There were lots of reasons why I decided to take on so much of the renovation and construction work it took to take my run-down cottage from dark and cramped to light, bright, and spacious. In all honesty, the main factor behind the decision was the budget I working with. I had stepped into this project a little blindly, despite having renovated before.
If you are just starting out on your own fixer-upper, be aware that everything ends up costing more than you think it will and taking longer than expected. I was constantly amazed at how quickly each phase of the renovation gobbled up the money we had set aside for it.
