16 Renovation Fails That Actually Happened

Renovations can be an exciting time for homeowners, but they can also be a source of stress and frustration. Unfortunately, not every renovation goes as smoothly as planned. In fact, some renovations end in disaster. Whether it’s due to a lack of experience, poor planning, or just plain bad luck, these 16 renovation fails will make you cringe, laugh, and maybe even reconsider picking up that sledgehammer.

When Mark Johnson decided to renovate his bathroom, he thought it would be a simple enough project. However, after installing a new shower, he discovered that it leaked every time he used it. It turns out he forgot to properly seal the shower pan, leading to water damage and a hefty repair bill.

Sarah Smith hired a contractor to add an extension to her home, but when the work was done, she noticed that the new section of the house was noticeably slanted. It turns out the contractor had failed to properly level the foundation, leaving Sarah with a wonky addition that she had to tear down and rebuild.

John Williams thought he could save some money by doing his kitchen renovation himself. However, after attempting to install new cabinets and countertops, he quickly realized that he had bitten off more than he could chew. The end result was a kitchen that looked like a Pinterest fail and a call to a professional to undo the damage.

When Emily Davis tore down the walls in her basement to add a home theater, she was horrified to find a large patch of mold lurking behind the drywall. It turns out there was a long-standing leak that had gone unnoticed, leading to a costly and extensive mold remediation process.

After installing a new bathtub, Michael Brown was excited to take a relaxing soak. However, when he turned on the water, he was met with a geyser shooting out of the wall. It turns out the plumbing had been incorrectly installed, resulting in a flooded bathroom and water damage to the rest of the house.

When Samantha Taylor decided to install a kitchen island, she didn’t realize that it would throw off the balance of the room. The island ended up being too heavy for the floor, causing it to sag and creating a noticeable slope. Samantha had to call in a structural engineer to fix the problem and reinforce the floor.

Tom Clark attempted to rewire his entire house to bring it up to code, but quickly found himself overwhelmed by the mess of wires and cables. In the end, he had to call in an electrician to untangle the mess and redo the entire job, costing him thousands of dollars in the process.

When Jessica Roberts tried to replace the windows in her home, she found that the new windows were the wrong size and didn’t fit properly. This left her with drafty, ill-fitting windows that had to be replaced, costing her both time and money.

David Thompson thought he could save some money by painting his house himself, but ended up with streaky, uneven walls and paint splatters all over the floor. He had to hire a professional painter to come in and fix the mess, doubling the cost of the project.

When Rachel White decided to have her chimney repointed, she thought it would be a simple and relatively inexpensive job. However, after the work was done, she noticed that the mortar was crumbling and the chimney was leaning to one side. She had to have the entire chimney rebuilt, costing her thousands of dollars.

After installing a new sliding glass door, Andrew Lee found that it was nearly impossible to open and close. It turns out the door had been installed at a slight angle, causing it to jam every time he tried to use it. He had to have the door removed and reinstalled, wasting both time and money.

When Lisa Johnson had new countertops installed in her kitchen, she was dismayed to find that they were already cracking after just a few weeks. It turns out the contractor had used low-quality materials and cut corners on the installation, leaving Lisa with a shoddy countertop that had to be completely replaced.

When Brian Davis attempted to install a new faucet in his bathroom, he accidentally nicked a pipe, causing it to leak whenever the faucet was turned on. He had to shut off the water to the entire house and call a plumber to fix the problem, leaving him without water for a day.

After tearing out the walls in his basement, Matthew Wilson discovered that the wood was riddled with termite damage. It turns out the previous homeowners had failed to disclose the infestation, leaving Matthew with a hefty bill for extermination and repairs.

When Lauren Garcia stepped into her newly renovated shower, she was shocked when the glass door shattered into a million pieces. It turns out the door was installed incorrectly, putting too much pressure on the glass and causing it to break. She had to have the entire shower redone, costing her both time and money.