Home Upgrades That Are A Waste Of Cash, According To The Property Brothers

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Upgrading your home can be exciting! Finally, you don't have to live in an outdated, drab, and frankly ugly space. But according to Drew and Jonathan Scott, there are plenty of home upgrades (yes, even ones that you might have seen on other shows on the network!) that are just a waste of money. Some aren't worth it because they won't last, and some may even be out of style by the time you've saved up and completed the renovation. Others aren't worth it because they cost way more than any resale or practical value they might add.

The Property Brothers have plenty of living room design ideas, plus opinions on all other types of renovations, too. And their fans love them for it! But really, it all boils down to one thing: you can't be too attached to your home upgrade ideas. "People shouldn't look at a home as an emotional thing," Jonathan Scott told CNBC. "They should look at it as a business investment." So here's what the brothers think you should avoid (and what to do instead!) to get the most bang for your buck.

Keeping up with every Pantone Color of the Year for the last decade can be a fun pastime. But when incorporating these hues into your house, you're likely to run into a few issues, namely, a large amount of turnover. Chasing color trends is a home upgrade that the Scotts think is often a waste of cash."Color cabinets came back last year, and that trend does continue. The one thing I always say is, especially when it comes to your big ticket items, the more bold you go, the faster it's going to go out of style," Jonathan Scott warned readers in an interview with Parade Home & Garden. That is, it's easy to get swept up in the excitement of something like 2016's Rose Quartz, but it's more likely to be dated sooner rather than later.

Instead, the brothers recommend investing in neutrals for big-ticket items like kitchen cabinets since they are harder to change out. "So really think through where you're putting your money. That's why I like something that's going to have some longevity," Scott continued. "Maybe something feels a little bit more classic or neutral for your main cabinet color, and then add all the other accent pieces you can change out season to season." For example, Benjamin Moore's Cloud White is a favorite of the brothers and can easily be paired with swappable textiles, like rugs and dish towels, for a bolder, more colorful look.

Even if you've settled on the perfect countertop material, the brothers have warned that this isn't the final design choice you need to make. You also need to also be mindful of the countertop's pattern. "Some people try and get very bold with their countertops — almost like a tiger print look for their countertop," Drew Scott told Parade Home & Garden. He warned that anything that bold is going to fall out of style with way more speed. "And I think that that's a risky choice to make," he continued. "It's better to play it a little bit safer and something that could have a bit more longevity." So the less busy the pattern is, the better.

When selecting a material with a more relaxed pattern, the brothers do have favorites. "We love materials like quartz and Neolith for durability and no maintenance, but other products add beauty and value, too, like marble and granite — they just need more maintenance," they told The Boston Globe. These materials are available in a wide range of calmer patterns that can create timeless looks. For example, look for quartz and marble options with little contrast and subtle veining. When it comes to granite, search for slabs with uniform colors and opt for a leathered finish to avoid a dated high-shine look.

When updating your space, the brothers encourage you to zoom out and think about the renovations in a functional sense, instead of just their aesthetics. That is, your new half bathroom might look fantastic with new countertops and a fresh coat of paint, but if it's still in a weird spot, or it's too hard to close the door, you've likely just wasted money on the updates. "I can't stand it when I go into a house that's listed and they say it's been renovated, but all they've done is they've ripped out a kitchen and put in brand-new cabinets into the exact same bad layout," Jonathan Scott told The New York Times. "Then all you have is a cramped, dated layout with your new kitchen."

Doing things this way isn't likely to impress any buyers down the line, or improve your daily life while you own the property, either. Instead, even if it's a larger investment upfront, Scott encourages clients to always go the extra mile. "It's worth spending the money on opening things professionally so you have a new footprint," he said. This includes upgrading conveniences like placing your dishwasher next to your sink, instead of across the room, to make things easier. Projects like removing walls that box the kitchen off from eating areas, making things feel claustrophobic, can also pay off in the long run.

If you love a soak in the bath, you might be tempted to invest in a fancy jet bathtub during your renovation. However, Drew Scott is wary that for most folks, something so luxe just ends up being a waste of money. "People pay all this money for a jetted tub-$1,500 and up-and then rarely use it," he told HGTV. "Plus, it can be a pain for cleaning and maintenance since it's hard to keep the jets from getting moldy and musty. You're better off with a nice, deep soaking tub."

The maintenance is one of the key drawbacks here. Social media is filled with videos of people who just can't seem to keep their jets clean, no matter what they try. It's especially gross if they aren't the original owners of the home, so all the grime belongs to someone else. To avoid this, follow Scott's advice and install a soaking tub, sans jets, instead. 

From a cleaning standpoint, something else to consider is whether or not your tub is built-in. For some, a freestanding soaking tub is the epitome of luxury, but if it's still tucked into a corner of your bathroom, cleaning behind it can be quite tricky, allowing for a hard-to-control buildup of grime. In these cases, an attached tub, or even tub/shower combo, is still likely to be a better fit.

When updating your flooring, really consider the materials that are in the running. The Scott brothers warn that some can end up being a real waste of money. "These days no one says, 'My dream home has wall-to-wall carpeting,'" Drew Scott told HGTV. His reasoning for this change in preferences is that they are too hard to keep clean. "Carpets are a trap for dirt, dust, and other allergens, and they wear easily," he said. While carpet can be a good idea for bedrooms to keep them cozy, modern trends are leaning away from using it everywhere in the house, especially in high-traffic spaces.

Scott encourages homeowners to reach for something more durable to get their money's worth instead. "I prefer plank-style porcelain tile or high-quality laminate that looks like wood," he said. "Both withstand heavy foot traffic better — just top them with an area rug for softness." If you are concerned about the upkeep of keeping a rug clean, consider an option that you can just pop in the washing machine instead of taking it to a specialist. Ruggable offers options that can be washed and dried, like the Verena Vintage Runner for entryways. Tumble is another company with similar options, including the Lisa Taupe & Multi Area Rug for living rooms.

You don't always have to do a full-scale renovation to increase the resale value of the house. If you have a limited budget, the brothers don't recommend splashing out on big changes. Instead, they want you to zoom in on what makes your home unique and really work to enhance it. "If you have a new suit and it's not tailored properly, it won't look as good. It's the same with your space — making those little adjustments can make it look a thousand times better," Jonathan Scott told NBC News.

And Drew Scott agrees. "You don't need to rip open walls to transform a space," he told the outlet. "One of the big things that count is furniture design and painting — things you can do yourself — that alone can transform the space." A fresh coat of paint really can work wonders, and two of the brothers' favorites include Benjamin Moore's Grenada Villa and Chelsea Gray. These colors, when paired with furniture proportional to the space, can totally transform your living spaces, making them look larger. For example, eliminating a few pieces of furniture or rearranging it for better flow can give you the illusion of more space without needing to knock down a wall.

If you're trying to transform your patio into a cozy outdoor living room, you might also be interested in upgrades to the rest of your yard, too. However, Drew Scott warns that it can be easy to go overboard when trying to select features for your garden, especially if you don't have a lot of extra room. "Not everyone has a huge outdoor space, and in most small yards, a fountain sticks out like a sore thumb," he shared with HGTV. "Save your money for something more worthwhile, like seasonal flowers or patio furniture."

If maintaining a varied garden sounds tiring, and that's why you were reaching for water features in the first place, consider low-maintenance perennial plants that hardly need any attention to thrive. Options like southern swamp lilies, Siberian irises, and even orange coneflower add pops of color to your yard without all the hard work. Of course, even if you have a smaller space, if you really are drawn to water features, you can still follow the brothers' advice by keeping things more low-key. Instead of an expensive, custom-made foundation that can't be moved or changed, try a smaller, portable option like a simple birdbath or the Tankana Garden Water Fountain. 

When remodeling your kitchen, you can expect to spend around an average of $8,000 on custom cabinets. However, the Scotts warn that shelling out that much cash for them can actually be a waste, as you can typically grab pre-fabricated cabinets for much cheaper. Not only that, but this less expensive option will typically look and feel just like a custom job, making it a better value for your money. "The quality of pre-fabricated cabinets is way better than it ever was in the past," Jonathan Scott told NBC News. "And if somebody doesn't have the budget to do a custom kitchen, we actually will do prefab and finish it with details like molding to make it look custom."

You can purchase pre-fabricated cabinets at places like the Home Depot or Lowe's, in addition to more local, specialized suppliers. These cabinets come in a variety of styles and in different colors and finishes, too. So, you may not even need to stain or paint them. While you might partner with a contractor to install the cabinets themselves, adding the final touches is often an easy enough DIY project. In fact, the simplest method for installing cabinet crown molding for beginners is just nailing the molding to a nailer board to get the positioning right, then nailing that board onto the wall.

Hardwood flooring is a classic choice, but it can be quite expensive to install and difficult to maintain. It can also cost around $4,500 to purchase and install it in an average room, which is a significant up-front investment. Because of this cost, the Property Brothers often choose other, less expensive options during home upgrades that look pretty much the same. "So many people out there that don't realize luxury vinyl is an option that you can have that can literally look exactly like engineered hardwood," Jonathan Scott told House Beautiful. On average, the installation cost is less than half of that of hardwood, at roughly $2,500. 

Luxury vinyl planking, or LVP, is not only more budget-friendly but also far more practical for everyday living. Unlike hardwood, it's water-resistant and scratch-resistant, making it an ideal choice for families with kids or pets. It's also easy to clean and maintain, which means you won't have to worry about refinishing or warping over time. Plus, as Scott mentioned, modern LVP comes in lots of finishes that can convincingly mimic the look of real wood or even stone, giving you the style you want without the high price tag or stress of upkeep.

During Season 14, Episode 17 of "Property Brothers," Jonathan Scott expressed his distaste for home upgrades that take up way more space than they're worth. In fact, as shown in the episode, attaching kitchen islands to the rest of your countertops with a peninsula is one of the things the Property Brothers would never do when designing a kitchen. "This closes off the flow to the kitchen so bad," he said, lying across the top of the counter, stretching out to emphasize how large it is. "I hate, hate, hate, peninsulas overtop of islands when you have the space."

Instead, it seems the brothers recommend opting for a standalone island whenever possible as it creates a more open, flexible layout. An island improves traffic flow by allowing movement on all sides, and it also doubles as a multifunctional hub for both prep work and hosting. Unlike a peninsula, which can block pathways, a well-placed island can make the kitchen feel more open to adjacent spaces, like the dining room. This is a huge plus for both everyday living and future resale value.