Hello my dear readers, I want to share 4 common mistakes that homeowners make that I see often, which ultimately backfire in the end. In addition to exterior peeling paint, broken gutters, burnt grass on lawns with bald patches (!), and moldy bathrooms, homeowners are known to make mistakes they don’t even catch until it’s too late. See if one of them sounds like you and if so, try to change things up for happier, more beautiful home!

 1/Dumping cash into renovations that don’t ultimately matter

You want to see a good return of investment (ROI) on most things that you renovate in your home. Sure, maybe your home pottery studio won’t matter to the next home owner, but it’s also a space that can be easily turned into something else once you move out your kiln and shelving. I’m talking more about things that homeowners spend lots of money on that later, can cause their home not to sell nearly as quickly as it would otherwise. Whenever you spend considerable cash on something that is built-into your home or yard, it should increase the value of your home or at least make it more appealing to future buyers. A whirlpool in your bedroom or an in-ground trampoline in your yard may not accomplish that. If you don’t plan on staying in your home forever, invest in things that you love and need now but that also a future buyer would appreciate, too. Most professionals will advise to avoid sinking money into professional-grade appliances, swimming pools, whirlpools, marble countertops, expensive landscaping, water features in the yard, etc. Many see these things as a huge maintenance burden or as simply unnecessary so your ROI won’t be as good as it could be if you invested in new vanity lights for the bathroom, quality flooring, beautiful double doors to the patio to let in more light and create a sense of spaciousness, or Smart technology such as Smart thermostats and lights.

2/DIYing electrical work

Oh god, people do this all the time. Here in Germany, you aren’t legally supposed to hang your own pendant lights, you’re required to hire a electrician - and lucky for us, our good friend is an electrician and a plumber - what a gift! Many people install their own lighting still, but there’s a risk - if something happens, your insurance will not cover the cost of damage. Also of course, doing your own electrical work can present risk of electrocution, fire, or explosion. Even when the job appears relatively straightforward, electrical work can incur danger so please hire out. We pay our friend and it is money well spent.

3/Not caring about your yard or balcony (if you own a city apartment)

I see this often, people forget to care about their yard (and balconies, terraces, etc.) and instead, use them as a dumping ground or as a place where everything just grows uncontrollably. You see plant pots all over, garden tools, flower beds overgrown, cigarettes in ashtrays, rusty abandoned grills, horrible satelitte dishes or broken ones that don’t even work, everything looks like a project that is never fully completed. This reflects negatively on homeowner, brings down the neighborhood and decreases home value. It also can irritate neighbors who take pride in aesthetics and work hard to keep their yards nice.

Growing up with parents who took pride in our home, my mother made our home and yard a gorgeous oasis filled with beautiful plants, grass, flower beds and trees no matter where we lived. My weekly chore included cutting the grass and weeding flower beds with my parents. Our neighbors used to ask my mom for tips and tricks because our yard was known to be the most beautiful around so neighbors felt inclined to work more on their own yard because they wanted to have a beautiful space like ours. In this way, having an impressive lawn can creative a positive wave of reaction in the neighborhood which can increase to living on a much more beautiful street.

Keep your lawn neat, cut your grass weekly, clear fallen branches and trash that may fly over to your property from elsewhere, make sure your mailbox and driveway are maintained well, trash cans should be neat and concealed and one color (not 5 different trash cans, all colors, overflowing, some with lids some without), and don’t use your sun porch or balcony, terrace, or deck as a junk room or storage area with mountains of clutter and rusty furniture and grills on them. This is such an eyesore. Keep outdoor seating areas neat and maintained nicely. Don’t be one of “those” neighbors who brings down the neighborhood because your yard or balcony is a disaster.

4/DIYing plumbing work

Please friends, plumbing needs to be left to the experts. You can make huge mistakes that will result in massive repair bills. You can also create water leaks that you won’t realize until it’s too late which could impact other rooms in your home. Hire out for plumbing, always. We have a neighbor who does his own plumbing which resulted in our ceiling having water damage (he lives above us). You can also cause mold to grow in the walls, unseen until it’s too late and your whole family is ill and the walls have to undergo extensive repair.

I hope that this post encouraged and help all of the homeowners out there (and renters!). Have a lovely day and enjoy enhancing your home, creating a space that you love to be in.