15 Renovation Mistakes Many People Make Without Even Realizing

Doing a renovation at your home can be one of the most stressful things you will ever have to do. That is because there are many details that need your attention and many mistakes that can happen. You need to be on top of every single thing so that you don’t go off your budget. So, it’s important to know exactly what you want in order to be able to control everything better.

1. A round kitchen sink fits less dishes

Round kitchen sinks became popular in the ’90s and they seemed very unusual and convenient because they were the same shape as the plates. However, they aren’t the best idea because square sinks can fit more dishes. And if you have a round sink, you’re going to have to place the dishes outside of it if you don’t have time to wash them right away.

2. 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.

3. A sink with a faucet on the outside

This looks very trendy and modern. There’s enough room around the sink to put everything you want. The only problem is washing the faucet. The foam and the water don’t go into the sink as they should and instead, they fall around the outside. This leaves you with even more cleaning to do.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. A dark matte kitchen

Dark kitchens have been popular for quite some time now. And I can’t disagree — they do look cool in pictures. But in reality, things are way more complicated: fingerprints are easy to leave on something matte and very hard to wash off. The “happy” owner of this cool-looking kitchen explained, with sadness in her eyes, that she had never washed her kitchen as often as she does now.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. A towel warmer, connected to the central heating

In most people’s homes, towel warmers are connected to the central heating system. It seems like the simplest and cheapest solution, and it’s what most builders offer, since these towel warmers don’t require any additional cost. But there’s a huge problem with such warmers: they only work when the heat is on, so when it’s off, the bathroom gets cold and humid.

Professionals recommend buying electric warmers because they are much safer. You can turn them on and off when you want, and they’ll never leak. If you want, you can buy a 2-in-1 warmer that uses central heating in winter and electricity in summer.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. Glass instead of a shower curtain

Many people consider shower curtains to be an outdated solution, and glass — a great design choice. In fact, the good old curtain is not only the cheapest choice, but also the best way to protect the space from water. Glass doors have a lot of disadvantages that people complain about.

Small glass doesn’t protect you from the water, big glass make it uncomfortable to get into the bathtub. You can use a sliding door, but they break really often, and you have to wash the glass after every time you use it, or it looks messy. For many people, curtains are way more comfortable. You can’t break it, it can’t hurt you, and you can always put it into the washing machine.

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 ever thought of these details that many people forget while renovating or building their homes?