11 DIY Home Hacks That Will Cost You More Money in the Long Run

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DIY projects are always fun to do and it brings about saving a few bucks and sprucing up our place or a home in one go! For some reason, there’s a feeling of satisfaction that comes along with getting the toolbox, rolling up your sleeves, and for a few hours, thinking you can take on any home improvement with layer of creativity and elbow grease. However, not all hacks are as penny-pinching as they look, in fact there are some DIY solutions that could actually set you back more in terms of repairs, replacements, maintenance than if you had just hired a professional in the first place.

On social media, there are so many picture perfect makeovers out there to tempt you to DIY, with big plans and grand visions. It’s easy to be caught up in the hype, and make some mistakes that costs you a bit of cash. Below, we look at some DIY home projects that can become money pits if you’re not careful.

Painting Countertops

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Replacing countertops is a costly undertaking, but painting them is a trendier low cost alternative that is considered a short term solution. DIY countertop paint may look chic at first, but little bit of wear and tear quickly have a toll on it. Painted counters get scraped, scuffed, etc. and over time the paint begins to chip, fade and stain. Think also of the time you’ll lose when you have to redo the whole thing or replace the countertop because you’re going to do it a bunch more times and it’s going to add up to way more than what you had in mind.

Peel-and-Stick Tiles

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There are also peel and stick tiles that are really popular as a quick splash of style without the commitment. However, these tiles are notorious for peeling, warping, and shifting, particularly where they’re humid — like bathrooms. Every time you remove and replace them it gets expensive. Eventually you’re paying a lot more for constant replacements and if you decide to switch to traditional tiles, that’s still a lot of money.

DIY Plumbing Repairs

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Like everyone else, we all want to save ourselves from those hefty plumbing bills, but tackling plumbing on your own can get just as bad. Even a leaky faucet or clogged drain might be mere children’s play, but plumbing systems are not what you’d expect them to be. One mistake, and you’ll sustain water damage and you’ll have to make an emergency call to a plumber. It’s not a money saving win really.

Homemade Cleaning Products

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It seems smart, eco-friendly, and cost effective to make your own cleaning solutions. However, not all DIY cleaners are as effective as commercial products — you’ll need to apply more cleaning power to get the same result. Even worse, some of the ingredient combos can actually damage surfaces. For example, if you use vinegar on natural stone it can corrode, and baking soda can scratch finishes. It can literally drain your wallet to merely repair, or replace, the damaged areas.

Refinishing Wood Floors Yourself

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Refinishing wood floors seems like a great fun and rewarding project on paper. DIY refinishing kits never live up to the great finish that a professional gives. Without an even sanding, and scars of bad staining or botched sealing, floors can look worse than before and need touch ups sooner. And then there’s the cost of new supplies, repairs (if needed), and possibly even professional refinishing, something that could really run up against your budget when you’re doing this as a DIY project.

DIY Electrical Work

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Of course, electrical diy might sound exciting if you’ve got the skills, but it is dangerous—and expensive if you screw up. Electrical mistakes can end up with fried circuits and with fire hazards, and most insurance companies won’t cover the fire damage if you do a DIY electrical project. Not to mention, the other cost involved will be having to hire an electrician to correct any mistakes that you may have made. This will be much more expensive than having to call them in the first place.

Installing New Light Fixtures

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Changing a light fixture may seem like a simple swap: remove the old one and wire the new in, right? Wrong. Doing it yourself with an electrical installation often results in poor wiring connection, faulty grounding or overloaded circuit. Don’t make the mistake of doing it wrong, you could end up with flickering lights, blown fuses or a safety hazard. Repairs after these mistakes are expensive, and it would be much less to pay an electrician to do the work than to fix a botched DIY job.

Reusing Old Cabinet Hardware

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A seemingly harmless idea involving repurposing old cabinet handles or hinges to save a little cash can quickly end up costing you more money. Loose, squeaky or sticky handles make cabinets harder to use which is annoying at best and can be an expensive repair bill. It’s often better to invest right up front in quality hardware.

DIY Gutter Cleaning

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It doesn’t usually cost much to have a professional gutter clean, but trying to do it yourself can be expensive. This can result in falling, damaging the gutters, or simply skipping the opportunity to find the soiling, leaking or loose brackets you need to correct. These issues can go unnoticed, leading to water damage, mold, and foundation issues that will cost much more to fix than the cost of a pro gutter cleaning.

Sealing With Cheap Caulking

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As a DIY task, caulking seems so simple that there can’t be much that can go wrong, but a lack of quality can be an expensive oversight. Caulking breaks down quickly, especially where there is moisture, like in the bathroom. Water leaking into cracks allows mold and mildew to form if it fails. A good tube of high quality caulk in the first place fixes leaky caulk a lot cheaper than it costs to fix water damage from leaky caulk.

Painting Over Wallpaper

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You may have thought covering old wallpaper with a fresh coat of paint would be time saving; however, according to Southern Living, over time it will peel, bubble and the texture will be uneven. The paint can draw moisture from the wallpaper, loosening its adhesive, and the wallpaper can come off in chunks. It may be a hassle to remove the wallpaper first, but it will eliminate the amount of effort you’ll have to put into redoing the whole wall later.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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