Honestly, I get where you’re coming from. I’m pretty new to this whole renovation thing, and the payment side has been way more stressful than I expected. That feeling when someone just disappears after you’ve done all the work… it’s rough. I totally agree that splitting payments into milestones helps, but like you said, it doesn’t always solve the “vanishing act” problem.
I tried the late fee route too—didn’t really do much except make things awkward. People either ignore it or act like you’re being unreasonable for wanting to get paid on time. The clause about holding back final stuff until payment clears is something my contractor suggested, and even though it felt a bit harsh at first, it’s honestly made things smoother. It’s not personal—it’s just business, right? If someone gets weird about it, that usually tells me all I need to know about how reliable they’ll be.
One thing that helped me was being super clear about expectations from day one. Like, spelling out in writing exactly when payments are due and what happens if they’re late—no surprises. And yeah, making things more personal can help sometimes. I had one client who kept dodging emails, but when I called him up and just chatted for five minutes, he paid that same day. Guess some folks just need a little nudge to remember there’s a real person on the other end.
It’s definitely not easy or fun dealing with late payments, but it does get less stressful once you’ve got your process down. You’re not being unreasonable for protecting yourself—if anything, you’re just learning how to avoid getting burned again. Hang in there; sounds like you’re already doing most of the right things.
Man, I feel this in my soul. It’s wild how chasing payments sometimes feels like a full-time job on top of the actual work. I’ve started putting “payment due before keys/finishing touches” in bold, underlined, and practically neon—awkward at first, but it’s saved me so much hassle. People who get offended by that? Usually the ones who would’ve ghosted anyway. It’s business, not charity.
I totally get where you’re coming from. I just wrapped up my first big reno and chasing down that final payment was honestly more stressful than picking tile or dealing with delays. I was nervous about being too “strict” with payment terms, but after getting burned once, I’m rethinking it. It’s awkward, but you’re right—if someone’s offended by clear terms, that’s a red flag. Still feels weird to be so upfront, though… guess it’s just part of learning the ropes.
