Don't you just love the way those renovation shows on cable TV get us all revved up to knock out walls, rewire electricity, or replace our old wooden floors with something "easy to clean"? The slick stars of the home reno world sure make it look easy. Unfortunately, they also encourage fledgling DIY-ers to tackle more than they should. Sure, you may have beginner or middling skills that will get better with time, but unless you're a near pro, don't touch that wall. Or electrical wires. Or floor.

Aping the examples of the TV renovators is just one kind of home improvement pitfall to avoid. Sometimes, the worst advice issues forth from friends and family, and unless you're well-grounded in the skills you need to improve the home you'll be listing among Beavercreek homes for sale, you could damage your home, and then require someone to fix your mistakes.

Following is some really bad home improvement advice.

1. Go ahead and tear down that wall.
   Regardless of whether you plan to do it yourself or hire someone to knock down that wall to "open up more space," stop and think. The stars of home renovation shows make it look easy on TV, but that wall may be key to the home's structural soundness. That is, it may hold up the floors and frame above it. Further, a wall may have water, drain, and electrical lines inside. Always have a professional determine if a wall should be torn down.
   
   
2. Modernize your historic home.
   If your home really does qualify as historic, go easy with updates. While you may be seduced by the cute and trendy looks you see on TV, modernizing can actually destroy some of the aspects of your home that make it historic. You may long for some fresh innovations, but make sure they complement the historic look of your home. Further, you want to be sure that whatever you do inside the home matches the look of the exterior. For instance, if you have a mid-century modern ranch home where the exterior is intact from the 50s, avoid adapting the interior to funky farmhouse or formal classic style.
   
   
3. Go for the trendy projects. 
   Trends can grab us and it's hard to let go when we're smitten. You love those renovated houses with the painted gray brick exterior and the bright red door, but there are already five or six houses on your street with that look so maybe you should go for something else.
   
   
4. Focus on cosmetic changes.
   It's tempting to succumb to the razzle-dazzle, signing on for exciting and perhaps expensive updates, but you'll get better value if you invest in quality materials and rehab essentials (storage, flooring) rather than cosmetic changes.
   
   
5. Buy the most expensive materials; the pricier, the better.
   Too many of us fall into the trap of thinking the higher the price tag, the better the whatever, be it clothes, shoes, cars, or home improvements. You know this isn't necessarily true, but that price tag hoodoo does a number on us, and before you know it, you're springing for marble at $100 a square foot instead of perfectly lovely granite at $50 per square foot.
   
   
6. The cheapest contractor is your best bet.
   Not necessarily. Price is important, but do due diligence, and interview at least three contractors. Check with their other customers to make sure they finished jobs on time and did them satisfactorily.

Our REALTORS® are experts at making recommendations for home improvements. Contact Wright-Patt Realty, Inc. today.