15 Costly DIY Home Improvements That Aren’t Worth It
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There are times when improving your home may feel empowering. After all who doesn’t add their own personal touch to make their space seem more like them. The truth is, however, not every do-it-yourself project will result in you saving money in the long run. In fact, many of the DIY efforts you may try can end up more expensive and undone. These tasks appeal to many homeowners and they rush in and before you know it they find themselves in regret, frustration and unexpected expenses.
Upgrades can look simple on Pinterest or shown on a YouTube tutorial, but soon become unmanageable beasts. Here are 15 DIY home improvements that would make sense to do yourself, on paper, but which often result in hefty bills, unanticipated mishaps, and constant calls to the professionals.
Bathroom Tile Work
Replacing bathroom tiles may sound a simple job – simply pull off the old tiles, slap the new ones down and you’ve done it! The thing about a minor alignment error in your bathroom, is that it becomes incredibly frustrating and your bathroom starts looking amateurish. Incidentally, water damage and the development of mold can be a result of improper sealing. This is one project you will want to hire an expert to take care of.
Refinishing Hardwood Floors
A way to give your space a fresh look is by sanding and refinishing the hardwood floor but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Sanding floors is expensive, and renting the equipment is even more expensive, Plus if you don’t know what you’re doing … you can very easily end up with a floor that is not only uneven, but scratched. Also, stains and finishes have to be applied correctly to avoid an unsightly result. Only one slip up and you could find yourself spending more than you had to on a costly redo.
New Lighting Fixtures Installation
Changing lighting can greatly affect a space and swapping out fixtures can seem easy (although not cheap), as it’s about changing wires. But of course, there’s danger in electrical work. Small mistakes, even mismatched wires, and poor grounding, can be safety hazards. Being without a licensed electrician to help you with your lighting project is bad news—for the lights, anyway.
Knocking Down Walls
Nothing seems more open concept than knocking down walls. The risk of accidentally crushing a load bearing wall is too high and if you should end up crushing one, you’re looking at thousands of dollars in structural repairs. In addition, there’s also the likelihood of interrupted hidden electrical, plumbing, or HVAC systems in the walls, which will cause serious headaches.
Outdoor Deck Building
The idea of building a deck seems like the perfect weekend project doesn’t it? Power tools, fresh air and the promise of outdoor BBQs all summer long. Decks however have strict structural requirements to be safe and durable. If you don’t have the right tools, knowledge or expertise you could end up with an uneven, unsafe or constantly failing deck. Not to mention, permits are often required and there are many regulations per say, and without a pro they can be tricky to navigate.
Installing New Windows
Window installation isn’t for the faint of heart, this requires precision, patience and even a reasonable amount of strength. Drafts, water leaks and security are all a possibilities with poorly installed windows. Even small errors here can make for big problems in terms of energy costs and home safety. Make sure they’re fitted and sealed properly by a professional.
Plumbing Work
DIY plumbing may sound easy until you do it wrong and find yourself ankle deep in water. Frequent errors in plumbing are likely to result in leakage, water damage, and according to The Pink Plumber, mold growth, and may even result in emergency services. Unless it’s something small and manageable, most plumbing projects are best left to the pros.
Wall-Mounted Shelving
Installing wall-mounted shelving sounds easy, but according to Weekand, if you aren’t careful, shelves can come crashing down at the worst time. Without having a fast response, a single screw out of place could end up being a mess of drywall dust and broken things. Don’t dive into this “easy” project without first checking to see what type of wall you have, what weight limits you’ll need to support, and what tools you’ll need.
Roof Repairs
Patching small leak does seem easy but roofing is one of the most dangerous areas to DIY. Not only does a bad repair increase the risk of falling, the improper repair also puts your roof vulnerable to future leaks, pest infestations, and water damage. If the repair isn’t done perfectly, the cost to fix a crappy repaired roof can be crazy.
DIY Landscaping Overhaul
The dream is to create a lush, green landscape, but most DIY landscaping can quickly turn into a nightmare. Choosing plants that will thrive in your climate may seem like a no brainer, but as you will find, there is more science to this then meets the eye. Bad landscaping doesn’t just look bad, it can cost you money in ongoing maintenance, and wasted investment.
Flooring Installation
Laying down new floors can seem like something you can do on your own, but there are a lot of materials, tools and techniques that are involved. Bad flooring, uneven flooring or poorly laid boards can be a tripping hazard but they also wear down much too easily. Generally speaking, flooring installation is best left to pros, who are used to using specialized equipment that gets the job done correctly.
Crown Molding Installation
Crown molding is elegant and creates beautiful detail for any room, but DIY installation means knowing precise measurements and being able to cut miter joints. If the color on the corners doesn’t match up with each of the other corners, or the molding isn’t mounted properly, the molding will look cheap rather than classy.
Building a Concrete Patio
Mix together, pour it down and smooth and that sounds easy enough. However, concrete demands extremely precise preparation, particularly if you are looking for it to stay intact without cracking or sinking. Your new patio could come out looking uneven and unprofessional if you don’t have a good foundation and leveling. Once the concrete is set there’s no easy fix.
Adding an Attic Bedroom
The temptation to convert an attic into a bedroom is great, but so are the head-scratching building codes, insulation needs and electrical requirements of such a project. It often isn’t realized by many homeowners how much work and how many resources are involved in making an attic space comfortable and safe for living. It’s a big project that’s always good left to contractors.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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