Most home improvement shows make renovation look easy, fast, and cheap. Kayleen McCabe spent years helping create that illusion — and then walked away from it. She's a contractor, TV host, and trades advocate who's here to show homeowners the truth: what you can actually do yourself, what you should never touch, and why the pretty stuff always has to wait.

Here's what we discuss with Kayleen:

• Maintenance first, pretty second — why foundation, plumbing, and electrical come before the kitchen you've been dreaming about

• The permits rule: anything that requires one requires a professional, full stop

• How to figure out your DIY limit — and why knowing when to stop isn't weakness

• Why you should double your budget on every first renovation before you start

• The Google rule: if you're searching whether a wall is load-bearing, you already have your answer

• What most homeowners get wrong about toilets — and the $50 fix that most people ignore until they can't

• Why the trades shortage is a homeowner problem too, and what's actually changing

• What it feels like to love your house — and how to get there

Connect: https://www.angi.com/own-it-with-angie-hicks-podcast/

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