Being a homeowner means having to make a lot of decisions, especially when it comes to renovations, upgrades, and projects. Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community to share the best and worst things to splurge on as a homeowner, and I'm taking some serious notes. From bathroom renovations to hot tubs, here are the things homeowners think are worth — or aren't worth — spending a ton of money on:
1. BEST: "'Fancy' plates. Getting plates that make you feel like you're dining out, paired with upgrading aspects of your kitchen, is one of the best things you can do. Make your kitchen a place where you love to cook, and it'll save you money from always eating out. As someone who absolutely loves going out to eat, I now spend most of my time in the kitchen. I don't regret a penny spent!"
2. WORST: "Spending money on a couch before waiting until the kids are grown. We went through at least three or four couches while our kids were growing up — none of the couches were more than $50, and a lot of them were from garage sales. Same with antique Persian rugs, which we had professionally cleaned, wrapped, and stored away for 20 years. Now that the kids are all grown up, our house has an expensive couch and beautiful rugs, and we don't need to worry too much about them getting ruined!"
3. BEST: "My bathroom remodel was the BEST thing I've ever spent money on. Other than the hassle of cleaning a gloriously large shower, I have no regrets about the $15,000 spent. Starting and ending my day in that bathroom is worth every penny."
4. WORST: "From a designer's perspective, marble and hardwood floors. Marble is porous and oxidizes like crazy, so it's not good for wet areas and also scratches easily. People love it because it makes them feel fancy and expensive, but they don't think about the expensive upkeep to maintain it. It's the same thing with hardwood floors. Hardwood costs more, and it's porous and vulnerable to scratches. If you're willing to keep it dry at all times and are able to refinish it every few years, it can be beautiful. But it's not really practical for most people, especially if you have dogs or kids or spill things a lot."
5. BEST: "Pricier decor items and furniture. They last so much longer. Any quality piece of furniture or decor is going to be more expensive up front, so I understand that not everyone can afford it, but if you can spend a little extra, buy vintage or refurbished hand-me-downs. It can save you a lot of money in the long run because you won't have to replace items as often. If your budget allows you to occasionally splurge on high-quality items, there's no reason to go cheap, especially if you're going to have to replace it sooner."
6. WORST: "Splurging on tons of equipment to do your own lawn work. I pay $20 an hour for lawn care on my acre-sized property for an average cost of $500 a season (l live in the Midwest). It would take three or more years doing it myself to equal the up-front cost of buying the equipment, and that doesn't take into consideration the maintenance and time I would have to spend actually doing it. No thanks. If you're able to, just hire someone."
7. BEST: "Get a nice fence built around the entire property. It really creates privacy and expands the usable outdoor space. Plus, my dog has more room to run around! My fence was my one 'splurge,' and I love it."
8. WORST: "A hot tub or spa. We got one and used it a lot, but then the control panel died and it was way too expensive to fix. It's just an eyesore in our backyard now, and after one of the sides came off, a possum took up residence in it. It's not easy getting it out of the backyard, either. The company had to use a crane to get the tub in, so we either need to hire a crane or cut it up to finally get it out of the yard."
9. BEST: "Security cameras. Hopefully you never need them, but you can get some that aren't that expensive. Also, the videos of you and your family coming and going are priceless."
10. WORST: "A fancy built-in, whole-house audio system. Sure, the ceiling-mounted built-in speakers look cool in every room, but the amplifiers generate a ton of heat and use just as much electricity. Plus, they fail after several years. Getting a wireless system you like is amazing, and they're a tenth of the cost of wired systems."
11. BEST: "A built-in closet! You can customize it to your budget and storage needs, and it saved us a ton of space and money. It gave us five times more storage capacity in our closet, and it looks great."
12. WORST: "I went with some paved asphalt on my driveway. Where I live, it gets extremely cold in the winter. The pavement just doesn't hold up — it's always cracking and heaving. I'm constantly filling cracks and sealing them, and the same goes for concrete. I had lots of concrete poured, and it's crumbling. Nothing seems to hold up in this climate. I had a fence put in that used 3-feet-deep posts and concrete, and they're starting to lean. I had pillars put in that used 10-feet-deep screw piles, and they still move. It's just not worth it."
13. BEST: "My front yard and backyard are made up of 100% native-to-my-region plants. They are thriving and beautiful, and they don't die. I don't need to water them often, fertilize them, or mow them, and I enjoy them every single day. I love walking in my yard, pulling the few weeds that I find, and enjoying the insects they attract. It's so relaxing and stress-free."
14. WORST: "Wall-to-wall carpet. It's impossible to remove all the dust that accumulates, no matter how much you vacuum. Even worse, if you wear shoes inside the house, it traps the dirt from your filthy shoe soles."
15. BEST: "The best thing we splurged on was an electric, tankless water heater back in 2009. I'm an owner of a small, single-story home, so space was at an absolute premium. Stand-alone hot water tanks have a large footprint and have to be drained periodically because of the sediment that builds up in them, but ours is slightly larger than a box of cereal and fits in our pantry. Being able to adjust the maximum temperature between running a load of hot laundry and a kid taking a shower is so convenient and safe. It only draws power when there's a demand for hot water, and we never have to worry about a tank seal failing and having gallons of water leaking all over the floor."
16. WORST: "Heated floors. We have heated floors in one of our bathrooms, and we hardly ever use them. They take a while to heat up, and they're expensive. They're lovely with bare feet, but we're usually wearing socks or slippers in the winter anyway. When it comes to our dream home, we'd never install heated floors."
17. BEST: "I've made some home improvement faux pas, for sure, but I've definitely learned from them. One home project that I wholeheartedly recommend is getting dual-paned windows. They provide extra insulation in hot and cold weather, and they also reduce outside noise. We also installed a dual-paned sliding door in our game room, which eliminates noise from the rest of the house. The same goes for having window shutters. They provide the same benefits as dual-paned windows, and they never go out of style, unlike curtains and drapes."
18. WORST: "Sun tunnels. They are tedious to clean and reduce storage space. Also, if they're installed incorrectly, or if there's storm damage, they could leak and cause unexpected water and roof damage. They're just so annoying to have to deal with."
19. BEST: "New cabinet hardware. Our house didn't have any cabinet hardware, so I bought matching handles for both the bathrooms and the kitchen. Simple black handles added so much to our honey-oak cabinets. Classic."
20. WORST: "Filling your garden with annuals. It's expensive and a lot of work because you have to dig it all up a few months later. Do annuals in planters and choose perennials for garden beds. It saves so much time and money."
21. BEST: "A nice carpet pad is absolutely worth it if you're replacing the carpet. It makes even cheaper carpet feel more luxurious, and it can help hide wear and tear over the years. I replaced mine eight years ago, and it still looks practically new."
22. WORST: "Aquariums. I live in Canada, and it's not logical to have outdoor ponds here, so I went indoors. I got a little Siamese fighting fish once, but it was in a tiny little tank. I felt bad for it and thought it needed more space, so I got a bigger tank. But then I got bitten by the 'aquarium bug.' I got more fish and more tanks, and I even joined an aquarium club. I had converted a basement bedroom into an 'automatic water-changing fish room' that had drilled tanks and the lot. I had over 36 fish tanks with over 1,000 gallons of water running — I pretty much had a fish store in my house. This fish hobby only lasted two years. I lost my job and had to work away from home, so I couldn't take care of them. I sold it all. It was a massive waste of money."
As someone who still lives in their childhood home, I can confirm that the hardwood floors are very much scratched up, probably thanks to my siblings and me and our pets. I think it's part of the charm, though! If you're a homeowner, what do you think are the best or worst splurges you can make? Let me know in the comments, or submit your thoughts using this anonymous form.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.