Remodeling Regret You Can Avoid: Not Planning for the Future

One of the biggest things we see homeowners regret after a remodel isn’t the paint color or the cabinet style—it’s not thinking far enough ahead. When you’re in the middle of making hundreds of decisions, it’s easy to design for today and forget about what you (or the next owner) might need years down the road. Here’s how to avoid that trap.

Think About Lifestyle Changes

Maybe you don’t have kids yet, but plan to. Or maybe your kids are little now, but in five years they’ll be teenagers with sports gear and friends piling into your house. Storage, mudrooms, laundry setups, and even durable finishes all become more important when you’re thinking about how life evolves.

Example: We worked with a family who originally wanted open shelving in their mudroom because it looked airy and minimal. After talking through how their kids would be using the space in the future, they decided on closed lockers instead—five years later, those lockers hide hockey gear, backpacks, and all the chaos they knew would come.

Design Flexible Spaces

Homes work best when rooms can serve more than one purpose. What starts as a nursery could one day become a home office, and a playroom might eventually turn into a guest bedroom. Keeping layouts and finishes versatile gives your home room to grow with you.

Plan for Aging (Yes, Even Now)

If you think you’ll stay in your home long-term, features like wider hallways, a main-floor laundry, or a step-free shower are worth considering. They may not feel essential right now, but later they’ll save you the stress (and expense) of another remodel.

Don’t Over-Personalize

Bold, trendy choices can be fun—but think about how they’ll feel in ten years, or how they’ll impact resale. You don’t need to avoid personality, but balance it with timeless decisions in the big-ticket areas like flooring, tile, and layout.

Think About Resale Value

Even if this is your “forever home,” life has a way of surprising us. Removing bedrooms, making overly specific built-ins, or skipping a bath upgrade can hurt your home’s value down the line. Keeping resale in mind doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with design—it just means you’re investing wisely.

The best remodels aren’t just about how they look today—they’re about how well they’ll serve you tomorrow. Before making decisions, ask yourself: Will this still work for me in 5–10 years? If the answer is no, it might be worth rethinking.

Your future self will thank you.