Botched Home DIY Projects that Can Affect Your Home Value

Posted by Cain Realty Group on Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 10:00 AM By Cain Realty Group / September 22, 2016 Comment

Are you an avid DIYer? There is nothing wrong with working on basic home projects-- as long as your hard work will not compromise your safety and home value. Here are the most common DIY project fails listed by Realtor.com that can hurt your home worth, especially when home inspectors are coming over while you are in the process of selling your home:

Unstable Decks- poorly attached railings and irregularly sized posts can lead to unstable decks. If your deck is moving, then there's something wrong. Adeck should be sturdy enough to support your weight without wobbling AND it should not be too reliant on your home for support. Fasteners need to be correctly installed and maintained, as they cause this problem in the long run.

Removal of Load-bearing Walls- open floor plans are all the rage these days, so it doesn't come as a surprise that many DIYers work on projects removing interior walls to open up the space. However, you have to prioritize the structural integrity of your home. Old homes tend to rely on central posts and walls for stability, so it might not be a good idea to renovate with this project on old homes. For newer homes (that tend to rely on side walls for support), working on open floor-plan projects are okay. It's best to consult with a builder and have your renovation plan be approved to be sure that the renovation work is safe.

DIY Plumbing- DIY plumbing jobs often present inspectors with wrong pipes used for connections, eventually causing water damage to the home. The likely culprit is the accordion-shaped flexible pipes favored by avid DIYers. Pipes are ideally smooth and unridged to prevent clogs and waste build up. Use something different and you will likely be fined for violating residential plumbing codes.

Faulty Electrical- Residential fires are almost always caused by faulty wiring. Exposed writes and overloaded circuits pose a threat to homes, especially if a recent remodel or DIY repair project was recently completed. Using the wrong circuit breaker of size of wiring poses a fire hazard to the home-- a problem that your home inspector will likely indicate in the inspection report.

Other faulty DIY projects were discussed in the original Realtor article. To access the article from which this post was based, please click here.

Tags: Austin TX Home Ideas, Austin TX Home Inspection, Austin TX Home Value