Home Improvement Jobs That Were a Total Waste of Money

What Went Wrong: An entire extension
Est. Repair Cost: $10,000+*

Adding some extra space to your home is the perfect concept for many households. After all, it’s cheaper than moving and it can add a lot of value to your home – in most cases. If you’re planning on extending, you might want to do what this family didn’t and hire an architect. 

Awkward Addition @HomeImprovement / Instagram.com

Not only does the newly added area not match the house in the slightest, but it’s awkward, the shape is wrong, and frankly, it looks like it’s been built with Newell’s Krazy Glue. There’s no doubt it’s the talk of the neighborhood, but for all the wrong reasons. 

It’s not very often you walk past a lovely row of houses in suburbia only to come across one that sticks out like a sore thumb. We would put money on the fact that the neighbors weren’t pleased, but no one can be more agitated than the owners themselves!

What Went Wrong: It’s indoors
Est. Repair Cost: $100*

Having a hose tap is a great little bonus for avid gardeners. Not every house has one, which can make watering the lawn a pretty strenuous task. However, some houses do have them – only, in the wrong place. This house has one inside, right next to the electric outlet. 

Indoor Hose highmarkconstruction / Instagram.com

There are so many problems with this setup that it’s difficult to know where to begin. For a start, water and electricity don’t mix, but that’s not even the worst of it. Just imagine a roaming toddler turning this on. Luckily, fixing this monstrosity shouldn’t be too difficult, but evidence that it once existed will last forever thanks to Facebook. 

Once something goes online it stays online, ready to pop up at the drop of a hat. Let’s just hope that whoever did this piece of work didn’t want to put it on their website. That testimonial would’ve been a hoot and a half to read if it were done by a professional and not (as we’re assuming) a total novice!

What Went Wrong: Fan too big for space
Est. Repair Cost: $1,000+*

When summer comes knocking, we want to crank up the AC and make sure fans are turned on… But what happens if we didn’t measure the space for the fan correctly? We’ll give you a hint: nothing good. Some unfortunate souls found this out the hard way when temperatures soared. 

A Really Big Fan @gcfdepot / Pinterest.com

This fan hasn’t just broken, it’s taken the walls down with it in a blaze of glory. When you factor in the cost of a new fan plus the cost to re-plaster these walls, you’re looking at a bill of at least $1,000. That’s money that could’ve been well spent on necessities at stores like Walmart.

For instance, it would have been much cheaper to fit a normal light and buy a standing fan than it turned out to be. It’s difficult to fathom just how this went so badly wrong. After all, anyone can see that the fan doesn’t fit – why on Earth would you turn it on to confirm the problem?

What Went Wrong: The patio was laid at the wrong height
Est. Repair Cost: $1,000*

When the better weather rolls around, everyone dreams of sitting out in a newly decorated garden with a nice bottle of beer in hand. That doesn’t always mean it’s the reality, though. Rushing to lay a brand-new patio for summer might seem like a good idea, but be sure to take those measurements properly. 

Dug-out door @lcmorais1967/Twitter.com

Otherwise, you might find yourself out there crying into your Budweiser and trying to dig the concrete out so you can open your back door. The cost of relaying the patio again will set you back at least $1,000. 

It’s either that or you see about raising the house a few inches so that it’s level, which is an entirely unrealistic (and impossible) endeavor. Unless you’re lucky enough to have side access to the backyard, in which case, you could live with the mistake and just forget the door exists!

What Went Wrong: Street light blocks the driveway
Est. Repair Cost: $4,000*

It’s difficult to see exactly who was in the wrong here. Did the street light get installed after the driveway was laid, or were the homeowners too quick to jump ahead with the project and didn’t consider what lay beyond their property boundaries? 

Poorly Placed Pole @Sikossu / Pinterest.com

What we do know for sure is that this is one heck of a mess. The total cost of a streetlight is anywhere between $5,000-$8,000 in total. That being said, we would estimate that it would cost around $4,000 minimum to dig this one up and move it over a few feet so this family can park their Ford in peace. 

It could be cheaper to sell the car and use the profits to buy a motorbike instead. That way, you could park without having to worry about crashing into the giant pole smack bang in the middle of the driveway. It’s not ideal, but at least it’s simpler than the alternative!

What Went Wrong: Windows on top of windows
Est. Repair Cost: $3,000*

It doesn’t take a genius to spot what’s wrong with this picture, but it does take a particular type of person to give this project the green light. Although it could be argued that you can’t see this monstrosity from the outside looking in, the exterior view is so appalling it’s almost unbelievable. 

Double Windows @tradesman4u / Pinterest.com

The cost to install windows is at least a couple of thousand, but the price would undoubtedly get higher if someone was charged with properly fixing this mess. No Instagram filter can fix this up: it’s an out-and-out disaster. 

In order to fully remedy this, the entire exterior of the building would need to be looked at, and, judging by the picture, it’s not in great shape anyway. Ripping out the windows and rebuilding them would cost thousands of dollars, but maybe it’s better just to scrap the whole building and start again!

What Went Wrong: Drastically wrong toilet roll holder position
Est. Repair Cost: $20*

The problem in this photo might not be immediately apparent, but when you look at it for a few seconds it becomes all too clear. The toilet roll holder isn’t conveniently positioned at all – unless you happen to be doing your business in the tub, for reasons unknown. 

Can You Pass The TP? @myhomebuilders / Pinterest.com

Luckily, this isn’t all that expensive to fix. You can buy standing toilet roll holders from sites like Amazon for just a few bucks, and once you’ve removed the old one and tiled over it, you can close that uncomfortable chapter in your life for good. 

Although the fix might be easy, we can’t help but wonder how this situation came to be in the first place. Was the tub installed where the toilet once was and the budget just didn’t stretch to re-tiling? The mind boggles, but at least it’s entertaining!

What Went Wrong: Poorly placed staircase.. or doors?
Est. Repair Cost: $2,000*

Apartment living isn’t for everybody, but since the vast majority of the world’s inhabitants happen to live in apartments, it’s something we have to put up with. At least we can rest assured, safe in the knowledge that building management is doing everything it can to keep us safe, right? 

Stairway to Nowhere @cheezburgerpins/Twitter.com

Fire escapes and emergency staircases are a big part of that… When done correctly, that is. When it’s done wrong, this happens. That’s a very big – and very expensive – staircase that needs to be moved into a position where it might actually have a chance at saving lives. 

We would say that it would be cheaper to move the windows, but frankly, that’s a huge lie. There’s nothing about this that would have passed building safety regulations, so whoever signed off on this must have had a terrible hangover or, at the very least, misplaced their glasses.

What Went Wrong: The rail is across the door
Est. Repair Cost: $1,000*

Doors are brilliant things, as are stairs. Mix the two together though, and you might find yourself in a very precarious situation. It’s not clear what’s behind this mystery door, but the owners may never find out thanks to that pesky stair rail. 

Unusable Door @ArchiDesiign /Twitter.com

Is it a secret stash of gold? Is it a door to another world? Who knows. What we do know is that the architects aren’t ever going to land their own show on Netflix. There’s nothing about this dud that screams “design genius.” 

We have to give them points for mystery though. Everyone that walks past it is going to wonder what’s behind it, which makes it an interesting conversation piece, if nothing else. The day that door is finally opened, we want to be there watching. Who knows what may come out!

What Went Wrong: The gutter is in the wrong place
Est. Repair Cost: $300*

There are far more costly aspects to building a house than fitting the gutter, but it’s a time-consuming process. After all, you have to make sure it’s fixed on properly which isn’t exactly a walk in the park. That’s why when you do it, you have to make sure it’s done right. 

Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter @emeicher8 / Pinterest.com

Lapse in concentration for just a second and you’ll find that you’ll have to go back and do the entire thing again, just like this sorry excuse for a tradesman. We’ve seen worse, but it’s not exactly an advertisement that will bring in a ton of repeat business, either. Let’s hope this gutter guy isn’t doing any YouTube tutorials. 

Lord knows that no one else needs to make this mistake again. Once is more than enough for these poor homeowners that had to remedy the entire situation in order to get efficient drainage. Let’s face it, who wants to be messing around with gutters when there’s wallpaper to pick out?

What Went Wrong: The door isn’t level with the driveway
Est. Repair Cost: $1,000-$2,000*

Having a house with a garage is something that many take for granted. While some of us don’t actually use the garage to store the car in, it’s nice to have the option. However, something went drastically wrong during the design process for this shiny new garage door. 

Elevated Garage @rebecca4dex / Pinterest.com

It’s about a foot away from the driveway, so unless your car can fly, it’s not getting in there any time soon. Still, let’s hope the garage is being used for some other interesting purpose, like a room to play Sony Playstation in, or an at-home gym.

Perhaps it’s not a garage for cars at all, but a place to store the bike and the fridge? Either way, if these owners were hoping to sell one day, then the chances of finding a buyer will be significantly higher if they just fix this embarrassing debacle ASAP.

What Went Wrong: There’s no bathroom wall
Est. Repair Cost: $5,000+*

There are some pictures that just boggle the mind. This is one of them. Even if it’s a picture of a show home – which we really hope it is – there are serious flaws with this set-up. Forget the fact that there isn’t a wall. Are potential buyers really meant to be down with the idea of a see-through window in front of a toilet, i.e. one of the most private places in the entire home? 

No Privacy to Be Found @BadRealtyPhotos / Twitter.com

Something tells us that this entire scenario is entirely unredeemable. If we take it at face value and imagine this is an actual home, then it’s going to take at least a few thousand to remedy this situation. 

Even if this particular room isn’t what it seems on the tin, there are plenty of examples out there with glass walls in bathrooms and beyond. Maybe it was a trend at one point in time, or maybe some houses have no shame. The jury is out on that one.

What Went Wrong: The fire door is permanently open
Est. Repair Cost: $100+*

Fire doors are wonderful inventions, designed to slow down the spread of flames if a disastrous situation happened to occur. Of course, this only works if the door remains closed. What happens if someone puts a huge pole in the way so that the door is permanently open? 

Fire Door Open @edithmerkle / PInterest.com

Well, we wouldn’t like to find out. Without knowing exactly what the pole is for, it’s difficult to say how much it would cost to remove it. However, the door itself could potentially be switched to the other side, but even then, it may not close. This mishap is going to cost at least $100 to be fixed. 

In reality, however, completely fixing the situation might cost a darn sight more. Regardless, building regulations don’t exactly allow for much error, so whoever did this job could be in for a very big slap on the wrist. The first rule of building? Respect the fire door!

What Went Wrong: Plug socket in the shower
Est. Repair Cost: $200*

Electric sockets are handy in the bathroom. We can’t deny it. It’s nice to be able to use shavers, hairdryers, and other items in front of the mirror… But as we’ve established many times, water and electricity don’t mix. In fact, in countries like the UK, sockets in the bathroom aren’t commonplace at all. 

Switcheroo @reissmac / Pinterest.com

Even in America, it’s highly unlikely that anyone could get down with seeing an electric socket in a shower, directly below the flow of water. It brings to question, was this a legit mishap, or is someone holding a grudge? 

There’s no way any sane individual would step foot in that shower, but perhaps the water was turned off. Perhaps it was a demonstration of what not to do when making improvements. We may never know the true story, but let’s all be collectively thankful we have well-placed sockets that don’t run the risk of shuffling us off the mortal coil.