Renovators on TikTok and Instagram make it look easy. Whether building a bespoke wall-to-wall bookshelf or completing a to-the-studs bathroom makeover, these influencers manage to do it all — and show it in under 10 minutes, no less. Feeling inspired by their work, you might be ready to roll up your sleeves and attempt some DIY renovations.
Before you pick up your toolbelt and get to work, you need to read this. While social media can be a seemingly endless resource of inspiration, it can also share some pretty bad advice. Here’s why you should be cautious of viral renovation trends and videos.
1. You Don’t Know Their Budget
Some influencers are transparent about what they spend on their projects. Others are tight lipped about their work, letting their videos speak for themselves. In many cases, these content creators have massive budgets that let them purchase boutique materials and furniture.
2. Lack of Experience Can Lead to Costly Mistakes
Influencers happily swing sledgehammers into shower walls and chisel out tiles from flooring. Chaos ensues at the beginning of their videos, but they always manage to pull off the impossible. By the end of their video, their bathroom looks flawless — a new clawfoot tub and a separate waterfall shower with clean, perfectly straight tiles stands in place of the old bathroom.
A lot goes in between the beginning and end. Dealing with the usual plumbing of a bathroom or kitchen is tough enough as a novice DIY-er. Without the experience of a plumber, you can make decisions that lead to flooding and drainage issues.
3. Content Won’t Help You in Emergencies
Things can get even worse from there. No matter how many videos you watch, you may not be prepared for issues unique to your home. Your shower take-down can reveal black mold. Removing the tile can show massive water damage to your subflooring. Repairing these problems can add thousands to your budget.
Unfortunately, you can’t put these structural issues on hold until you get the funds together. After all, your health and safety are on the line.
When emergency water damage and mold cause your modest budget to balloon, you can reach out to a lending platform like MoneyKey for direct deposit loans. Financial services and direct lenders like MoneyKey provide direct deposit loans in emergencies when you have urgent repairs you can’t ignore. If you’re approved, direct deposit loans give you extra funds as soon as the next business day, depending on your bank’s policies.
While they may not be instant direct deposit loans, lenders work quickly to process your application, so you don’t waste time when the clock is ticking.
4. You Don’t See What Goes Behind the Camera
No content creator can show you the full experience of their renovation. A lot of editing goes on behind the scenes to show you what influencers want you to see.
They can lie about how easy it was or even if they DIY-ed it themselves. There’s no way to be sure they didn’t hire a professional to help. Even those who are fully transparent can’t be totally honest. Cameras don’t roll 24/7, and platforms enforce strict restrictions on video lengths.
5. Some Viral Trends Devalue Your Home
Let’s face it — some viral trends should never gain traction. Vibrant colours, 70s-inspired floral decals, and painted tiles are very personal choices than can make it harder to sell your home. Well-intentioned DIY-ers can also mistakenly remove framing supports that can create safety hazards that fail inspections.
Bottom Line:
There’s no harm in checking your feeds for inspiration; just be cautious of what these videos try to tell you.
