Don't Try This At Home
When you’re preparing your home for the market, it’s tempting to roll up your sleeves and handle everything yourself. But some fixes are best left to the pros - both for safety reasons and to avoid scaring off potential buyers. Here are 35 things you shouldn’t DIY, no matter how good at fixing things you think you are.
Roof Replacement
Your roof is one of the most important things about your house, and a bad roof screams “money pit” to buyers. While patching shingles might seem doable, major roofing repairs requires skill and safety equipment. If it’s done badly, leaks will show up quickly.
Lead Paint Removal
Lead paint is also extremely dangerous and yet so many houses have some somewhere. Scraping old lead paint yourself creates toxic dust, and buyers with children or pets especially worry about this. Hire someone who will safety get rid of the old paint and provide documentation about it.
Structural Repairs
If there’s sagging in your floors, cracks in foundation walls, or load-bearing beams that need help, don’t even think about tackling it alone. It won’t work out well for you, no matter how much DIY you know. Get a contractor with proper permits.
Exterior Painting
Maybe you’re good at painting, but you’re probably not good enough to paint a two-storey house and have it come out looking pristine. Buyers will notice the uneven coats and drips. Hire a team of professionals instead – you’ll be glad you did.
Electrical Wiring
Messing with wiring can be dangerous and buyers know it. DIY electrical fixes often look sloppy, and inspectors will catch it. If buyers see questionable wiring, they’ll worry about, well, the very real possibility that it could injure or kill them in the future. Always call a licensed electrician.
Plumbing Issues
Changing out a faucet is one thing, but replacing pipes or fixing leaks inside walls is quite another. Bad plumbing repairs can cause water damage that understandably terrifies buyers. And unless you’re a professional plumber, you shouldn’t tackle the problem yourself.
HVAC Systems
Heating and cooling units are complicated, and buyers don’t want makeshift fixes. Attempting to repair or replace an HVAC system yourself can void the warranty and leave things unsafe. Save yourself from unnecessary stress and danger and call a professional.
Window Replacements
Poorly installed windows can leak air and water, stuff that shows up in inspection reports. DIY attempts often leave gaps or crooked frames. Buyers want properly sealed, energy-efficient windows – and if you want to sell your house, you have to hire someone who knows what they’re doing.
Major Appliance Installs
Installing dishwashers, ovens, or washing machines might seem simple, but one wrong move with electrical or water hookups spells disaster. Buyers don’t want to wonder if the appliances are connected right, so it’s advised you don’t try this yourself.
Driveway Surfaces
Resurfacing a driveway isn’t just pouring asphalt. DIY attempts often look pretty bad. Buyers notice curb appeal first, and a bad driveway makes a poor impression. Even if it comes out okay when you first resurface, it may develop cracks later, and then everyone will yell at you.
Bathroom Remodels
A new vanity or faucet swap? Go for it. But re-tiling, moving plumbing, or installing a shower is a different story. Bad tile jobs and leaky showers scare buyers away. Call a professional and whatever you do, don’t try to sell your house halfway through a bathroom remodel.
Kitchen Cabinets
Painting cabinets can be fun for the inexperienced DIYer, but replacing or installing new ones requires actual skill, something a lot of people don’t realize. Crooked doors, uneven gaps, and poor hardware placement will ruin your kitchen, and buyers notice immediately.
Basement Waterproofing
A damp basement always raises red flags. DIY waterproofing with sealant paint doesn’t fix the underlying problem, and buyers know it. You need to call in a professional – it won’t be cheap, but you have almost no chance of selling the house otherwise.
Chimney Repairs
Chimneys involve masonry, smoke pathways, and fire safety – all difficult things to navigate. DIY patch jobs often look messy and don’t solve real issues. Buyers want assurance that the fireplace and chimney won’t pose hazards, and to do that, you need to either be or hire a professional.
Hardwood Flooring Installation
Laminate click-in floors? Okay to try yourself. But hardwood installation? Leave it to the experts. Misaligned boards, gaps, or squeaks turn buyers off instantly. You can try putting talcum powder in between the boards to help with the squeaking, but it’s not an ideal fix.
Garage Door Replacement
Garage doors are heavy, tricky, and they can be downright dangerous. Many people have tried fixing up their garage themselves and gone to the hospital that same day. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to do everything around the house yourself – call a professional.
Deck Building
A DIY deck might look okay at first, but prospective buyers will spot shaky railings, uneven boards, or poor foundations. And then, guess what? They’ll turn their nose up at everything else you’re offering. Yes, you get a lot of pride out of building your own deck, but it still might be better left to the professionals.
Insulation in Walls
Stuffing insulation yourself can cause gaps or even mold issues if you trap moisture. Inspectors will notice if things have gone too wrong, and then no-one will want to buy your house. Call a professional insulation installer!
Attic Conversions
Turning an attic into a bedroom sounds great… until buyers see questionable wiring, poor ventilation, or anything else that indicates the attic room my not be the best place to live. DIY attic conversions rarely meet code, and inspectors call them out.
Stucco Repairs
Stucco cracks are easy to spot, and amateur patch jobs never blend correctly. Buyers see mismatched walls as a sign of bigger issues. There are lots of people out there who can help with the stucco, so why not give one of them a call?
Solar Panel Installation
Solar panels are great! They’re good for the environment, they save money, and they add value to your home. But you should never try to install them yourself. Let a certified installation company handle permits, wiring, and warranties, and you can go forward worry-free.
Landscaping
Building retaining walls, stone walkways, or patios requires precision and a drainage planning ability that a lot of people, through no fault of their own, just don’t have. No-one wants to buy a house where parts of the garden could collapse at any moment… so hire a professional.
Septic System Repairs
Tackling a septic system yourself is a huge mistake – one that poses health risks, as well. Buyers and inspectors expect certified work and documentation for the septic tank. DIY repairs won’t hold up, and septic issues are a major deal-breaker.
Fence Installation
A small picket fence is one thing, but large fencing projects require proper leveling and secure posts. If a buyer finds your fence looking like it’s about to collapse, they may turn their nose up at your whole house. So be aware.
Fireplace Installation
Adding or moving a fireplace involves gas, ventilation, and possible structural issues. A DIY attempt is usually, to put it bluntly, a fire hazard – and it’ll most definitely turn buyers off. Hire a certified fireplace installer instead.
Water Heater Installation
Swapping out a water heater yourself is risky. Buyers don’t want to worry about leaks and they certainly don’t want to worry about safety issues. A professional installation ensures your house is kept safe, and means you can show documentation to the buyer.
Structural Wall Removal
Opening up space by knocking down walls looks simple (and sometimes even fun!) on TV, but if it’s load-bearing… well. Buyers don’t want to guess if the ceiling might sag. If you badly want a wall in your house gone, you might have to bite the bullet and hire a contractor.
Gutter Replacement
Cleaning gutters is fine, but replacing them on a two-story home is very dangerous work, and the gutters often end up poorly aligned if done DIY style. For the sake of peace of mind for both yourself and your buyer, hire somebody.
Pool Repairs
Many people would say that installing a pool is more trouble than it’s worth, but once you’ve got one, you have to maintain it to the highest standards. Unfortunately, fixing leaks in a pool is difficult, and it’s always best to hire someone to do it for you.
Mold Removal
You need to know that painting over mold isn’t fixing it - it’s hiding it. Buyers and inspectors can spot this quickly, and it’s a huge red flag. Certified removal is the only way to show the problem was handled properly and safely.
Asbestos Removal
DIY removal of asbestos is dangerous and illegal in many places, because inhaling its fibers can cause cancer. Buyers want professional certification showing it was removed safely, not a guessing game about something that has very much killed people in the past.
Major Pest Control
You may spray for ants every now and again, but you need to do considerably more if you have, say, rats or termites. This really isn’t a job you can do yourself, you need to call a pest control company, otherwise you’re not going to be able to sell your house at all.
Tree Removal
Chopping down large trees by yourself is immensely dangerous, and you shouldn’t do it. And errant branches can also damage your yard or home. Always hire a professional (one with good online reviews) to chop down any tree you no longer want.
Staircase Repairs
Wobbly stairs are a safety hazard, but DIY fixes often look terrible and won’t satisfy inspectors. Buyers want secure, solid staircases, and won’t settle for anything less – so you need to get in a professional. It helps if they can make the stairs look stylish as well as safe, too.
Concrete Slabs
Pouring concrete might look easy on YouTube, but it’s trickier than it seems. A DIY slab often ends up uneven, cracked, or poorly finished, which house buyers spot immediately. Get a team in to do it for you – it’s really too much to ask of one inexperienced person.
