Power-Washing Too Hard
Power washers are a lot of fun! There’s even video games where you get to power wash all kinds of stuff. But beware if you don’t know what you’re doing. For example, power-washing too hard around your windows can break the seals on them.
Removing Popcorn Ceilings
A lot of people really hate popcorn ceilings and decide to remove them themselves as a home improvement project. Then they end up years down the line with only some of the “popcorn” gone, because it’s actually really hard to do.
Forgetting to Turn the Water off
This one is by ohyanno on Reddit: “Not an expensive issue thank god but I decided to change my shower cartridge at 11:30pm and completely forgot to turn the water off and flooded my bathroom. After I got the water shut off and cleaned up I discovered I bought the wrong cartridge.”
Digging in Your Yard
Unfortunately, digging too deep in your yard can cause you to hit a water main, and then you’re in major trouble. It won’t just affect the house, it’ll affect you legally as well. Never dig in your yard without calling 811 first!
Not Checking the End Caps
A reddit user called psychicsword told this story about an expensive shower door: “I realize that the end caps on the bottom of the shower are in different orientations. One of them was rotated 90° compared to how it should have been. It turns out that the end caps were not square by 1/4" so when I corrected the mistake the metal bottom was too short.”
Getting Rid of Period Features
Many, many people make the mistake of thinking people don’t want period features in their house, so they update them to more modern features. Then the homebuyers end up disappointed… they wanted the cool period house, not the duller modern version.
Not Putting on Primer
It’s amazing how many people think they don’t need primer, because they do. They put the paint down and then are surprised a few months later when it starts to chip. Always use primer!
Not Measuring Thoroughly
Always measure thoroughly before installing anything, or you might end up with (say) a countertop that’s just a few inches too high. It may not bother you after a while, but it’ll probably bother the next people to buy the house.
Not Hiring Someone for Drywalls
Drywall finishing is actually very hard, far harder than the DIY forums online make it look. But people skimp out on hiring a professional because they fear it’ll cost too much, and they shouldn’t. It’s always best to hire someone who knows what they’re doing.
Cutting Down Trees by Yourself
So you have a chainsaw and you think you can cut down a tree. Nope! Never try this. Worst case scenario, it falls directly on you and kills you. Second worst, it falls on your house and destroys it. Call a tree surgeon if you want to remove a tree.
Using the Wrong Caulking
Here’s a story from jokersmadlove on Reddit: “Last weekend my husband used window caulking on our bath tub. He also went overkill on the amount. Now he has to figure out how to pull it all up and redo it with proper bath tub caulking.”
Not Using Mortar
Newfor2019 on Reddit wrote, “Did the floor of a bathroom in my basement. Bought nice expensive big tiles, which looked great, but I didn't realize I should be using mortar, instead I only used grout. Only later found out, the basement has a humidity problems and the subflooring turned out to be moist half of the time.”
Getting Paint on the Floor
Always put a drop-cloth down before painting a wall, or you could very well get paint on the floor and ruin it. Make sure all furniture is covered as well, and definitely don’t let small children or pets into the room while you’re painting.
Putting up Shelves Without a Spirit Level
Many people think that putting up shelves is one of the easiest tasks to do around the house, but they’d be wrong. Putting up shelves properly requires a spirit level, and unfortunately some people skip that step, leading to slanted shelves.
Not Filling the Bath With Water
Your bath is designed to be filled up with water, so before sealing your bath, you need to do this. This will ensure you’re able to stop leaks before they start. Many a bathroom has been ruined by improper sealing.
Drilling Into Wiring
Always make sure you know where your wires are before you start drilling into the wall. If you don’t know, you’re putting yourself and your house in a lot of serious danger. Hire an electrician if you have even the slightest doubt about the situation.
Painting Over Brick
It’s surprising how many people don’t know this: Brick needs to breathe, so you shouldn’t paint over it. You shouldn’t be painting over the weep holes either, because they allow for moisture drainage and ventilation within the cavity wall.
Not Painting Over Wood Regularly
Wooden things that are outside, door frames for example, need to be painted over regularly or they will rot. Wood is just like that – it needs human intervention to be useful for building houses. People who don’t know about this often end up with a lot of rotting wood.
Not Filling in Holes in the Wall
If you take some shelves down, there’s holes in the wall left from where they were. You can easily fill these in by using spackle, but some people simply don’t bother, and the new homeowners are very unimpressed.
Using Cheap Masking Tape
Not all masking tapes are created equal. If you buy the cheap stuff, there’s a chance paint will leak through when you paint your walls, leaving unsightly marks everywhere. Always buy the more expensive stuff when it comes to home improvement.
Putting a Foot Through Your Attic
Converting an attic takes a lot of time and it’s not easy, especially when you consider what your attic is made of. Many people have cost themselves endless time and money just by putting their foot through the rafters.
Knocking Down a Wall
Many, many people make the mistake of knocking down a wall in their home only to find out it was a supporting wall. Never attempt such complicated and dangerous DIY on your own, always call a professional for something like that.
Accidentally Losing Sealant
Here’s a cautionary tale from reddit user Amidormi: “We have sorta hard water and it was leaving residue on our marble vanity top. I soaked some paper towels in vinegar and left it around the edges of the sink where the discoloration was. That stripped the sealant or whatever off and now it's etched or whatever I did to it. Sigh.”
Not Taking a Hose off the Spigot
Something as simple as not taking a hose off the spigot can have an adverse effect on your house. Many people have accidentally left the hose on over winter and had it freeze to the spigot, leaving it stuck on there even as the seasons change.
Going With the Cheapest Contractor
If you’re hiring a professional to help you with some DIY tasks, make sure you don’t go for the cheapest. Usually that spells bad news. Instead, read reviews online and maybe do some light questioning to make sure you’re getting a good contractor.
Not Painting Well Enough
Painting isn’t for everyone. Sure, it may seem like an easy task, dipping a roller in paint and then running it up and down a wall – but not everyone has good rolling technique, and this may lead to sloppily painted walls that put people off.
Planting Trees Badly
Everyone wants easy access to greenery, but they don’t always consider where they’re planting new trees. Do they get in the way of natural light? Stop you from seeing the nearby road? Then they’re going to be a headache for new homeowners.
Messing About With Wiring
A since deleted reddit user found the following left by the old homeowners: “110v outlet tapped off a 240v dryer outlet, extension cords they’d cut and spliced to use as wiring, and the ungodly number of meaningless junction boxes they’d added to the basement. How they didn’t burn the house down during 10 years of ownership is a miracle.”
Duct Taping Leaking Pipes
If you have a leaking pipe in your house, never ever use duct tape to stop the leak. It’s a good temporary fix, but certainly not a permanent one. The new homeowners will have to fix your mistake and they won’t be happy about it.
Carpet in the Kitchen
Carpets in the kitchen are really out of fashion now. You may like them, but if you’re trying to sell your house, the last thing you want to do is put down carpet in the kitchen. Plus, it’ll get so dirty if you drop something!
Going Out of Town
Five_and_Dimer wrote on Reddit about a DIY fail: “A future customer replaced the ballcock in his second floor toilet and then went out of town. A neighbor called the police the next day when water started coming out the front door. Always call a licensed plumber.”
Not Waiting for Paint to Dry Properly
A little patience is what you need while repainting your doors. If you close them while the paint is still drying, that gets the paint on the inside of the door frame! The next homeowners will be furious with you for that.
Not Levelling Properly
If you install laminate flooring over tile without properly leveling, you’re going to get a very annoying squeaky floor. If you want to sell the house, it may be worth simply ripping everything up and trying again.
Painting Rooms in Unappealing Colors
When selling your house, you have to take into consideration that not everyone likes the same colors you do. For example, maybe you painted your bedroom hot pink… that’s going to be a really tough sell.
Painting Your House in the Wrong Weather
When painting the outside of your house, you have to take the weather into consideration. If you paint during periods of extreme heat or extreme cold, this will lead the paint to crack and peel.
