I've been lurking on this forum for a while and finally have something to share. We just finished a full home remodel and renovation in Palo Alto and it was quite a ride. We started last spring and just got our final inspection signed off a couple of weeks ago. The project included the kitchen, two bathrooms, new flooring throughout, and a small addition. We interviewed five contractors and ended up going with a local company that a coworker recommended. They weren't the cheapest but they were the only ones who gave us a detailed schedule and stuck to it pretty closely. The budget did creep up by about fifteen percent because of some unexpected plumbing issues, but they showed us the problems before fixing them and didn't just spring it on us at the end. The worst part was living without a kitchen for two months, we ate a lot of takeout. The best part is obviously the result. I know some people say you should never live through a remodel but we did and we survived. If you're planning one, my main advice is to over communicate with your contractor and get everything in writing. Has anyone else been through this recently? I'd love to hear how yours went.