9 Biggest Home Renovation Regrets & How To Avoid Them

Getting to the point in life where you can renovate your home is super exciting, but let's be real, it's probably going to be a bumpy ride. Whether it is doing things in the wrong order or making design choices that don't quite work out, many homeowners wish they had done things differently. In this video, we're diving into 9 of the biggest renovation regrets so you can avoid them from the get-go. First up, let's talk about order, because it is very important. The order where work gets done is totally different to how the selections are made. Don't just sit back and wait until it's time to install something before you make a decision. Trust me, there's nothing worse than scrambling to pick a backsplash when your contractor is ready to go and you've got no clue what tile you want. Ideally, you want to pick out every finish before you start, and make sure they all play nice together. Most people think paint color comes first, especially for walls or cabinets, but if you stop for a second and actually think about it, your option for countertops, tiles, and floorings are way more limited than your paint colors. Getting that tile to work with paint is much harder than the other way around. So, here's the order I'd recommend. If you're doing a full reno, start by choosing your window frame colors, because that is likely what your builder is going to order first. I strongly suggest going with white or paintable interior frames, no matter what the exterior color is. Because if you go with non-paintable color, you'll have to use that color in your decorating for decades to come, which you know, can be quite limiting if you want to change things up. Next up, flooring. I recommend going for a wood or wood look in a light to medium natural tone. Dark floors might look chic at first, but I find that they always end up looking dirty with dust and scratches. I'd also steer clear of gray and charcoal floors as they're going out of trend, and ones that have very busy grains as they'll limit your decorating options. But you know what? It is your home, so if you like them, you can do whatever you want. Just be mindful of the limitations. Then there's the fireplace. If you've got one, make sure it fits the style of your home and kitchen. After that, pick out your kitchen countertops, since your choices here are tighter due to budget and material constraints. Light countertops, especially off-white, are the most versatile as they give you the most freedom when it comes to cabinet and wall colors. If you're opting for natural materials, be mindful of the veining and how those colors play with everything else. Now, onto the cabinets. If you're dreaming of a white kitchen, make sure your cabinet white works with your countertop white. For example, if you've got a quartz countertop with a more muted appearance, off-white cabinets with a warm or creamy tone will look amazing. But if you've got a Carrara marble countertops, go for true white or blue-white cabinets to match the cooler tones. If colored cabinets are more your style, plan out your living or dining area first and pull colors from your main furnishings for the cabinets. It is way easier to tie in a paint color to upholstery than the other way around. And last but not least, the backsplash. I'm all for timeless here. A lot of people try to make a statement with their backsplash, but then play it safe with a neutral sofa. But if you think about it, changing up your furniture is way easier than redoing a backsplash. Now, you can safely pick your wall paint colors. If you've got an open plant space, stick to a pale neutral that flows throughout. But if your rooms are separated by passageways, you've got way more freedom. Let the undertones of your big furnishings guide the exact shade of your paint. But if you haven't picked those out yet, you can base it on your countertops or other fixed finishes. If you've gone with my advice on timeless wood floors, you don't need to worry about them. But if your flooring isn't neutral, consider its undertone as well. A lot of people get caught up in the looks of their home without giving a second thought to how it will actually work day to day. This usually translates to a lack of storage space. Sure, you've got a wardrobe and maybe a linen closet. But where does everything else go? One spot that is often overlooked is a broom or utility closet. I've seen people spend a fortune on high-end kitchens but then have nowhere to store their broom and vacuum. Entryway is another one. And if you have the space, maybe consider built-in solutions that will provide you extra storage and functionality. And then there's also many who design with form over function. I once saw this kitchen where they were so focused on keeping everything symmetrical and having matching drawers on each side that they didn't even think about how deep those needed to be. The drawers ended up being so shallow that only a few plates or bowls could fit in them. And pants and other appliances had no chance of fitting. But you know what? Functionality is not just about storage. A lot of people completely overlook their floor plan and how the space flows. Can you move around easily? Does the door swing open without smacking into something else? Are there power outlets in accessible locations? Or you know, even something as simple as not mounting your TV this high. This all comes down to spending more time in the planning stage and not just rushing into the so-called fun stuff, like choosing the color of your tiles or buying a new sofa. Speaking of function and getting the most out of your space, I've found a fun way to create functional items tailored to my needs with the help of the Bamboo Lab A1 3D printer, who is the sponsor of today's video. I've been using it to print all sorts of items around the house, which I've been using to organize little supplies from my office, like paperclips and page markers. As a total beginner to the world of 3D printing, I like how easy it is to use the Bamboo Lab A1. The printer handles all the calibrations automatically, so all you need to do is click print to send the file to the printer and watch as the magic happens. The same way you'd print a paper document. Last week, I got myself a bunch of new books and I needed a bookend to keep them upright. As I was browsing to buy a new bookend, I thought, why not find something unique and print one myself? And so I did. This model is called The Thinker, which is inspired by the real statue in Musée Rodin in Paris. It is different from a typical bookend and I find it fitting for a bookshelf. The best part is you don't even need to know 3D modeling to get started. There's thousands of models that you can copy from places like Makerworld, which is what I did with the Savage Law Shirt in Makerworld. The Bamboo A1 has a minimalist look to it, which I really like, and there's a decent-sized touchscreen, which I find really easy to navigate with. You can also get the AMS light attachment for the Bamboo A1 like I did here to get multi-color printing, which allows up to four colors at the same time. Installing the spool is also really easy. Just pop them in and insert them into the tube feeder. Here's a screw gauge that I printed with two color profiles, which has been really useful for all my DIYs around the house. It's pretty surreal how easy it is to just make stuff come to life. If you're looking to get into 3D printing, I think this is the perfect machine to get started. It has all the features you need and more, with ease of operation that is second to none. You can check out the Bamboo Lab A1 via the link in description. Thanks again to Bamboo Lab for sponsoring today's video. Will this increase my resale value or will it scare off future buyers? This is probably one of the most common phrases I hear from people in the midst of renovating their home. But here's the thing, I believe that you should always design your home for you and your family to enjoy, not for some future buyer who may or may not exist down the road. Now, if you're renovating to flip their house, then sure, you'll want to pick whatever is in at the moment to make the sale easier. But when it comes to your own home, even if it is not your forever place, don't stress too much about trends and what some future buyer might think. Whoever that buyer is, if they even show up in 10 years, will probably want to change things up anyway. I've also seen homeowners do last minute renovations just before moving out to increase their resale value, only to regret not having done that while they were living in the space. Doing a renovation sooner means that you and your family get to enjoy it as well. That said, I'll also advise against going gung-ho on choosing trendy or really bold permanent finishes. Not that you can't, but just be mindful if you're someone who may regret it down the line. Which brings me to my next point. No matter how big or small your renovation is, it is never a good idea to only look at samples without seeing the actual material. This is especially important for natural stones like marble, soapstone, or granite, because there's so much variations in them. A small sample simply can't give you the full picture of how the entire slab will look. You need to go into the warehouse, see the slab in person, and pick the one that catches your eye. And don't forget to bring samples of your potential paint or cabinetry along with you. This is a great opportunity to see if they will work well together. That being said, you can't get away with only looking at small samples for man-made materials like laminate or porcelain, because they're more consistent. Fixed finishes like flooring, tiles, and backsplashes are supposed to last for decades. They're very hard to replace, which is why I always tell anyone who is renovating to look past trends. The problem is that most big box stores are filled with finishes that are hot and trendy at the moment, so it is very easy to get caught up in what is popular right now. What is worse is that the trend cycle for something like tiles is usually quite short, meaning that if you pick what is trendy at the moment, it will quickly look dated. Just take a look at all the pencil tiles installed back in 2010. They're definitely out of style now. If you're unsure, I'll suggest sticking with the safe choice to avoid regrets later. Classic white or cream tiles and light to medium wood flooring like oak, ash, or maple are all timeless choices. If that sounds boring to you, try to play with textures. For example, patterns like herringbone or kitkat. Treat your fixed finishes like the canvas for a painting, rather than a painting itself. You can always go bold with your decor and accent pieces. Now this is just my personal recommendation, and there's nothing wrong with choosing bold finishes, because they can stand out and look wonderful. But just be mindful whether you're choosing it because you actually like it, or because of some outside influences. If you've ever watched Grand Designs, you'll know that one of Kevin MacLeod's favorite questions over the decades he's produced the show is, have you ever gone over budget? And let's be real, more often than not, the build has gone over. Renovators who don't budget properly almost always run out of money or end up overcapitalizing, which are both very stressful situations to be in. You don't want to be forced to sell an unfinished property and end up with a loss, or worse, cutting corners on the final touches because you have no money left. So do yourself a favor and make a solid budget before you kick things off. And remember to include a buffer of 15 to 20% on top of your budget for when things inevitably hit the fan, because trust me, they will. And you know what? If the universe aligns and everything goes smoothly, you can treat yourself to a nice vacation with that extra money. When picking out high maintenance materials like marble or soapstone counters, it is important to keep in mind that what looks amazing in those glossy magazines is different from reality. Let's be real, those people probably aren't doing much cooking or cleaning in their own kitchens anyway. Now, I'm not saying you should totally avoid these materials, but it is a good idea to take a bit of time to explore all the options out there before you dive in. Think about how they look, the cost, their pros and cons, how sustainable they are, how durable they will be, and whether they're a good fit for your needs. Everyone has got their own thing going on, so just because something works for one person, doesn't mean it will work for you too. I have a series of videos on low maintenance homes so you can check that out if you're interested. Doing this little bit of extra research is really all it takes to make your home stand out from the standard builder grade finishes. If you leave everything up to the builders, they'll likely default to what they always use, which might not be the best in terms of how it looks or how it works for you. Whether you're diving into a rental solo or with a partner, communication is key to getting a finished product that you're happy with. If it is a team effort, make sure everyone is clear on who is handling what, and keep those lines of communication wide open to avoid unnecessary arguments. But what most people forget is the importance of staying in sync with their tradespeople. The problem usually comes down to not having the language to describe what you're after, and the only real way to overcome this is to become familiar with the right terms for the looks and finishes you're after. Although I suggest finding tradespeople that are experts at the specific style you want, this requires a little bit of research, like reading a few testimonials, looking at photographs of their work, and so on. You can even ask them to explain the style you're after back to you to make sure they're on the same page. Hauser would then suggest leaving town during your renovation. It may seem like the perfect chance to get away, but you're not going to get the best work out of a contractor unless you check, check, and check their work again. No one is going to care about your rental as much as you do. As the saying goes, you get what you inspect, not what you expect. Renovations can really drain your wallet, so I totally get why you'd want to cut some quarters and save a few bucks. But seriously, picking the cheapest contractor or trying to DIY the whole thing? That is not going to get you the bang for your buck you're hoping for. It'll only end up costing more when you have to redo bad work. When looking for contractors, always get at least three quotes and compare them in detail. Don't just focus on the price. Look into what is actually offered in the quote. What kind of materials is each contractor using? Why does one person need way more time to finish the job? And hey, it's totally cool to ask how busy they are and how that is going to affect the turnaround time. And finally, don't overestimate what you can do yourself. If you've done similar things before, then you might have the confidence to go for it. But if you're new to this, I want you to be super careful. Sure, you might be able to handle the basics like painting or assembling flat pegs. But beyond that, there's so many things that can go wrong. Trust me, it is worth hiring a pro for the big stuff. They'll not only do a better job, but they'll get it done way faster than you would. Your time is better spent managing the project than actually doing the construction. While you can do everything in your power to minimize mistakes and risk, it is important to remember that they're going to happen. But hey, that is part of the ride. The important thing is to roll with it, learn a little, and most of all, have fun turning your space into something amazing. If you've had any renovation regrets of your own, share them in the comments below. I'd love to hear more about it. Otherwise, check out this video on costly design mistakes to avoid, or this one before you start decorating your new home. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.