Homeowners Are Sharing The Pricey "Never Again" Purchases They Made And Deeply Regret

Recently, homeowners of the BuzzFeed Community shared with us the pricier purchases and projects that just weren't worth the money, and as a non-homeowner, I'm definitely taking some notes. From hot tubs to countertops, here's what homeowners think aren't worth splurging on:

1. "When we bought our house, the previous owners asked if we wanted the pool table. I said, 'Heck yeah, that's awesome!' They just didn't want to move it, but now, for us, it's just a place to fold laundry. I'll leave it to the next person who buys this house."

2. "The worst splurge I spent money on was all granite countertops. While they are beautiful, they are a nightmare to take care of and keep them looking sparkly and shiny. If you just have to have granite, read up on them beforehand and make sure you know all the stuff you can't use on them, such as lemon cleaner or anything acidic and abrasive. Honestly, I recommend getting something else, especially if it's your first home! I learned this the hard way."

—Anonymous

3. "The house we bought came with a pool. It's so nice to have it when you can use it, but it's a time and money pit. The chemicals, maintenance, scrubbing (algae found its way in), the $88 algaecide, the parts for the pump, and the pool cover for the off-season...yeah, never again."

4. "Getting a super dark stain on wood plank floors. They show every nick, scratch, and dust bunny. We were told that sanding our orangey pine floors would never get them as light as I wanted and that doing so would make them look pink. So, I went with an almost-black stain to anchor the otherwise light and bright space for a dramatic contrast. It's stunning until you look too closely in the kitchen and high-traffic areas. I dab the obvious nicks with a sharpie."

—Elizabeth, 50, Georgia

5. "Clear glass showers. They're a pain to keep clean and do not provide any privacy if someone else is in the room at the same time."

6. "100% lawns. They are expensive and so bad for the environment. You can easily plant native plants to cover the area, resulting in more beneficial bugs (butterflies, bees, etc.), fewer pests, and almost no work. Native plants know how to care for themselves, and you won't waste your time wasting water on them, mowing them, or anything like that."

— lacjiba

7. "Hot take, but holiday decor like accent pieces, expensive art, pillows, and rugs are the worst expenses. You tend to switch out or update those pieces more frequently."

8. "High-end windows. We got talked into paying a ton of money for windows described like the ones 'used in the Empire State Building.' We didn't really need windows that were triple thick or energy-blocking. Good-quality, energy-efficient windows would have been fine for about half the cost."

—Judi, Virginia

9. "I honestly think the worst expense is designing and living in your home with the focus only on resale. Yes, if you know it's a short-term situation, then you have to think about resale, but if you are going to live there for 5, 10, or 15 or more years, paint and design the things you want. Don't live in an expensive home that doesn't suit your taste or needs just to bow to the god of resale value. Paint can easily neutralize when you do want to sell. I've never been sad over painting, making the kitchen what I want, updating the heavily used bathroom to my taste, or skipping out on new appliances because the ones I have work. It's all about making your house work for your family."

10. "I had my skylight removed because hail got to it. Sure, it adds light, but it also adds heat. No, thank you."

— j458091739

11. "I don't know if it's the worst thing, but putting in a fancy raised bed vegetable garden. It sounded like a great idea at the time, and I grew a couple of things in it a few years ago, but now, it's just a raised weed garden. It's so much easier to just buy vegetables in the grocery store and be done with it. Between planting the stuff, making sure the dirt is right, fertilizing, making sure it gets watered, and dealing with the pests, it's just a big pain in the butt."

12. "Heated floors are the absolute worst. They're known for failure, and repairing them requires chipping up concrete. They're expensive, time-consuming, and inevitable — don't do it."

— homeygazelle137

13. "Wall-to-wall carpeting. It really does have to be replaced at least every 10 years. Steam cleaning just forces the grit down into the carpet backing, cutting it up. Mold and mildew WILL grow there."

14. "A wooden deck. The wood is not as preserved as before, and ours rotted through three times. We finally replaced it with stamped concrete and a new pavilion."

—Anonymous

15. "The hot tub came with the house, but I should have sold it. We've paid $3,000 for fixes since we bought the house, and the hot tub is almost never used. We even moved it and paid to have it disconnected."

16. "An outdoor furniture set. We rarely used it; it wore out from sun damage and rusted from the elements. It was a huge waste of money."

—Gio, 71, New York

17. Lastly: "An air bath. It was such a massive expense in the main bedroom. It at least looks nicer than the ugly baths with whirlpool jets since it has a series of perforations on the base, but it leaked after a year. Then, after about five years, the electrics went out. Cleaning it is also annoying. So much money was wasted."

I don't know...despite the pool slander, I feel like I would kind of want one in my future home!? If you're a homeowner, what do you regret spending a ton of money on? What pricier purchases or projects do you think aren't worth the money? Let me know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit using this form!

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