We have close on a home in Lake Worth at the end of the month. It is a small home, but we've got big plans, including a new kitchen, impact windows, and a backyard oasis with a pre-cast Plungie pool.

The big challenge we have is that we will not be on site. We have been doing some sort of remodel for the last four years, between our primary home and a historic preservation project that I ran from start to finish for my office. So, I do not have any problem communicating exactly what I want. In fact, I have already done 3D renderings of the kitchen, the window elevations, and the backyard pool/deck/porch. We have the the details down to size, style and function of each cabinet we want. Same with windows. I have found that a lot of contractors don't particularly enjoy working with someone who knows exactly what they want. On our home, our custom cabinet maker pushed back immensely about spice pullouts and a magic corner he had never done or seen before. A year later, I came across a review of him from another client who was raving about how he was so helpful with space saving ideas like her magic corner she just loved. LOL. Of course, we are open to feedback from a structural perspective, "we have to change this window type for egress" etc, but being told things like "People don't do casement windows here, you need to do sliders..." Five. Flipping. Times. That gets old real fast. We have one contractor we have been talking to. It was not someone I found through personal referrals, though, so I'd love to hear from you all.