DIY Fails That Can Devalue Your Home Fast
Before you break out the toolbox for some DIY, pay attention. Some well-meaning fixes can actually hurt your home’s value, not improve it. It’s easy to get swept up in the moment and accidentally make a ruinous mistake – so read this article carefully.
Painting Without Prepping
Skipping sanding, taping, or priming might save you time now, but it just creates more work later. A bad paint job may be easily fixed, but it makes your home feel rushed, and that’s not the impression you want to give when it’s time to sell.
Removing a Bedroom for a Walk-In Closet
Turning a small bedroom into a massive closet might sound like a dream for you and your shoe collection, but it can backfire. Not everyone wants a walk-in closet, but everyone wants a bedroom. Fewer bedrooms mean fewer potential buyers.
Doing Plumbing Yourself
Tackling plumbing yourself can seem like a good way to save money… until something leaks or backs up. Worse, if it’s not up to code, a home inspector will come down on you instantly. Please, please hire a professional plumber.
Using Cheap Flooring Materials
Peel-and-stick vinyl might look fine at first, but it wears out fast and show damage easily. If you cut corners on floors, buyers assume you cut corners everywhere, and they won’t be as keen to buy your house.
Installing a Hot Tub Poorly
People get a hot tub as a status symbol but ruin it by installing it wrongly. Next thing they know, they have a massive flood in their yard. Call a professional with good reviews if you want to install a hot tub, but also bear in mind the next homeowner might not even want one.
Overdoing the Open Concept
Yeah, open spaces feel modern - until you knock down the wrong wall. Suddenly the house feels echoey, or you’ve lost a room that could’ve been an office or guest bedroom. Also… you might want to make absolutely sure it’s not a load-bearing wall.
Wild Paint Colors
You like that bright pink room, but a buyer might not. Loud colors can turn people off and make rooms feel smaller or just...weird. Sure, paint is technically easy to change, but most folks don’t want to repaint the second they move in. Stick with neutrals if you want to sell, even if you find them bland.
Badly Done Backsplashes
Tile backsplashes can upgrade a kitchen if they’re done right, but so many times they aren’t. Crooked tiles, messy grout, or even just outdated patterns can put buyers off. It’s one of those projects that looks easy to do but often turns out very differently.
Laying Tile Without Leveling First
Think you can just slap down tile and call it a day? Nope! If your floor isn’t level, the tile will (to steal from a breakfast cereal) snap, crackle, and pop. It’s not just annoying - it’s a red flag for buyers. They’ll picture the whole floor needing to be ripped up.
DIY Electrical Work
Unless you really know what you're doing, don’t mess with wires. Faulty electrical work is a huge safety issue, and many buyers know exactly what to look for when it comes to mistakes. Just call a professional, like you did with the plumbing.
Putting Carpet Over Hardwood
You’d be surprised how many people cover beautiful hardwood with cheap carpet. Maybe it felt cozy at the time, but buyers see it and wonder, “What’s underneath?” If you’ve got hardwood, show it off!
DIY Cabinets That Don’t Fit Right
The kitchen is one of the biggest selling points of your house, so you really need to get it perfect. And if you install your own cabinets and do a bad job, you could end up with a crooked-looking kitchen where the drawers barely open.
Textured Ceilings
Remember the horror of the popcorn ceiling? That was replaced by swirls, but now people don’t like that either. Buyers see textured surfaces and immediately think: “Ugh, I’ll have to scrape that off.” So no matter how much you like them, avoid them.
Cheap Bathroom Fixtures
Buyers are going to be looking very hard at your bathroom, it’s one of the most important rooms in the house after all. So don’t cheap out on fixtures! When replacing them ahead of a sale, always make sure to go for the most expensive ones.
Painting Over Problems
Covering up water stains, cracks, or mildew with a fresh coat of paint isn’t fixing the problem, it’s hiding it. And guess what? Home inspectors know the trick. Buyers too. Once they realize paint’s being used to mask issues, they’ll walk away.
Building a Deck Without Permits
Many men love to show off by building a deck - but if you skip the permits, you’re asking for trouble. Buyers (and their inspectors) want to know it’s safe and up to code. No permit? That deck might have to come down. What a waste of time.
Over-Landscaping the Yard
The yard sometimes presents a hard line to walk. Too much landscaping can actually scare off buyers. They see endless weeding, trimming, and watering, not relaxation. Plus, weird plants and cascades of exotic flowers just aren’t everyone’s thing.
Adding a Bunch of “trendy” Features
A sliding barn door? Floating vanities and vessel sinks? They were cool once but not anymore. The thing is, trends fade fast. If your house is packed with yesterday’s “hot” features, buyers will just see a ton of stuff that they have to pull out and replace.
Bad Caulking Jobs
Sloppy caulk lines around tubs, sinks, or windows might seem like a very minor issue – but potential buyers will definitely notice them. Before inviting anyone into your home to have a look around, make sure the caulking is as perfect as it can be.
Installing Your Own Windows
Replacing windows is no joke. If they’re crooked, drafty, or don’t seal properly – and all that stuff is hard to do on the first go-around - you’re asking for moisture problems and high energy bills. Buyers will be looking hard at the windows, so get an experienced person to replace them, don’t do it yourself.
Mismatched Flooring
Mixing tile, laminate, and carpet in every room might’ve seemed “creative,” but to buyers, it just feels chaotic. Choppy flooring makes the home feel smaller and dizzying. Buyers will take one look at it and just think about how much it will cost to replace.
DIY Shelving That Sags
Floating shelves look awesome… unless they’re crooked or sagging under pressure. Poorly installed shelves scream “YouTube tutorial gone wrong,” and buyers immediately wonder what else was DIY’d poorly.
Over-The-Top Smart Home Stuff
Maybe you like tech, but beware of going overboard. Turning your house into a tech lab with a dozen remotes and voice commands for every light switch can overwhelm buyers. Especially if it’s a bunch of random brands that don’t work well together.
Unpermitted Garage Conversions
Turning the garage into a game room or extra bedroom might seem smart, until a buyer says, “Where do I park the car?” If it’s not done professionally and with permits, it could lower your home’s value. People love garages, even if it’s just for storage.
Skipping Ventilation in Bathrooms
If you fix up your bathroom but forget proper ventilation, you’re in big trouble. You’re basically building a mildew factory. Buyers know that bad ventilation equals moisture problems, and that means trouble down the line. They’ll turn and walk.
Using the Wrong Paint Finish
Flat paint in a high-traffic hallway? Glossy paint on a ceiling? Yep - paint finish matters more than you think. The wrong sheen can get grimy and mucky fast. Buyers might not know why something feels off, and maybe even you won’t at first, but eventually the mistake will become obvious.
DIY Fireplace Makeovers Gone Wrong
Painting over brick, adding peel-and-stick tile, or installing a weird mantle can take a classic fireplace from cozy to a complete mess. Buyers love a good fireplace… but not when it looks like an arts-and-crafts experiment gone wrong.
Bad Grout Work
Grout might seem like a tiny detail, but you’ve better believe buyers will be peering at it with a magnifying glass. Cracked grout can let water seep in where it shouldn’t, and moldy spots put people off right away.
Going Wild With Wallpaper
Wallpaper is making a comeback, but that doesn’t mean you should go nuts with it. Bold prints in every room doesn’t work, and you need to be absolutely sure you’re hanging the wallpaper right as well. Stick to one accent wall and maybe think about hiring a professional.
Neglecting Storage Space
Turning closets into reading nooks or removing them for “open space” sounds fun… until people realize there’s nowhere to put their stuff anymore. Storage is a huge selling point. Mess with it too much and buyers will turn their nose up.
Ignoring Curb Appeal
No matter how great the inside looks, a messy lawn or peeling paint on the front door can send buyers running. Spending a little time tidying up outside is one of the easiest ways to boost your home’s value and make people want to see more.
Installing Shoddy Lighting Fixtures
A funky chandelier you found on eBay might feel unique, but if it’s cheap-looking or doesn’t fit the room, it can kill the vibe and thus the sale. Bad lighting makes spaces feel dark or awkward, and buyers pick up on that instantly.
Overdoing Wall Repairs
Patching holes and cracks is obviously important, but over-sanding, over-patching, or painting over patches without blending can make walls look patchy or uneven. Buyers will notice the problem instantly.
Forgetting to Fix Doors That Don’t Close Right
A door that sticks, won’t latch, or bangs shut might sound minor, but it sends a message that the home isn’t well cared for. Buyers hate those little annoyances because they hint at bigger problems. Make sure doors open, close, and lock smoothly before inviting anyone in.
Skimping on Insulation
This one’s sneaky because it’s usually hidden - but bad insulation can ruin your home’s energy efficiency. Buyers notice high utility bills and drafty rooms. If you DIY, make sure your insulation is up to snuff, especially in attics and basements.
