Renovating your home can get pretty expensive. According to research by Houzz, Americans spent $18k on average on home renovation projects in 2021. Money doesn't grow on trees, so, people often look for the cheapest possible "professionals" who can do the job for less.
Some folks, however, venture into cheapskate territory, and the group "I found someone who will do it cheaper" shares these kinds of fails and shames them. These might just be the perfect examples that paying a professional to do a good job will probably pay off tenfold in the future.
#1 The Cheapest Contractor I Hired Suggested Cutting Out The Floor Space To Save Money As I Couldn't Afford A Solid Door
Regretfully ended up paying 4 times the cost of a solid door for "unforseen factors" not accounted for
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#2 My Interior Designer I Hired Od'd On Crown Molding And Was Sent To Rehab Afterwards
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#3 Better Leave Before The Customer Sees It
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Most people would like to be able to fix up their homes without breaking the bank. Some choose to do it themselves, others pay professionals. But even hiring the so-called professionals doesn't always pan out and can leave you with fails similar to those in this list.
If you've ever hired someone to do renovations or some fixing for you, chances are they might've disappointed you in some way. Maybe the materials they used were of low quality, perhaps the workers weren't as experienced as they needed to be for that particular job. Whatever the reason, now you're left with some shoddy-looking fix.
#4 I Get Paid To Paint Not Move Stuff
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#5 Mint
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#6 It’s Not A Big Kitchen But It Turns Out Perfect
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Is there anything you can do after being disappointed by a construction worker? Insurance experts at Landes Bloch claim there are a few solutions. The best thing to do to avoid construction fails is to sign a contract. That way, you're legally protected if the job gets done poorly or with low-quality materials.
Documenting the issues can also come in handy, as then you'll have proof of the damage. You can document how everything looks at the very end, but you can also take pictures as the process is going on. You just might capture the moment when things started going south.
#7 Mint
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#8 Always Working On Tight Spaces
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#9 Mint
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The experts at Landes Bloch also recommend keeping any recorded conversations with the contractor about the issue. Written notes about the issues you notice during the construction or renovation process can come in handy too. That includes the date when you discovered the issue, detailed descriptions, and any conversations between you and the contractor.
#10 Another Satisfied Client
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#11 Another Satisfied Client
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#12 Fell For A Certified Caulker. When Asked For Proof Of His Certification He Said It Got Misplaced Sometime While He Was Neatly Organizing His Office
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A contractor might be liable to fix their mistakes if their work isn't up to "reasonable standards." However, what the "reasonable standards" actually are can be a point of contention. If you want to be thorough, you can get another professional's opinion, this time, preferably, from one that is not your budget option.
#13 Do I Remove The Toilet ?
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#14 Smooth Brain Craftsmanship
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#15 No Need For A Carpenter When A Tech Is Around
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As Tommy Mitchell of Mitchell Construction Group writes, a too-good-to-be-true price will often be just that. "The problem is that if you focus solely on cutting costs, chances are good you'll end up cutting corners," he claims. He has three main tips for people who don't want to pay twice: choose high-quality materials, be prepared to spend more on high-quality work, and choose a reputable renovation company.
#16 Professional Courtesy
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#17 Mint
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#18 No Dream Is To Big, Call Now
Image credits: Denis Sierracamas
When choosing renovation products (and this applies even when you're doing a DIY project), always go for high quality. Mitchell explains that even reputable brands manufacture cheaper, low-cost alternatives for big chain stores: "On closer inspection, the actual products and part numbers are different," he explains. So, it's always better to buy them from a reputable commercial supplier."
#19 Was Running Low On Material, But Were Making It Work! Gotta Get This Job Done So Me And The Boys Can Get Paid!
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#20 Nice Chess Pieces
Image credits: Barry Gradford
#21 Is There Any Way I Can Get This Straightened Out A Little Bit?
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Most contractors who are good at their jobs know it and ask for the appropriate compensation for their high-quality work. "No contractor can stay in business if they’re not making money," Mitchell explains the simple logic. If a pro is asking for less money than their competitors, chances are they're using lower quality materials and paying their workers less.
#22 Hiring Experienced Cr*ckheads For Upcoming Countertop Jobs
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#23 Ideas In 5 Minutes
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#24 Mint
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Realtor Jen McFadyen, for example, stresses the importance of communication with your contractors. According to her, it's better to over-communicate than to pay (literally) for mistakes later. "Have all details outlined on both a hard copy and soft copy so nothing can be missed by your contractors. And I mean get granular," she writes.
#25 Mint
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#26 Mint
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#27 Stringline Was Blowing In The Wind
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She gives an example of over-communication with your painters. "If you ask for closets to be painted, outline each closet's location, color, difference in wall vs. ceiling vs trim paint colors, and the number of total closets that should be painted. You don't want anything to be overlooked."
#28 Custom Installation
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#29 The Plumber Left A Little Booby Trap Over Here At The Condo I’m Renovating.. All Live. Ready To Rock And Roll The Second This Metal Door Opens Up Too Wide
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#30 The Plumber I Hired Was A Blessing. Saved Me A Lot Of Money On Solder And Fittings
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Which fails on this list entertained you the most, Pandas? Did you ever have similar experiences? Share them with us in the comments! And if this list got you in the mood for more construction fails, check out this article about home improvement fails!
#31 New Roofing Style
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#32 Should Hold
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#33 Another Satisfied Client
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#34 The Tri-Tone Downspout Is A Nice Touch
Image credits: Aaron Tilley
#35 I'm A Professional Contractor And You Cannot Pay Me Enough To Fix This
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#36 Mint
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#37 Best Spiral Stairs Design
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#38 Getting That Check Today !
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#39 Budget Friendly
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#40 One More Satisfied Customer
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#41 Lovely Abstract Art
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#42 Found Out Why One Of My Radiators Doesn’t Work. 1 Yr Later…
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#43 If You Don't Know About New Trends In Tiles, Don't Think
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#44 My Man Saved Me A Ton Of Money
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#45 The Longer You Look At It, The Worse It Gets
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#46 Perfect
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#47 Another Satisfied Client
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#48 Not Sure If I Screwed It Up Enough.. The Door Ain't Shutting For Some Reason
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#49 Looking For Someone That Doesn’t Charge An Arm And A Leg
Image credits: Aaron Tilley
#50 Concrete Guy Canceled, That's His Problem
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#51 Nailed It
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#52 We Had The Idea But
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#53 Ready For Grout
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#54 Mint
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#55 Get Paid!
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#56 That’s Ridiculous
Image credits: Buddy Butczynski
#57 Who Needs A Floor Guy, Hit Me Up
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#58 Another Satisfied Client
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#59 I Found The Pic, Mutli Million Dollar House
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#60 Not Sure Why But The Deck Builder Refused To Warranty His Work In Writing
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#61 Hope It Can Still Keep Holding
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#62 Added A Turbo To The Customers Fan And Ended Up Having To Reinforce It A Little! Another Happy Customer
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#63 I Think It Fits Here
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#64 Mud And Texture Next
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#65 Caulking Fixes Everything
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#66 Mint
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#67 Fixed
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#68 Well Thats One Way To Do It
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#69 Mint
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#70 Mint
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#71 Got That New Tub And Shower Valve Installed Boss, What’s Next?
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#72 Dam Lumber Store Delivered The Wrong Length 2x6's, But We Made It Work
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#73 Mint
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#74 Got Done On Time And Got Paid! W00t! Another Satisfied Client!
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#75 We Got Paid Enough To Do This
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#76 Don't Envy My Swag Guys.. Taping And Spackling - That's How I Rock N Roll
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#77 How Many Beers Did That Cost?
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#78 I Get Paid To Paint Not To Move Lights
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#79 Budget Friendly
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#80 Got In, Got Out, Got Paid
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#81 Should I Use White Or Black Grout ?
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#82 Can’t Wait For The Carpet
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