"Total Disaster": Homeowners Reveal the Challenges They Were Completely Unprepared for When They Purchased Their Properties

As someone who's always rented, I find it incredibly interesting to hear the tales and hardships from those who've taken the plunge into homeownership. Recently, u/everybuddyup asked homeowners on Reddit to share unexpected nuisances that came with their homes, and the answers were eye-opening. Here's a glimpse of what they had to say:

1. "Finding contractors for small repairs was a nightmare. I had a chimney leak and reached out to four companies. Three of them refused the job because it was a $300-500 fix. The fourth scheduled an appointment but didn’t show up. It took me over four months to get someone to do it."

2. "The direction your bedroom faces. I once lived in a place where the bedroom faced southeast, and it was always unbearably hot, regardless of the thermostat or how thick the curtains were. The same goes for how much sunlight you get or your gardening plans. You need to consider the cardinal directions carefully."

—u/kamikaze_pedestrian

3. "I bought an apartment. The neighbors directly beneath us smoke. A lot. All the time. The smoke is so strong that you can smell it when you open the kitchen cupboards near the sink because it seeps through the pipes. In the summer, I can't open the windows because as soon as they wake up and start coughing, the stench fills the house. They smoke in every room and in the bedrooms until after midnight every night. I'm an ex-smoker, but it still grosses me out."

—u/butwhatsmyname

4. "Bamboo. Someone who lived here before me planted an incredibly invasive, 15-foot bamboo in the backyard. It spread so rapidly that it was lifting up the granite pool and growing under the house’s foundation. You could see the remnants of a supposed 'barrier' where it was originally planted, but they clearly didn't know how bamboo grows. I didn’t realize this until I bought the house. It’s been a total disaster."

5. "We live in a 100-year-old house with a spacious, open basement. Our washer and dryer are both in the basement. For some bizarre reason, the previous owners placed the washer and dryer on opposite sides of the basement instead of putting them side-by-side like normal people. I ended up buying one of those professional chrome laundry carts used in laundromats to move loads across the basement. Eventually, I plan to rewire the space and move the dryer next to the washing machine."

—u/jasperdyne

6. "Buying a 'fixer-upper' in general. Renovations end up costing far more than you expect. HGTV DOESN’T TELL YOU THE TRUTH."

—u/professional_gift430

7. "One bathroom. I had no idea how much time my husband spends just sitting on the toilet."

8. "Window coverings or curtains. The previous owner broke up with his girlfriend. She moved out and took all the curtains with her out of spite. I didn’t think it was a big deal until I found out how expensive new ones would be."

—u/asdfg27

9. "When we first bought our house, we were younger and didn’t consider that having the laundry in the basement and no bedroom on the main floor might be an issue. Now that we’re seniors, it’s become a problem and will likely force us to move."

—u/low-regret5048

10. "A new roof costs $20,000."

11. "A year later, the nightmare neighbors from hell moved in next door."

—u/staggere

12. "Water drainage problems. There are three spots on my three acres where the drainage is all wrong. It's a real hassle."

—u/getyourownwaffle

13. "Water is a nightmare. I've come to despise rain, snow, and any kind of leak. It’s a disaster for the roof, it damages the foundation, and it wreaks havoc on nearly everything in between. Fix leaks IMMEDIATELY."

14. "‘Unique’ homes come with unique costs. We bought a custom home from the couple who built it. The kitchen was massive—probably the largest you’ve ever seen. They had installed cork flooring in the kitchen and even an instant hot water heater for the sink. One day, a small hose disconnected from the hot water heater—pressurized water, mind you. In just one hour, the floor soaked up two inches of water."

"We had solid insurance, but it still cost them six figures to repair that kitchen. The cabinets were made of solid mahogany, and the bottoms were built right on top of the cork. When we replaced them, the stain on the upper cabinets didn’t match anymore. The crew even cracked a quartz slab during removal. And, no, this wasn’t your typical Home Depot quartz. We had to pay extra to get tile for this massive kitchen because there was no way we were putting cork back in."

When we moved in, every bathroom was a relic from 1989. Since it was a custom-built home, we couldn’t just swap things out with standard-grade materials. The renovation process was a never-ending challenge.

In 2018, we sold the house for a solid profit after all our updates. We opted for a tract home with vinyl plank flooring (I LOVE LVP) and builder-grade finishes. I’ll never go custom again—I want a home where I can grab a new vanity from Wayfair or Lowe’s without hassle."

—u/stuck_behind_a_truck

15. "There’s a walkway right behind my kitchen window that separates the house from the garden. It runs behind all the homes on the street, giving every resident access. That wouldn’t be an issue—except my neighbors on both sides are best friends, and they choose to stand directly outside my kitchen window to chat."

—u/dabbles-in-irony

16. "I live in a major US city, just about a mile from downtown. Somehow, half of my house is a complete dead zone for cellphone reception."

17. "Low ceilings. 'I’ll adjust,' I told myself. Yeah, that never happened."

—u/lanky_planky

18. "Non-impact windows. Every hurricane season, I find myself hauling those ridiculously heavy shutters, bolting them in place, and then dragging them back to the garage once the storm passes. Upgrading to impact windows would be around $30k, but thanks to my old house needing custom sizes, there's a 10-month wait with every manufacturer."

—u/meatyurology

19. "Check how far the nearest Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ace, or Menards is from your house. Now, picture yourself making that trip twice for every single project—because you will always forget something. If I were just five minutes closer, my life would be so much easier."

20. "Gravel driveway instead of a paved one. The gravel sticks to shoes, tracks into the house and car, kicks up dust, and turns into tiny projectiles whenever I mow or edge the lawn."

—u/queefcommand

21. "My house sits on a slab, and they decided to put insulation on the exterior of the foundation, covered it in stucco, and called it a day. I assumed it was concrete and went at it with a weed whacker. Now I’ve got a mess to fix. What a ridiculous design choice."

—u/buttdagger24

22. "Trees. Don’t get me wrong, I love them. But on a quarter-acre lot, they’re a constant risk to structures. And removal? Ridiculously expensive. We're taking down a dying ash tree on Friday for $1,500. Last year, a Siberian elm cost us $2,000 to remove. Painful."

23. "Whether or not interior doors actually latch. When touring the house, I never had a reason to fully close any doors. Then I moved in and discovered none of them stay shut. It drives me insane."

—u/fishysponge

24. "Our inspection report only noted minor issues, including a slightly damaged attic vent cover. I figured I’d fix it a few months after settling in. Unfortunately, a family of birds beat me to it—now they’ve set up a cozy home in our attic, right next to our bedroom."

—u/own_shallot7926

25. "White carpet, tile, and walls look pristine when staging a home for sale, but they’re a nightmare to keep spotless in daily life."

26. "It's frustrating that the required mortgage insurance costs more than the actual mortgage payment."

—u/griffie

27. "Having kids completely shifted our priorities. Things we didn’t value enough: a neighborhood with strong community events, a cul-de-sac for added safety, a flat driveway for ride-on toys and a future basketball hoop, and mature trees for shade. These factors might actually make us move, despite other minor annoyances in the house."

—u/shhhlife

28. "A pool seemed like a dream—until reality hit. The endless chemicals, cleaning, and upkeep turned it into a nightmare. Repairs cost a fortune, and in the Northeast, it’s all for about three months of use. Unless you can afford to hire someone to maintain it, don't get a house with a pool."

29. And to top it all off, "The HOA."

—u/scott_p