50 People Who Probably Had A Worse Day Than You, Thanks To These Home Improvement Fails (New Pics)

Wouldn't it be nice to buy a home and never have it upgrade and renovate it? It would definitely save us the cash and the hassle, that's for sure! As 59% of American homes were built before 1980, Zippia averages that people renovate their homes every three to five years. When we say "renovate" here, we mean minor upgrades, like painting.

If people have lived in their house for more than six years, they're more likely to do renovations than to just move to another place. People do major upgrades like whole room remodels less often, and the main reasons for that are either lack of time or money.

In the same survey, 50% of the respondents said they intended to do home renovations themselves. At the same time, 56% said they would hire a professional to do at least a part or all the home improvements. The most sought-after professionals are electricians and general contractors.

People renovate their homes not only for themselves; they're also thinking about the value of their house. In that sense, the renovations that give the biggest yields are those done to the kitchen. Minor kitchen upgrades yield a return of up to 96%, while major upgrades yield around a 50% return on investment.

Sometimes, I think I'm lucky not to own a home yet. How do people even know when it's time for an upgrade? For example, when do your walls need repainting? The experts at PaintRite Pros write that repainting walls should be a job you do every five years at least. Hallways and corridors suffer the most as they get scuff marks, fingerprints, and other daily wear and tear.

Experts claim that homeowners should also make minor bathroom improvements every five years. This includes painting the walls, updating cabinet finishes, fixtures, and lighting. The carpet is another thing you should replace more often. Although some carpets can last up to 15 years, experts recommend addressing heavy traffic areas like hallways, doorways, and stairs every five years or so.

If you don't have carpeted floors and have hardwood instead, you should upgrade them every 10 years. That means sanding them down and applying a new finishing coat. I have some personal experience with that, as we redid the wood floors in our family house a few years ago. The sanding machine is loud and can be quite hard to operate because it's so heavy, but the result is totally worth it. More so because you did it yourself!

Experts also recommend replacing your water heater every 10 years. At this point, most of the systems start to decline in quality after 12 or so years, so when you hit that decade milestone, it's a good time to start thinking about a new one. If a water heater starts producing murky water, leaking, rusting, or producing odd sounds, those are signals to replace it too.