Being a homeowner comes with a lot of decision-making, and sometimes, you end up regretting some choices. Recently, homeowners of the BuzzFeed Community shared with us the home splurges they thought weren't worth the money, and some of them might surprise you. Here are some pricier home purchases, renovations, and projects you might want to reconsider:
1. "A koi pond. We bought the house with an existing one, and maintaining it was such a waste of time. It had to be cleaned regularly, animals came for the water, and leaves and debris got blown in all the time. In the summer, we're going to fill the pond and make it into a rock and flower garden."
2. "Solar panels. We don't ever see a big difference in the power bill. It was a big waste of money."
—Anonymous
3. "The pot filler over the stove. It cost a lot, and we had to replace the wall and repaint. We ended up never using it because I was too scared of the water pressure blowing the line."
4. "We got an inverter portable air conditioner to cut down on noise and save electricity. It was three times the price with a one-year warranty. It died just over a year later, and no one will repair it."
—Anonymous
5. "I bought a hot tub for a really good deal. I thought I'd be in it every night, but in the four years I've owned it, I've only used it in the winter, maybe once or twice a week. In the summer, I drain it and shut it down. So much for impulsive buying."
6. "Our biggest mistake was getting a heat pump hot water heater. First, the initial cost was staggering; we had three replaced under warranty. The replacement heat pumps were all provided at no cost by the manufacturer, but to keep the warranty, they had to be professionally installed for $1,000 each time. They all failed after developing coolant leaks at the condenser coil at the one-year mark, and they only have a 15-year life expectancy if they do last more than a year. They just weren't repairable, and we couldn't turn off the heat pump feature and use it as a conventional electric water heater. Eventually, we just went back to using a conventional one. It was definitely one of my costlier mistakes."
7. "A 'smart' dishwasher. It stops working all the time. The computer that supposedly runs it sends the wrong information; it was $1,400 and a total waste."
8. "Gutter filters/guards. Initially, they were good, but as the leaves lying on top of them decomposed and passed through the holes in the guards, debris built up in the gutters and eventually clogged them. Removing and replacing the guards is more work than cleaning gutters on a regular basis. It's better to put the gutter guard money into your savings account and pay someone to clean your gutters seasonally."
—Anonymous
9. "Our aluminum patio cover/screened enclosure. It looked beautiful for a few years until the daily Florida rain began bubbling the pain and rusting the aluminum. It wasn't worth the upkeep and expense."
10. "Joining a HOA. There were years of fees with no return. The only thing ever discussed at meetings was how they needed to raise the fees — yet I never saw any snow shoveling, road maintenance, or plowing. Even the small park that was supposed to be maintained was in disrepair. I will never live in a HOA again."
—Anonymous
11. "When we remodeled our bathroom shower, we installed subway tiles. It looked nice, but it's a lot of grout to keep clean. Next time, we'd definitely pick something with less or no grout lines so that it's easier to maintain."
12. "We aspired to have a 'smart house' and got an audio/visual whole-house central rack setup. We spent big money centralizing all the TV, cable, music, security, and home theater components, but everything is now obsolete, and we are back to keeping devices separate in the room they are being used in."
—Anonymous
13. "Getting 10-foot ceilings. All the older women in the family are 5'5" or shorter, so cleaning is a major shitshow. There are extending cleaning poles, but they're a nightmare since some are heavy, and some fall apart or have terrible cleaning accessories. But if you don't use the poles, we have to get out the stepstool and slide along with an extended Swiffer. If only we'd gotten nine-foot ceilings — then the vacuum cleaning and the Swiffer would have been enough to clean the crown molding, cobwebs, and any other buys that get up on the ceiling. Our fans are way harder to clean, too."
14. "Getting a central vacuum cleaner. It would be easier to use a regular vacuum cleaner since we have to drag around and store the super long hose. The thing lays around the house half the time because we don't want to jam it into the closet."
—Anonymous
15. "Concrete countertops. It's super high-maintenance, and you have to wax them regularly. They stain easily, too. Once, I defrosted meat on the counter, and the white foam wrapper permanently ruined it."
16. Lastly: "Getting plush carpet throughout my house. It was high-maintenance because it had to be cleaned too often. The light color was beautiful at first, but I soon replaced it with wood flooring: low maintenance, no dust, no dirty pathways, and it looks neat every day."
—Bonnie, 73, Ohio
Oop, looks like I'm never going to join a HOA. If you're a homeowner, what's a pricier home purchase you regret making? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your response using this form!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.