Frequently when showing homes to potential buyers the biggest “Whoa! What happened here?” is usually provoked when we stumble upon a homeowner’s do-it-yourself home remodeling. Unfortunately this list runs long and touches about every aspect of home improvement projects — I’ve shown homes with mis-cut granite counters to nifty hand-dug basements. Home improvement? I don’t think so. Hats off to the enthusiastic homeowners but some tasks are best left to the professionals, especially when your health & safety could be at risk.
Here are a few of the most prevalent DIY projects gone ‘wild’ — Often hunting home buyers will go from hot to cold when they come across projects that don’t look 100%.
Tile. It takes multiple days to complete a tile job, no matter how big or how small the job. Bad tile is easy to notice as there are so many elements involved in making a perfect tile pattern. Uneven grout lines, poorly set tile or skipped details disrupt the pattern and stick out like a sore thumb.
Paint. The easiest DIY but also the most goofed. Abrasive colors, paint drips and drops, uneven edges & over-painting detract for the room, instantly making it difficult to focus on anything else. Good painters are inexpensive and your investment in one will promote your home’s beauty.
Refinishing Hardwood Floors. Yet another project that draws the focus of the room if there is a big mistake. Refinishing hardwood requires in-depth surface prep, experience using a drum sander & proper use of finishing products. Use the wrong product, too much or too little and your living room is a permanent eye sore. Uneven boards, cracks, bubbling coats — all can be avoided with an experienced pro.
Plumbing. A number of times these issues come up down the road or worse — at the home inspection. Plumbing problems can become big ticket items quickly as problems develop within the walls of the home. Plumbing problems left unfixed can grow huge problems like mold.
Selecting a contractor to do the work is a process but when done correctly the results will pay tenfold. Get multiple estimates and check references to find a pro that will minimize your stress and improve the value of your home — not deter from it.
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I agree 100%, a job not done properly causes more harm than good. If you’re not going to do it right, don’t do it at all!
This one “hits the nail on the head.” I am a home remodeler and I hate to say it but over half of my business comes from people attempting to “DIY” without the knowhow or proper tools. Selecting the right contractor for the job is a bit time consuming and you will spend more, but in the end you will have something to be proud of and show off, not something you hope people won’t notice, or worse yet a big issue that comes up when it’s time to sell. Travis @ homerenewllc@gmail.com
Vali – Thanks for setting home remodelers straight. It stands out like a sore thumb when you walk into a house remodeled by the homeowner. The funny/difficult thing is that they think it’s great, and don’t see it like others so.
Bob & Gretchen – Great points, wouldn’t it be great to find a way to mesh together both those thoughts and convey it to homeowners before they start the DIY projects?
Travis – It has got to be a sticky situation with your clients when fixing their ‘oops’. How do you tactfully say “Wow, you really fudged this one?” Better to to the time in up front and get the estimates from the pros.
Your post reminded me of an incident where the homeowner “fired me” because I told him he needed to clean up the paint splats he made! What a mess, this homeowner had a beautiful old home in Denver. It had great bones and beautiful wood work, but when he painted he let the paint fly. I’ve never seen such a mess!
Oh well another agent got to take over and deal with the destruction…
DIY is as good as the person making the improvements. Some folks have it and others should hire those that do..
Enough said!