"Maintenance Was A Giant Pain": Homeowners Are Sharing The Home Splurges That Ended Up Not Being Worth It, And Some Of Them Might Surprise You

Recently, homeowners of the BuzzFeed Community shared the pricier home purchases they made and found weren't worth it, and some might be surprising. Here are some of the splurges homeowners regret that, whether you're a homeowner or not, might have you reconsider what you buy for your future or current home:

1."A pergola. You think it'll be shady for an outdoor sitting area, but it never is. Wasps build nests in the joint holes, too!"

2."We installed hot water spouts over the stove because we thought it'd save us from lifting heavy pots. In reality, they're high in plumbing costs. We only use it for pasta, and you still have to lift it after cooking! Waste of money for sure."

—Anonymous

3."My parents bought a house with a pool. I hated it. I spent my weekends skimming the pool and cleaning the filters. All of the pumps were on the other side of my bedroom, so it felt like sleeping next to a running motorcycle every night."

4."We spent several thousand dollars on a fire pit connected to the natural gas line. We used it half a dozen times in three years. We could've been better off with one that uses a propane tank and costs a few hundred dollars."

—Anonymous

5."Epoxy countertops. The photos looked amazing, and the finished product looked great when the crew left, but it started to get pockmarks a few weeks later. A year later, the countertops were covered in gray marks everywhere. The company ghosted me. I ended up having to tear them out and replace them with granite, which is what I should've done in the first place."

6."Putting in new gutters."

—Kathy, 68, Michigan

7."Underfloor electric heating! The installers did not know how to do a good job installing it, and it takes hours to heat up the floor by any meaningful amount!"

8."I recently bought a house with a frog pond out back. At first, I was happy — until I realized it was more of a mosquito nursery. At the end of winter, I'm turning it into a rock garden."

—linnster

9."A sub-zero fridge. What a waste of money. It doesn't last, and no one knows how to fix it. The setup is great — as opposed to deep shelves, it's wide and much more useful, but the engineering just isn't there to make it a quality product."

10."Getting a home scenting system. You hook it up to your HVAC, and it blows fragrance through the vents throughout the house. Works well for the first few months, then it just doesn't."

—Anonymous

11."A fish pond and waterfall. Maintenance was a giant pain, and it was suddenly overrun with snakes and frogs. We finally had this giant time-waster dug out and filled in."

12."We spent $4,000 on glass panels around the second-floor deck to block the cold wind. The wind just blows over the glass and down the deck. What a waste. Many people in town have them, and they all agree it's a waste."

—Luke, 75, California

13."Granite countertops were what everyone wanted. They're too shiny and slippery. Everything slides on top because it feels like glass, and bacteria get in because nobody tells you granite is porous. You have to reseal it every year."

14."A modern house. We bought ours new and it was extremely expensive and didn't even look nice. Everything either feels or looks fake, and the white-and-black aesthetic gets old quickly. It feels more like a house instead of a home."

—Anonymous

15."When remodeling our bathroom 20 years ago, we decided to convert our bathtub into a sauna. The contractor was not good. It took him, like, two months to finish the job. We weren't sure whether he did the electrical wiring right or not, so we just disconnected it. We never used it — not even once! It was the worst decision."

16."Concrete countertops. They're super high maintenance, and you have to wax them regularly. They stain easily, and once, I defrosted meat, and the white foam wrapper permanently ruined the counter."

—Anitra, 61, Washington

17.Lastly: "Solar panels are the biggest letdown there ever was! The utility monopoly here makes sure to stick it to solar customers with confusing tiers and different rates for customers so they don't miss out on a cent of profit. We tried getting more panels, and, big surprise, the codes here prevented us from doing it. It's one big giant scam, and I wish we didn't do it. I wish energy were more sustainable and not so bad for the environment."

Well, I don't think I want a koi pond anymore in my future home. If you're a homeowner, what's something you splurged on but ended up regretting? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using this form!

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.