Contractor Fails, Investor Wins: The Truth About Setbacks

“You’re gonna be pissed.” That’s literally how my property manager opened the call. Not exactly the words you want to hear when you’re in the middle of a full-scale remodel on a rental you’re planning to sell. We’re talking bathroom, kitchen, flooring, paint, a second bathroom downstairs—the works. To top it off, we were converting a bonus room in the basement into a legal fourth bedroom. That meant cutting a hole in the foundation for an egress window. And where did the contractors put it? In the family room. Not the new bedroom. Yep, we paid for a giant window in the wrong room.

I wish I could say that was our only headache on that project. But if you’ve been in real estate long enough, you know: things go wrong. Contractors mess up. Tenants call at midnight. Appraisals come in low. It’s not a question of if something will frustrate you, it’s when. And in the moment, it feels like your whole investing plan is falling apart.

But here’s the truth I’ve learned: mistakes and setbacks don’t kill your wealth-building journey unless you quit. That egress fiasco? We'll fix it. The project will still sell. We'll still make money. Is it annoying? Absolutely. But real estate isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Every bump in the road is just part of the tuition you pay on the way to financial freedom. And if you can stomach the chaos, the reward on the other side is worth it.