistakes that ended up costing me more to fix than if I'd just hired a professional in the first place, which was a painful lesson to learn. I'm starting to accept that I need to bring in people who actually know what they're doing, but I'm nervous about finding a good team that won't take advantage of my inexperience. I've been looking for a trained home remodeling crew in Belmont that has a solid reputation and can help me tackle the most urgent projects first without breaking my already stretched budget. Has anyone here been a first-time buyer with a fixer-upper and felt completely overwhelmed? How did you find reliable contractors and how did you decide which projects to prioritize? I could really use some advice because I'm feeling pretty lost and stressed out about the whole situation.
