If you are starting your renovation journey, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the different considerations and overlook some details as you plan for your dream home.
From power socket planning to choosing the right bathroom fixtures, here are 9 renovation regrets shared by homeowners to help you avoid common mistakes before starting on your home renovation journey.
1. Being too frugal with your pick of ID and subcontractors
Image credit: Homescape
One of the biggest factors in determining the success of your renovation is choosing the right interior designer (ID) and the subcontractors or vendors involved in your home renovation.
Even if you’re working on a tight budget, the last thing you want is to hire an ID who cuts corners and produces shoddy work, as fixing their mistakes or poor workmanship can cost more in the long run. Being too frugal with your ID can result in instances where they don’t do their due diligence, leaving your home in a poor condition after the renovation handover.
These homeowners on Reddit shared their regrets about hiring cheap IDs, as they were left with furniture that emitted high levels of formaldehyde long after the end of their home renovation. These IDs could have compromised on quality to save on cost, using cheaper materials with higher levels of formaldehyde.
This raises a safety concern, especially if you have young children or elderly family members who may be more sensitive to the toxic fumes emitted from formaldehyde.
Real homeowner regret:
“Regret hiring cheap ID. My carpentry still reeks of formaldehyde after 1.5 years despite trying every single way possible to get rid of the smell.”
Reddit user u/404_anonymouse
“Get a vendor who doesn’t have high formaldehyde furniture. It’s infuriating when one has kids and furniture has to be degassed.”
Reddit user u/FANNW0NG
Similarly, errant contractors are unfortunately all too common in Singapore’s renovation scene, often leaving homeowners with plenty of regrets. A homeowner on Lemon8 shared her renovation nightmare with an unaccountable contractor, with numerous issues such as incorrect measurements, delayed handovers, and poor workmanship. The contractor even changed the house’s lock PIN without the owners’ consent, locking them out of their unit.
Real homeowner regret:
“What was supposed to be an exciting home journey has turned into months of frustration, stress, disappointment, and exhaustion. I never imagined I’d be dealing with this much chaos.”
Lemon8 user @xinyi_y
Engaging a reputable ID and contractors can go a long way in preventing these regrets, saving you from more problems in the long-term.
2. Buying appliances incompatible with daily use
Image credit: @sherrarchi on Lemon8
Part of the renovation process involves shopping for your dream appliances, and it’s easy to fall for good deals. However, these appliances at a bargain might not fully meet the needs of your daily routines.
As this homeowner on Lemon8 learned, purchasing a smaller washing machine at $600 seemed like a good bargain at first, but quickly became a regret. Due to the washing machine’s limited capacity, multiple washing cycles were needed to clear her usual laundry load, especially with many baby clothes. This resulted in a more expensive water bill, which could have been avoided by purchasing a larger-capacity washing machine from the start.
Real homeowner regret:
“Initially we thought we got the machine at a steal ($600), we weren’t aware that the capacity load was a super important thing. Turns out, 8kg is just insufficient for a household of 3. Especially when we have a baby who has lots of clothes to be washed.”
Lemon8 user @sherrarchi
3. Insufficient & inconvenient power socket planning
Image credit: @javihn.inn
A common regret among homeowners after moving in is the lack of power sockets at frequently occupied areas of the house.
Power sockets are often overlooked during the renovation planning process, but you’ll definitely notice when they are missing at the moment you need them the most. For example, power sockets near the bathroom are commonly overlooked, which can be inconvenient during your morning routine.
Real homeowner regret:
“After moving in, we realised that the electrical points we did not have provided some inconvenience to us. For example, we do not have an electrical point anywhere near our toilet or mirror, so styling of hair was tough when we have to plug in our hair dryer/hair styler.”
Lemon8 user @momorie
Image credit: @thelattehome on Lemon8
Proper power socket planning is important in appliance-heavy areas, like the kitchen and the home office, ensuring safety and convenience. Lemon8 user @thelattehome shared that she regretted not relocating the original power sockets provided by HDB, as they ended up too near the sink and created a potential safety hazard. There were also insufficient power sockets in the kitchen for all the kitchen appliances (e.g. rice cooker) used regularly.
Image credit: @mintymentaiko on Lemon8
A similar regret was shared by Lemon8 user @mintymentaiko, who didn’t relocate the original power sockets in the rooms. This resulted in greater daily inconvenience, as she had to bend down often to reach those sockets.
Real homeowner regret:
“Original socket from HDB is too near our sink. Should have relocated it to the left side of the counter.”
“Our peninsula also needs another socket on the right side.”
Lemon8 user @thelattehome
“I made the decision not to relocate the default electrical points in our home office, assuming that we could easily adapt to their inconvenient positions. Unfortunately, I misjudged the situation. It greatly frustrates me whenever I have to constantly bend down to reach them.”
Lemon8 user @mintymentaiko
4. Sacrificing functionality over aesthetics
Image credit: The Makers Design Studio
Some designs may be visually appealing but aren’t practical in everyday life, especially for households with young children or elderly parents.
For example, minimalist designs such as handleless doors are popular for their seamless look. However, this design choice did not work well for homeowner @wushihome on Tiktok, where the minimalist handle wasn’t practical for their family with young children.
With no handle on the outer side of the door, it was difficult to hold onto the one-sided handle on the inside, and their young children could accidentally lock themselves inside with no way of unlocking from the outside. Functionality and practicality still remain key in preventing regrets, when it comes to safety and accessibility.
5. High-maintenance renovation trends
Image credit: @greenlam_asia_pacific
Trendy details such as fluted panels and arched doorways may add a stylish touch to your home, but the upkeep could be more high-maintenance than expected in the long run.
One homeowner on Tiktok shared her regret over installing fluted panels. Each panel is time-consuming to clean, especially for those with narrow gaps that are hard to reach, even with a feather duster. Despite daily cleaning, dust still accumulates easily, creating a hassle to maintain on a regular basis.
@themyrajalil Replying to @petals Fluted panels are my biggest renk regret!!! For its high maintenance in cleaning and its so susceptible to dust. Or worst, spider webs!! #flutedpanel #sgreno #qanvast #carpentrysg #renosg
♬ original sound – myra / That Apartment Club – themyrajalil
Image credit: 19EightyThree
Another trend that has turned into a renovation regret for some is arched doorways. Popular among homeowners as a design feature, the arches could crack over time due to Singapore’s humid and erratic weather. As shared by Instagram user @bombiibii, the arched doorway in her home has cracked multiple times over the years, with maintenance needed to patch up the cracks.
Image credit: @mintymentaiko on Lemon8
Similarly, homeowners have shared regrets over shaker-style wardrobes and cabinets. Known for their recessed panels and edges, the shaker style is a popular cabinet design due to its simple and elegant details. However, these recessed edges will tend to easily collect dust, especially for cabinets in harder-to-reach corners, creating a challenge to clean on a regular basis.
Real homeowner regret:
“While initially enamored with the classic appeal of shaker style cabinets, I’ve come to realise their impracticality. The ledges of these cabinets trap dust, causing continual cleaning headaches. Additionally, the trend has shifted, leaving my choice feeling outdated and out of sync with current design preferences.“
Lemon8 User @mintymentaiko
An important point to consider is that design trends will change over time. It’s still best to stick to neutral colours and timeless styles to prevent potential regrets in the future, especially if you’re planning to stay in your home for the long term.
6. Unsuitable storage solutions
Image credit: @ourbtohome and @spoonsofdelights
Storage is a key concern in the home renovation process, with balance required between hiding clutter and ensuring that there’s enough functional storage. While deep drawers might look neater and sleeker on the surface, they might end up being an impractical regret.
As shared by a homeowner on Instagram, the volume taken up by deeper drawers are often wasted. Most kitchen appliances and tools do not require the taller space, with clutter building up inside the drawers instead. Unless you usually use bulkier kitchen equipment, multiple shallower drawers would be more suitable for maximising kitchen storage.
Real homeowner regret:
“We learnt the hard way that deep drawers have fewer storage solutions available, and the space inside is harder to utilise!”
Instagram user @mini.white.house
Image credit: @sherrarchi on Lemon8
On the other hand, homeowners should be wary of having drawers that are too shallow as well. Lemon8 user @sherrarchi shared that she installed vanity drawers that were too shallow for her items. She could only store flat items inside, resulting in valuable drawer space wasted that could otherwise store her daily essentials.
Some homeowners might opt for installing fewer drawers at home, as part of keeping their space clutter-free. However, this could backfire with insufficient storage for essentials.
Homeowner @vengelhaus on TikTok initially decided to build fewer kitchen drawers to save on renovation costs. However, there wasn’t enough storage for their kitchen essentials, resulting in more money spent on finding suitable kitchen organiser racks and trays. Thus, it is important to find the right balance between having drawers to suit different storage needs and managing clutter.
Real homeowner regret:
“Our next major regret is definitely not catering for enough drawers for spaces such as the kitchen. We thought we could save some money but ended up spending just as much or even more finding suitable organisers.”
Tiktok user @vengelhaus
7. Bathroom fixtures that do not last
Image adapted from: @homesentials7 on Lemon8
It is important to invest in the right bathroom fixtures, especially since this is the room that deals with the most water exposure daily. A common regret among homeowners is opting for topmount basins, instead of undermount or integrated sintered basins.
The distinctive elevated look of topmount basins makes them a popular choice among homeowners, but this requires more maintenance than expected. Water tends to pool around the base of the basin, while mould can easily build up in the hard-to-reach areas behind the sink. Daily cleaning is required to prevent mould accumulation, creating another unexpected chore for homeowners.
Real homeowner regret:
“The top-mount basin, while visually appealing, has been a maintenance headache.”
Lemon8 user @homesentials7
Image credit: @homesentials7 on Lemon8
Darker-coloured basins are a popular choice among homeowners, to add an elegant and sleek touch to the bathroom. However, water marks are highly visible on these surfaces, and some homeowners shared that toothpaste stains and soap residue easily accumulate as well. Frequent cleaning is required to keep these surfaces clean, making them a high-maintenance renovation decision.
Image credit: @popmotif.sg
In addition, some homeowners might choose more intricate bathroom tile patterns like herringbone to elevate the look of their bathroom. However, more detailed tiling will have more complicated groutlines to clean, making it a high-maintenance affair.
Real homeowner regret:
“Because of the constant splashes, the tiles around the shower become dirty easily with soap scums and watermarks. The sheer amount of grout lines makes cleaning even more challenging.”
Lemon8 user @home.swee.home
Image credit: Elaine Ng on Pinterest
Choosing a bathroom door is often underestimated during renovations as well, but they play a role in everyday ease of use. For instance, Louvre slide-and-fold doors are popular for their modern and minimalist design, but they aren’t as practical as they seem.
Homeowners have lamented that they aren’t soundproof nor effective in blocking out smells, which can make it awkward for guests. Dust also accumulates easily on the door panels, with the narrow gaps between panels becoming a hassle to clean. Homeowner @wethejays on Instagram also shared their concerns that humidity from the bathroom escapes through the gaps into neighbouring rooms, creating a potential mould problem in the future.
Real homeowner regret:
“We regret this as it is not fully covered and all sounds and smells would echo from the bathroom, making it a little unpleasant.”
Lemon8 user @joooeeeyyys
8. Not opting for an induction stove
Image credit: @jjhomestories
More often than not, an induction hob is sufficient for the needs of the average home cook. Unless you are a serious chef chasing after wok hei, opting for gas hobs is often a regret shared by homeowners.
Not only are induction hobs more energy efficient, their flat surface saves counter space—a bonus for smaller homes. Unlike a gas hob which requires dismantling for cleaning, it is more convenient and easier to clean an induction hob, making cooking at home a less dreadful chore since there’s less clean-up.
Real homeowner regret:
“For me it’s gas stove. I should have just went with induction. Easier to clean and can double up as counter top space. If I can redo I’ll go with induction for sure.”
Reddit user u/heemingg
“We don’t need any wok hei man ‘cause we don’t even cook much! But when we do, the cleaning is ridiculously tedious. Which is probably why we don’t want to cook.”
Lemon8 user @a1001sqfthome
9. Not covering up exposed piping
Image credit: @februarynest on Lemon8
Though you might save on initial renovation costs by not covering up sewage pipes in the toilet or service yard, they can quickly become an eyesore and a cleaning problem. For example, sewage pipes in the toilet can create irregular gaps that are difficult to clean, and can make your bathroom feel cluttered.
Image credit: @februarynest on Lemon8
Similarly, some homeowners did not choose to conceal exposed piping that runs across the living room to save on renovation costs. However, the living room started to look cluttered after furniture was moved in, quickly becoming a renovation regret. Spending a bit more to conceal exposed piping at the start can make a big difference in reducing the visual clutter at home, saving you from a future headache.
Real homeowner regret:
“We debated boxing it up, but in the end decided not to in order to save some cost. In hindsight we should have just done it.”
Lemon8 user @februarynest
Lessons learned from renovation regrets
Renovating your home should be an exciting experience, and not one filled with regrets. Hopefully, these common regrets can help in guiding your decisions throughout the renovation journey, making it easier to create your dream home.
For more renovation insights:
- We spent only $24K on our super practical 4-room BTO reno
- 5 practical tips for renovation on a budget
- Ultimate renovation tips from 11 Singaporean homeowners
Cover image adapted from: Chroma Living, One Carpentry & Renovation, Z L Construction
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