Top 10 Home Improvement Projects People Put Off the Most

It’s famously hard to maintain a home, and if you’re like us, you don’t love spending huge chunks of money at one time. Without question, we’re procrastinators when it comes to spending.

Thanks to a report from the home-services website Thumbtack, we’re able to get an idea of what projects people put off the most; Thumbtack’s data was able to reveal groups of related projects with the lowest completion rates.

Curious about the top 10 projects people keep putting off? Here’s what they were. 

Related: 12 Home Upgrades That Are a Waste of Money

Sealing leaks, adding insulation, and upgrading windows and doors to improve a home's energy efficiency is all part of weatherization. Putting off this stuff may seem like an easy savings in the short term, but it can also lead to higher energy bills. Plus, you’re paying in other ways, like discomfort.  

Related: 11 Ways You’re Wasting Energy at Home (and How To Stop!)

People are putting off their septic repair? That’s a nightmare. If the words “sewage backup” don’t frighten you to death, we are very different people.

Fix those tiles, y’all. If you don’t, you’re asking for things like water damage, mold growth, and underlying structure deterioration.

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It’s your job as a property manager to make sure the places renters are living are in good shape. You can avoid this for only so long, as it can lead to tenant dissatisfaction, damage, and even legal issues. 

Home staging refers to making your place look beautiful for potential buyers, so I’m surprised to see how many people are putting this one off. Do you not want people to buy this place? Get those candy wrappers off the couch.

Related: 13 Little Home Improvement Projects That Make a Big Impact

Definitely don’t put this one off, especially if you’re buying a new house. To skip one of these is to skip your one true, honest chance to hear about potential issues in the future. You know the real estate agent won’t be giving you the whole truth.

Much like your septic tank, it’s pretty crucial that your plumbing is in perfect condition, even if it’s just the maintenance on a leaky pipe. Water damage is no joke and can lead to thousands in repairs. A simple plumbing inspection is a whole lot cheaper.

Not only are you losing out on a beautiful aesthetic look, but fixing up your cabinets (or even replacing them entirely) can save you a world of the home’s greatest commodity: space.

You want the damn thing collapsing in on you in the middle of the night? I don’t think so. Make sure that thing is shape-shape.

You’ll want the water heater in working order if you enjoy any amount of warm showering. And when the winter comes? Forget about it. Get that thing fixed ASAP.