I'm a Real Estate Expert and These Are the "Worst Things" to Install From Home Depot
The quality just isn't there on these home upgrade purchases.
Whether you're completing a major renovation or updating a few things here and there, visiting a Home Depot can feel like being a kid in a candy shop. Everywhere you look, there are chic light fixtures, luxe shower accessories, and bare lumber just waiting to be turned into your dream built-in bookshelf. But before you make any purchases—especially major ones—it's important to carefully consider your options, scouring reviews from professionals and other DIYers. That's where Maryland-based real estate agents The Gibbons Group (@therealestatefamily) come in. In a recent viral video, one of their members shared the things at Home Depot you should skip. Doing so might save you everything from minor frustration to major cash. Read on to see what he advises against.
RELATED: Shoppers Are Abandoning Home Depot, Data Shows—Here's Why.
You should never install these kitchen and bathroom products.
The realtor from The Gibbons Group identified a few things in the kitchen and bath he recommends you avoid. First was a set of sliding shower doors from American Standard.
"These shower doors come on wheels, and the wheels will clog, and they won't function after six months," he says. Replacing them, of course, costs a pretty penny.
He also calls out rain shower heads, highlighting a product from Glacier Bay.
"You're going to spend more time replacing the showerhead than it is going to work," he says. "Because these rubber spouts where the water comes out dry up, and they end up not working."
Cleaning the showerhead frequently can help prevent the issue, but for some, it still isn't worth it.
In the kitchen, he suggests avoiding a faucet with a pull-out spout—unless you plan to splurge. While this item might make cleaning easier in the short term, he says it breaks easily.
"[Over time] they may not recoil," he says. "If you buy nicer, more expensive ones, you won't have that issue, but if you buy cheaper ones, they'll hang down."
The result could look untidy and make using the spout in its neutral position more difficult.
RELATED: Delivery Driver Says You Should Never Buy Wayfair Furniture—Here's Why.
And avoid these door-related items.
The doors in most homes see frequent use, so it's important that the accessories you use on them can stand the test of time. The agent says he'd never install levered handles.
"Don't ever do it," he says. "These will break immediately."
Another item he says people might not consider is doorstops.
"Try to avoid the spring doorstops," he cautions. "Try to get the metal doorstops—those things are indestructible."
RELATED: Home Depot Slammed Over Botched Appliance Delivery.
Commenters had mixed feelings.
Other TikTok users took to the comments to voice their thoughts. Many said they regretted not knowing these tips earlier.
"Bought a house with all lever handles. 1 by 1 they all broke over 2 years, 1 time trapping my 3 year old in his room," commented one.
"My apartment has that type of sink head and I'm so scared they're gonna take the deposit bc it doesn't sit right anymore," wrote another.
Others said a few tips were overly cautious.
"I've had lever handles on every door in my house for 10 years and none have broken," wrote one person. A locksmith also commented on the lever handle and said that when they break, it's typically due to user error.
The doorstops were another topic of contention. "I have had my spring door stopper for 5+ yrs already and looks like brand new," wrote one person.
"I literally have all of the above in my house and the only one I agree with is the showerhead," said another.
One TikTok user said he owned every item that was mentioned.
TikTok user @asianreligiousboy posted a hilarious response video sharing that he had every item that was discussed in The Gibbons Group video. The commenters on his video joined in on the fun.
"It's like he took a tour through your home," noted one.
"Devastating," said another.
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