There’s something deeply fulfilling about dreaming, designing, and finally completing your own home renovations, and best of all, they can often add a lot of value to your home. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s going to be an easy ride–in reality, home renovations can often be pretty stressful, especially when they don’t add much value to your home. So, we’re here today to point you in the right direction–here is a list of home renovations that will cause more stress than they’re worth.
Kitchen Overhauls That Overwhelm
A lot of Americans dream of renovating their kitchen, but not just part of it–they want a complete overhaul. However, it’s usually a lot more stressful than they realize it’s going to be, often due to cost overruns, supply delays, and general inconveniences. In fact, kitchens are widely known as one of the most disruptive home projects, with homeowners frequently facing unexpected expenses, which we can all agree are stressful.
Bathroom Remodels Gone Awry
Bathrooms are especially prone to hidden plumbing issues and mold, turning what might seem like a simple upgrade into a complex repair. It’s very common for bathroom remodels to exceed budgets significantly, leaving many homeowners dealing with higher-than-expected stress. So, while renovating a bathroom may sound refreshing, it can quickly turn into an expensive maze of problems lurking behind walls.
Adding Extra Rooms that Disrupt
Another home renovation that will cause more stress than it’s worth is adding extra rooms, which you might think seems like a worthwhile expansion. In reality, though, the process of doing this is rarely straightforward; noise, dust, and extended project timelines make it hard to enjoy the idea of a new space, especially with all of those costs piling up. Sure, you might love your new rooms once they’re complete, but you certainly would have lived through a nightmare to get to this point.
Basement Conversions That Drain You
Initially, it might seem pretty simple to convert a basement into a usable space, but unfortunately, this can often be more stressful than it seems due to moisture issues. Waterproofing, insulation, and ventilation are non-compromises when it comes to basement work, but even with these measures, unforeseen costs and contractor troubles are common.
Open Floor Plans That Fall Flat
There are few more stressful home renovations out there than to knock down a wall or two, even if the end goal is to create an open, relaxed layout. The real problem here is that if something goes wrong, it’s not just a slip-up, but your home’s structural integrity at stake. Unfortunately, even if you endure the stress of completing an open floor plan renovation, it’s quite likely that you’ll feel uncomfortable after discovering the lack of privacy and escape that the types of rooms lead to.
Installing Skylights that Leak
Everyone can agree that there’s something truly stunning about skylights, especially when they bring lovely natural light to an otherwise dingy room. However, if they’re not installed correctly, they can be a nightmare, resulting in roof leaks and, ultimately, costly repairs. Therefore, this renovation is renowned for being a maintenance headache, especially in regions with heavy rainfall–it’s just not worth the stress!
Floor Replacements That Wreck Routine
People often find that replacing floors is a lot more disruptive and costly than they initially expected, especially if they’re using materials like hardwood or tile. Furthermore, dust and noise are frequent complaints, and rooms become off-limits during the installation, which leads to a whole lot of inconvenience. Ultimately, a lot of people find the lengthy ordeal of this renovation project to be so stressful that they end up longing for the old floors they once had.
High-Maintenance Landscaping That Takes Over
If there’s one word we could use to describe high-maintenance landscaping, it would be “impressive,” but certainly not “manageable.” Yes–unless you have a dedicated gardener, we have to say that the relentless care that ambitious landscaping projects depend on can quickly drive people crazy. This is especially the case considering that such projects are designed as relaxing retreats, yet you’ll simply end up with a yard that demands more time and energy than you have.
Installing Heated Floors that Freeze Your Budget
Anyone who has ever walked on a heated floor can agree that the feeling is quite luxurious, but is it worth it? Well, not really–installing heated floors is expensive, difficult to repair, and a serious headache during installation, with maintenance typically requiring the tearing up of flooring for days on end. Sure, the warmth on chilly days is nice, but unless you live in an area where it’s cold most of the time, this desirable renovation is probably just going to make you wonder why you ever opted for it.
Closet Expansions That Cram Your Space
As your family (and outfit collection) grows, it might feel necessary to start building a larger closet. When it comes down to it, though, you have to ask yourself–is this really an essential project? The reason that this is important to ask is that such a renovation offers a very low return on investment, and the necessary structural alterations, such as wall removal, can leave surrounding areas feeling cramped and hard to justify.
Installing Fancy Smart Home Systems That Fail
These days, smart home tech is all the rage, yet you’ll likely find that all the convenience it offers you is a facade. You can expect constant troubleshooting, disruptive software updates, and connectivity issues, not to mention the “next big thing” seemingly coming out every other month. Ultimately, the stress of fighting with a not-so-smart ecosystem of technology can feel infuriating, especially when it’s supposed to make your life easier.
Tiling Projects That Try Your Patience
Seeing someone else completing a tiling project can sometimes make it look pretty easy. Actually, though, it’s highly labor-intensive and requires precision, and a lot of people struggle to handle these aspects. Alignment, grout, and cleanup are just three of the challenges you will find yourself dealing with, turning what you thought would be a weekend job into a multi-week hassle.
Roof Replacements That Hit Hard
Out of all the renovations on this list, roof replacements are one of the costliest financially, and that’s not even considering the hassle they involve when it comes to noise pollution and weather-related delays. It’s very common for homeowners to face unexpected expenses once work starts, so though you might consider it to be a necessary project, the noise, and disruption can leave you realizing it wasn’t so urgent after all.
Cabinet Redesigns That Fall Short
You’d be surprised at how quickly replacing or refacing cabinets can become stressful, and it’s all due to the custom orders and fitting issues that these projects are associated with. Delays in supply chains and the hassle of coordinating with contractors mean this seemingly simple upgrade often drags on. Therefore, when you’re still waiting weeks later, it’s easy to wonder if your old cabinets were really that bad.
Complex Paint Jobs That Go Awry
Accent walls or elaborate paint designs might seem like fun projects to work on, but the novelty wears thin rather quickly as touch-ups and cleanup become a regular chore. Worse still, mistakes are common, even for experienced painters, so while a fresh coat may lift a room’s look, dealing with complex designs may leave you more stressed than relieved.
Replacing Windows That Wipe Out Your Wallet
There are all sorts of benefits to replacing your windows, including improved energy efficiency, insulation, and aesthetics. However, they come with high upfront costs and a risk of installation errors, causing complaints about improper fitting and high costs to be common. Yes, you’ll save some cash on energy bills from new windows, but it will take years to recover the initial expense, so there might be more worthwhile renovations for you to consider.
Adding Expensive Decking That Demands Upkeep
Decks add outdoor entertaining space that families adore–at least initially. After the initial honeymoon period, it dawns on most people that they require a lot of regular maintenance, including cleaning and sealing. Over time, upkeep can become burdensome and costly, and you’ll likely spend more time looking after your decking than you do actually using it, so think hard and long before you commit to this renovation.