OpenTube

10 Home Design Mistakes You'll Regret Every Single Day

Mac Rogers - Real Estate Broker

7,840 views

10 More Home Mistakes You'll Regret (Part 3) — from a 23+ year real estate broker.
We've covered 20 mistakes in Parts 1 and 2. Now here are 10 MORE specialized, expensive, and overlooked mistakes that homeowners live to regret. These are the ones nobody thinks about until they're stuck with them.

Free Guide: 10 Things to Know Before You Remodel → bit.ly/4eC1RGM

What you'll learn:
Laundry room placement that costs you hours every year
Entryway design that actually functions in real life
Bedroom count mistakes that cost $100K+ at resale
Seasonal storage failures that destroy your home's flow
Door swing conflicts that make daily life awkward
Utility documentation that prevents $50K renovation disasters
Outlet placement that stops you from using your own space
High-maintenance finishes that stress you out constantly
Window and bed positioning that wastes natural light
Solar panel decisions based on YOUR market (not trends)

Watch Part 1: 10 Home Mistakes Homeowners Regret Most
10 Home Mistakes Homeowners Regret Most

Watch Part 2: 8 More Home Mistakes You'll Regret (Part 2)
The Home Mistakes You Won't Notice Until Y...

🏠 Welcome to Savvy Home Owner — where we help everyday homeowners make smarter decisions about their homes. From renovation mistakes to avoid, to upgrades that actually add value, we cover everything you need to know BEFORE you spend a dime.

📋 FREE GUIDE FOR HOMEOWNERS:
10 Things to Know Before You Remodel 👉 https://bit.ly/4eC1RGM

📲 New videos every week — hit that subscribe button so you never miss one!
👍 If you found this helpful, give it a thumbs up and drop your questions in the comments below. We read every single one.

🔨 About Mac Rogers:
With over 23 years of real estate experience, Mac has walked through thousands of homes and seen firsthand what makes a home gain value — and what kills it. On this channel he shares that insider knowledge so you can make smarter decisions as a homeowner.

📞 Have questions or want to reach Mac directly?
Call or text anytime: 510.854.6723
Email: brokermac@gmail.com
Broker | CalBRE: 01354261

📱 Follow us:
Instagram ➳ Instagram: brokermac

Disclaimer: Mac Rogers is not a tax accountant, attorney, or financial adviser. The information in these videos shall not be relied upon as tax, legal, or financial advice. If you need such advice, please contact a qualified professional. We have taken reasonable steps to check that the information in this video is accurate but we cannot represent that it is free from errors. You expressly agree not to rely upon any information contained in this video — it is for entertainment purposes only.

20 Comments

@o0-ManahManah-0o 1 month ago (edited)

A rolling cart and an elevator was my plan for when I'm unable to walk up and down stairs easily. Expensive plan, which is why I like your idea of putting the washer and dryer in the garage better. Thanks for the tip!

@Thepourdeuxchanson 1 month ago

When we bought our house, the seller had left us a file folder with all the salient details like where the wiring, ducts etc were located, because the house was newly built when he bought it. I thought that was extremely thoughtful. When we sold the house after twenty years, we had added more items such as a new roof, a bigger deck, extra electrical outlets, new bathroom remodel. We had kept every piece of paperwork, receipts, leaflets, warranties and stacked them each in a transparent file envelope and added them to the file. Even a sort of map of the yard where the daffodils would be emerging in the spring. The realtor said the file, though it didn't sell the house on its own, certainly made the sale fast.

@jackwalsh1468 1 month ago

Mac, a very informative video. Cheers!

@lucindaloudon989 1 month ago

Thank you Mac! So many good things to think about!

@edmundmazeika5886 1 month ago

So a good practice is to photograph every wall and ceiling before the drywall crew shows up

@user-qd2oj1zb4i 1 month ago (edited)

Mine opens into the living room. I love it! I don't have a coat closet either!
We don't use our front door except for guests.
Our garage entrance is the door we use. We put our coats and shoes in the closet. We aren't ones to have shoes in the hall.
People hang onto too much stuff. That's why you need more shelves, closets, drawers and bins! Something comes in something has to go. We make trips every other week to the donation center. It stops us from getting cluttered.

@beautifuldetails 1 month ago

1:20 why are you carrying wet clothes in baskets around the house? Are the washer/dryer not on the same floor? 😮

@kraffipiy 1 month ago

Thanks for all the information you provide Mac, we’ll be building our home as the start of 2027 and it’s been really helpful in our planning. Aloha from Hawaii!

@hannahpinson4361 1 month ago

I will push back on the laundry room thing. I understand wanting it close, but it's not always pleasant. In my parents' old house, the laundry room was right outside the bedrooms. It made it impossible to relax and do homework when laundry was going because washers and dryers are loud. I think there should be a little buffer.

@jule3480 1 month ago

Light grout has been my BIGGEST mistake 😫

@Sooz1234 1 month ago

Buyers need to know what it really costs to make major changes before they look at purchasing a home. They select one that they will not need to change in order to live comfortably. Paint and light fixtures, easy and inexpensive. Walls, kitchens and bathrooms, pricey.

@seekingrefuge7x70 1 month ago

My 15 year old house. When the guest bathroom door is open, you can't open the vanity drawers. There's a door on each end of a tiny laundry room (the path to the garage), both of which open into that room, and they are different sizes. The path to the bedrooms is a 30' L-shaped hallway with only 1 outlet. The switch for the kitchen undercabinet lights is around the corner in another room. The master bath is on the corner of the exterior, but has no windows because the shower and the vanity with an end-to-end mirror are each on one of the walls. The front door opens directly into the living room - the center of the living room - so unless you want to put a piece of furniture in a direct line to the door, you have to choose to the left or the right of door for the furniture, but neither side of the room is big enough for enough furniture to seat an entire family. I could go on...

@ccatarinajm7114 1 month ago

3 is so true! I bought what was originally a 3 bedroom apartment by a previous owner had torn down a wall, giving me basically an apartment with 2 living rooms and 1 small bedroom. With 3 holiday daughters, this was perfect as playroom-bedroom and I used the small bedroom. However, now that I want to sell my apartment I either have to sell it as 2 bedrooms or invest a lot to make it three bedrooms once more, and with the electricity and the doors changed, that's not so easy.

@ingerfalch-jacobsen1717 1 month ago (edited)

Yeah, but you don't drag wet laundry from room to room if you have a laundry room with a tumble dryer, and most people have that.
ETA: I see you've commented on that point. And I have recently gone back to air-drying myself, in the attic, after many years of tumble drying. I admit, it wasn't until the hose came off and I had to collect the condensation water in a pitcher, and remember to empty that after each use, that the task of removing fluff from the filter after each use, the long, long time it took to dry the clothes, the noise, the use of electricity, and the realization that the fluff in the filter was not fluff that otherwise would be sitting on the clothes, but fiber torn off the clothes by the tumble dryer itself, added up to enough, and I decided I was willing to drag the wet laundry four storeys up and the dry laundry four storeys down.

@cguy96 1 month ago

There HAS to be an upper limit on the reducing bedroom rule. All of the real estate search engines (AFAIK) max out the bedroom filter as 5+ (bathrooms as 4+). I would never reduce a 4 BR house to 3 (and probably not a 5 either), but a house with 6+ bedrooms (especially when there are on the small side) without a proper primary suite is a very niche property. I think that actually limits your buyer pool.

Thoughts, Mac?

@cguy96 1 month ago (edited)

Mac, an edition to 6 (and sort of 7), having a complete main service diagram (circuit breakers). I label our panel(s) as completely as room allows, but I also have a seperate document that fully describes every circuit. In addition, as a bonus, I attach a label on the back side of every cover plate that details exactly what circuit is powered by.

As with electricity same with water, if you have radiators with multiple runs. I labeled every run at the ball and cock valve near the boiler. If I have a leak, I can immediately isolate that branch. I also have a whole house shut-off valve that turns off all the water to my house.

As for porous countertops and light colored grout. I don't think that they are absolutely destined to fail (although I certainly avoid them). However, the tradeoff is diligent maintenance. If you are willing (for example) to seal your light colored grout on an annual basis, you can keep it looking good until it is time to replace the grout, because ALL grout has to be replaced (8-15 years for cement grout, but up to 20 for a high-quality epoxy grout). As for porous countertops, like marble, there are sealents for this also, but they do not last forever, typically only 3-5 years before they need re-application. The reality, though? Many people don't seem to be interested in maintainence. The most important kitchen tool I have seen in these white marble countertop palaces is a drawer of takeout menus!

@diamant1081 1 month ago

I don't get it why people want a huge bedroom. Your sleeping there, that doesn't require much space.

@blauemadeleine 1 month ago (edited)

Hi again.
Lovely way to be entertained on a Sunday.. Thank you for yet another great video
.
Laudry room placement :
I live (as stated before, in a house with a bit of history ) It is a building, which was renovated and divided up into condominiums in 1984.
The common laundry room is in the basement, of a part of the property, which was actually re built in that year.
I live on the first floor of the old part , and now, that I am getting on in years, carrying the laundry down and up the stairs, is increasingly, a challenge.

Entry room buffer
Absolutely high value.
It is a buffer regarding temperature, privacy and "dirt" (+ideally some storage) 🎉. These days a lot of people automatically want to take off their shoes upon entering a home.

Door swings
I had a kitchen door which aways "got in the way'" - I took it out all together (it now lives in the basement) much better now. The kitchen just opens into the hallway.

Burried utility mapping
I, personally, would consider this to be, maybe, the most important item on this list. In 1984, when this house was last restructured, it was all done/organised by one company, who went bankrupt a couple of years later. No plans are available. And I really have had problems because of that.

Neglected outlet spaces
Great point. A lot of thought was actually put into our😢 planning of the outlets. Worked really well, until 1992. Then things changed fundamentally. Furniture changed and rooms and lighting was altered a lot. 😅 Welcome extensions....

Form follows function
An adage I love.
Open shelving is "a lifestyle choice" .
You are 100% right in your advice. I personally love the open shelves and live with the consequences 😎. Countertops : I have marble, but I'd definitely choose granite, if I could choose again . Wood is also an interesting option, but only" far from water'"

Windows /bed position
Originally the head iof the bed was between the window and the door to the balcony, facing the doors.
Over the years the bed has changed position three times. Now the head is placed between the two doors (hallway /bathroom) and facing window /door to the balcony.
I like it that way, but on equinox, the sun shines right into my eyes (at a time, I definitely want to be asleep) so, yes shades...

@warrentrout 1 month ago

white countertops need constant cleaning. If you think not, put on your glasses.

@ccatarinajm7114 1 month ago

I could not agree more with item 2. I noticed that it's not a given in the few places I was staying at in the US. Felt so weird because where do I leave my shoes or my wet coat? It's weird to still find a Flemish house without an entrance hall that has a place for coats, shoes, umbrellas,... rarely a bench though, but I solved that in my apartment with a place I can sit on in the corner that is also a cat scratching post.