6 Home Improvement Fails and Their Solutions

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Updated on October 9th, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Home improvement, like other industries, holds room for error. Many homeowners embark on projects by themselves or unknowingly hire unreliable home professionals. In either case, mishaps occur that leave an undesired result. Below are some of the most common home improvement fails and how to avoid them:

No. 1: Going large in a small bathroom

cramped bathroom
Photo credit: A Pro Cleaning, Inc.

When homeowners decide to upgrade or improve a small bathroom, one of the most common mistakes they make is installing full-sized fixtures – a full sink, a big toilet, huge lighting fixtures, you name it. The end result is a cramped, awkward bathroom that can’t fit everything. To fix this problem, a homeowner might need to spend hundreds of dollars to replace fixtures with their small bathroom counterparts – low-profile toilets, narrow sinks and smaller light fixtures. But the end result will be a more open, easily navigable space.

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No. 2: Neglecting to consider lighting

Many homeowners remodel bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms to make them bigger, but they often forget an integral piece: the lighting. Lighting makes a huge difference in navigating a room, not to mention in selling a home down the road. If you’ve recently added onto your kitchen or bathroom and haven’t accounted for the installation of additional lighting, you need to call in an electrician. This is a good opportunity to incorporate recessed LED lighting, which gives off a bright glow without constant buzzing or harsh white light.

No. 3: A cramped doorway

cramped doorway
Photo credit: Alicia Carter

For your home to appeal to a wider audience of homebuyers, specifically families or those with disabilities, you should consider its doorways. Many floor plans include only one doorway in and out of a room, and many doorways are too narrow to allow a wheelchair through. Make sure rooms have more than one exit, or ensure that the threshold is wide enough for multiple people to exit at once. This may involve knocking down a wall next to the doorway to extend it – a process for which you should always hire a remodeling contractor to avoid any structural damage to your home.

No. 4: Forgetting to think ‘green’

Another common mistake people make in the midst of home renovations is missing green improvement opportunities. Oftentimes, homeowners won’t go green for one of two reasons: they don’t know how to or they believe such improvements will cost too much. On the contrary, investing in green renovations is not only easy, but it also pays back quickly in federal tax rebates, savings on utility bills and resale value. If homeowners don’t want to spend thousands on green remodels, they can spend a few hundred to a couple thousand on environmentally friendly lighting, appliances and flooring.

No. 5: Awkward cabinets and drawers

When working on a bathroom or kitchen remodel, some homeowners will find that cabinets and drawers have clearance issues – doors and drawers will be placed in awkward places. While some cabinetry professionals can correct these issues by changing the drawer front to clear the trim area, the door knob may still be an issue. In this case, one solution is to transform the drawer from a sliding drawer to flip-out drawer face with a lazy susan; another solution is to completely gut the cabinets and create corner drawers that come out at an angle. While this will be costly, it will make the cabinets and drawers less awkward and more easily accessible.

No. 6: Skipping updates on electrical systems

When homeowners are renovating their homes – whether changing one room or performing a complete overhaul – they’re making a lot of upgrades. One upgrade that is often forgotten, though, is the electrical wiring required to handle any new outlets and switches. Homeowners should always do a walkthrough with an electrician to address this issue. When making home renovations, be sure to call an electrician to rewire and upgrade your home’s electrical system before the power box is overloaded.

About Andrea Davis

Andrea Davis works for HomeAdvisor, which helps homeowners find the right home improvement professionals and now makes the process simple from start to finish for everyone using Mhelpdesk. Homeowners can use HomeAdvisor Reviews to see what past customers have to say about each professional, and can calculate average local and national costs for a variety of home projects using Cost Guides. Access to all information and features is free for homeowners.

Note: This is a guest post; the views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Redfin.

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