The three easiest vs. hardest DIY renovation projects
There’s a big difference between painting a feature wall and gutting your bathroom — some renovations are much easier to handle on your own than others. The difference usually comes down to picking the right level of complexity for your skill and patience.
What actually makes a renovation easy vs. difficult?
The most important thing you need to know is this:
The "easiest" projects aren't necessarily simple. They're the ones where you can see most of what you're getting into upfront.
The "hardest" ones are where you're dealing with hidden systems (like electrical, plumbing, and other behind-the-wall stuff) and interconnected elements that create surprise after surprise.
If you’re wondering whether you should actually take on that project that looked *so easy* on Instagram, here are my two cents on the easiest and hardest renovations to DIY.
The 3 easiest DIY renovations
1. Painting walls
This is your gateway project. There are still things to consider (will you need three coats to cover that dark feature wall?), but it’s low risk, low cost, and easy to fix when things go wrong. (Read this for a few questions to ask before you get started.)
2. Changing floors
Modern flooring systems such as LVP (luxury vinyl plank), laminate, and engineered hardwood are designed for DIYers. That makes flooring update fairly easy as long as you stay within the existing footprint and don’t move anything around.
A word of warning, though: think about how you’ll handle trim and transitions. Will you need new trim? Is it the same size / look as your old trim? What about transitions from room to room… where will you stop? Think about everything the flooring touches and what the domino effect will be.
3. Updating light fixtures
White goes to white, black goes to black. As long as you're not rewiring or moving electrical boxes, this is usually pretty straightforward.
The 3 hardest DIY renovations
1. Kitchen renovations
I recently had a client tell me he was "completely shocked by how involved the process was" — and that was for a kitchen where we didn't move anything. The interconnected systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, flooring, drywall), the precision required, the permits... kitchen renovations are the most complicated of any renovation.
I cannot say this clearly enough: Never ever undertake a kitchen reno — even a simple one! — without a full plan in place first. It’s always more disruptive, costly, and time-intensive than you think. Read more about how to plan your kitchen renovation here.
2. Bathroom renovations
These are second only to kitchens in complexity because you’re dealing with water, electrical, ventilation, and often structural work all in a small space. That means lots of hidden things and lots of interconnected things, so you’ve immediately got a more advanced project.
Plus, if you only have one bathroom and something goes wrong, life is going to get very uncomfortable very quickly.
3. Changing footprints or expanding rooms
This includes taking down walls, expanding into closets, or changing the shape of any room. Renovations like this are where you get into structural considerations, permits, and a domino effect of other changes. What looks like a simple wall removal can involve engineering, new electrical runs, HVAC adjustments — the list goes on.
Not sure how to tell how complicated your reno is? Read this!
How hard can it be, really?
Just because someone did it on YouTube doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. The more complicated your project, or the more it involves special skills like electrical or plumbing, the more careful you should be.
If you’re new to home improvement or renovation projects, here’s my advice: start with painting or lighting. Build your confidence and your project management skills on something forgiving. Save the kitchen for when you've got more experience under your belt — or a really good contractor on speed dial.
Ready to plan your own home construction project? Download the Home Building Checklist for our A-to-Z guide on how to build or renovate your home.
