15 Renovation Mistakes That Can Lead to a Ton of Needless Expenses

During renovations, many people spend too much time looking at great designs online but not all of them can actually be used in a real apartment. In order to prevent you from making the same mistakes, we will tell you about a few important things you should never forget to consider.

My name is Marina, and specially for Bright Side, I have prepared a list of mistakes that I and people I know made during renovations. You might need it to avoid needless expenses in the future. And in the bonus, you will find out how to check an apartment before starting a renovation.

Lighted mirrors reveal all the dirt

“I want a mirror with lights to make it easy to do my makeup.” It was one of the most important things I wanted when I was planning the bathroom. It turned out to be quite cool: it looks good and the light is useful. But every time you turn the lights on, the water splashes appear on the mirror. It’s really hard to keep it clean.

An unfinished tile pattern

The previous owners of the apartment decided to skimp on the tiles and only put them on some of the walls. The sink was supposed to cover the lack of the pattern, but when they decided to buy a different sink this problem became visible again.

Only 1 power outlet in the entire bathroom

“Why have many power outlets in the bathroom? Let’s just get one!” — this is what the previous owners of the apartment probably thought. It was a mistake. When my friends moved in, they realized that there was no room for a water heater, washing machine, or even their electric toothbrushes. They use a cord extension, but it’s not only uncomfortable but also dangerous.

A bar counter with ordinary chairs

I’ve always wanted a bar counter in my small kitchen, but because I don’t like bar chairs, I bought regular ones. But I can’t adjust the legs on the counter and the chairs are not high enough. Every time I sit at the counter, I feel like a baby that can’t reach the table. Now, I’m thinking of buying high pillows to feel like a princess.

Different wallpapers

Sometimes, trying to save too much might have a very negative impact on the result of the renovation. The photo shows such an example: Someone decided not to buy another set of pink wallpaper and used another kind behind the kitchen drawers. It’s really obvious when you open the door.

Mistakes when planning the kitchen

Everyone wants to use the space in the kitchen in the smartest way possible in order not to leave any useless inch unused. I didn’t realize the bar counter would be wider than the kitchen drawer. Now, a part of the counter is just hanging in the air.

Too many spotlights

Instead of a chandelier, I decided to buy spotlights. I’m tired of changing the light bulbs. They are not cheap and when at least one of the bulbs turns off, it gets kind of dark.

The space between the fridge and the kitchen furniture

The first time I was cleaning, I realized I had made a mistake. The space between the fridge and the sink is like a black hole where lots of trash gets lost. It’s hard to clean the space without moving the fridge.

Really big drawers

I have very big corner drawers. Now, when I need to reach a pot, it’s like I’m working out. I wasn’t ready for that.

The space behind the radiator

Familiar? After installing the radiator, it’s almost impossible to reach the space behind it. So, it’s better to remove it, paint the wall, and then put it back.

The little things

In apartments, doors often hit walls. The doorknobs hitting the wall can ruin the wall surface. Usually, you can easily fix it by using a door stopper but you have to plan this in advance.

White tile seams

One of the biggest mistakes my neighbors did was choosing white for the color of the seams on the floor. They regret it a lot. White seams attract all the dirt and they look extremely bad. The seams get dirty even if you cleaned them 5 minutes ago. It’s better to choose a darker color for the seams that looks good.

Bad location of the toilet paper holder

The toilet paper holder should be easy to reach. For some reason, I put it above the toilet on the right. Now, every time I need to reach it, it’s like a challenge.

Different colors on the floor

There were some tiles leftover that we didn’t want to throw away. We found a use for them near the balcony door. But the difference between the floor surfaces is really obvious.

Terrible ceiling covings

This is another surprise from the previous owners. We have a weird-looking coving in the bathroom. We can’t remove the corner because the entire thing will fall off.

Bonus: Carefully check apartments before starting a renovation.

Finding all the problems in an apartment is not easy. So it’s better to hire a specialist that can help find all of them to avoid trouble in the future.

• A new apartment building. A person called me and said that one of the power outlets wouldn’t turn off. The electricity in the apartment was off but the outlet was still on. We opened the nearest apartment — nobody lived there yet and realized that the outlet in the first apartment was controlled from the second one. © DedX5 / Pikabu

Have you had any failures during a renovation? Tell us about them in the comment section below!

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