50 Hilarious DIY Fails That Show Home Renovation Isn’t as Easy as It Looks
Home remodeling is a great way to spruce up your space—until it’s not. While DIY projects can be a fun challenge, they often come with some laugh-out-loud mishaps.
Ever measured twice and still bought a door that doesn’t fit the frame? Or tried painting a sleek ombré wall, only to end up with a psychedelic mess that looks more tie-dye than trendy?
Lighting can be tricky too—imagine dreaming of a stunning chandelier over your dining table, but instead, it ends up awkwardly dangling in a narrow hallway. Not exactly the statement piece you pictured.
And let’s not even get started on plumbing. One ambitious sink installation can quickly turn into a mini flood, leaving you soaked and regretting every decision. Even hanging shelves isn’t always as simple as it seems—sometimes, you’re left with a Picasso-inspired masterpiece instead of the neat storage you envisioned.
Sure, DIY doesn’t always go as planned, but the hilarious fails make for the best stories. Ready for a laugh? Check out these epic remodeling disasters!
75% of homeowners seek to do their own home renovation work.
“Facade Wall Contractors Used A Drill Too Long For The Job”
“Home Renovation Not Going As Planned”
“Lazy Plumbers Installed Leaky Pipes In My Bathroom. Now, There Are Mushrooms Growing On My Ceiling”
Bathroom renovations
“What Happens When You’re Renovating And Remove A Load-Bearing Wall”
“My Parents: We Don’t Need A Paint Roller”
“My House Is Under Renovation And The Mason Assured Me That It Would Only Take Two Days To Close The Roof Up. Now It’s Raining”
“My Landlord Installed This Toilet Paper Holder In My Apartment During Renovation. Yes, It Is Glued Onto The Wall. No, None Of The Parts Come Off”
“When The Contractor Quits And Leaves You Without A Kitchen For Months”
Kitchen remodeling
“My Friend Just Finished A Kitchen Remodel”
“Dad’s New Shower Door Install Is Complete”
“Rate My Husband’s Paint Job. “It’ll Be Fine After A Second Coat”
“Just Moved Into Our First Home With My Wife. She Wanted To Hang A Picture, But Ended Up Drilling Into A Sprinkler Pipe. 40 Minutes To Shut Off, Do Not Recommend”
“Spent $40,000 Renovating My New Home. Just Got The Itemized Budget, “Install Sliding Door Stopper: $100”. Here’s A Photo Of The “Installed” Door Stopper”
“Contractor Insists This Is Ok”
“Fiancé Was Being Thoughtful And Taking The Paint Cans To The Basement. Turns Out He Tried To Carry Too Many At Once”
“We Are Both Crying Inside, He’s Okay And Super Lucky He Didn’t Fall Above The Stairs”
“Just Finished Installing The New Dishwasher”
“Currently Having The Bathroom Above Our Newly Renovated Kitchen Redone, This Is What I Came Home To Today”
“Easy Installation Shower Door, They Said”
“My Brother-In-Law’s Remodeled Basement”
“Just Finished Remodeling My Kitchen And I Broke The Glass Top To My Stove. It Has Been Discontinued. A New Top Costs About $500 And Used Tops Are $250 In Not Good Condition”
“In The “Newly Remodeled Bathroom” Of My Apartment”
“When The Contractor Installs Your Brand New Vanity And Does This To Make The Pipes Fit”
“How Not To Install A Metal Roof”
“Just Don’t Leave The Water On And Swing The Faucet. This Is A Remodeled Kitchen In My Sister’s New House”
“Me: I Would Like To Remodel My Kitchen To Have More Cabinets. Contractor:”
“On The Other Side Of Our Guest Bathroom Is Our Kitchen Where He Had Our Microwave Installed By “Professionals”
“New Windows That Are Supposed To Help With Thermal Efficiency Break During Install”
“Trying To Remodel. Brand New Kitchen Is Edgy, I Suppose”
“My Contractor Was Re-Sheathing The Roof When His Labourer Accidentally Installed A Skylight In My Son’s Room With His Foot”
“Has The Tiler Done A Reasonable Job Here?”
“I’ve Always Religiously Worn Gloves When Using Expanding Foam. From Today Onwards, I’ll Also Wear A Hat”
“How My Friend, Who Has A Mechanical Engineering Degree, Installed His Mailbox”
“Hired A Guy For A Shower Renovation. Here Is His Tile Work. He Came Highly Recommended”
“My Dad Painted The Light Yellow”
“Was Told By My Builder That This Was The Correct Paint Color For The Walls”
“Mom And Dad Are Getting The Bathroom Renovated And The Tiler Did This”
“Just A PSA To Not Use Handymen To Do Any Plastering. This Was Also “Sanded”
“Fell While Painting My Bathroom”
“Contractors Have Tile Spacers But Don’t Know How To Use Them”
“Put A Little Too Much Pressure While Drilling A Hole Through My Wall”
“My Partner Spent The Last 3 Weeks Sanding And Painting Our New Kitchen Drawers. We Go To Screw Them Back On And”
“Measure Twice Cut (Or Drill) Once” And Make Sure The Cabinet Pulls Go On The Correct Side Of The Door”
“An Unholy Mess Of Ceiling Drywall Repair”
“We Haven’t Had A Kitchen In Months And We’re Finally Ready To Move Things Back In. Our Cabinets Are Smaller And Our Plates Don’t Fit Anymore”
“Installed The Stove, Boss”
“How The Worker Installed My Baseboards After Getting New Flooring”
“Mom Spray Painted A Perfectly Good Microwave And Fridge To Match”
“New Shower Started Leaking”
“My Grandparents Recently Remodeled Their Bathroom”
DIY home projects can be exciting and oh-so-satisfying—until they take an unexpected turn. But here’s the thing: the best memories (and laughs) often come from those perfectly imperfect moments.
So, if your latest project goes sideways, don’t sweat it! Embrace the chaos, laugh it off, and remember—flawless is overrated, but a great story lasts forever.