5 Renovation Fails That Made Us Grit Our Teeth

Learn from their mistakes so you don’t repeat them.

At Ascent Builders, We’ve seen some disasters.

We’re talking about plaster peeling off new walls. Staircases built in the wrong place. And yes—clients who paid thousands for work that never should’ve started.

Renovating can go wrong fast. But most of the time, it’s the same few mistakes cropping up over and over again.

Here are five real-life renovation fails we’ve witnessed that made us grit our teeth—and exactly how to avoid them.

1. The rushed rip-out with no plan

We turned up to quote for a loft conversion. By the time we got there, the owner had already pulled half the ceiling down with a mate over the weekend.

No drawings.
No structural survey.
No clue where the supports were.

He wanted to “get a head start.”

All he got was a sagging ceiling and an urgent call to a structural engineer.

The fix:

Never start knocking things down before you have a plan. You might think you’re saving time. But if you remove something load-bearing or damage a hidden pipe, you’ve just added weeks—and cost—to the job.

2. The designer who forgot about Building Control

A lovely couple hired a designer who gave them gorgeous drawings. Big open space. Skylights. Kitchen island.

They were in love with it.

Only problem? None of it was signed off with Building Control.

When the inspector showed up halfway through, he spotted three code breaches—including a staircase with a pitch so steep it was basically a ladder.

The build paused. The drawings had to change. Walls got moved again. It cost them £7,000 and nearly three months.

The fix:

Fancy drawings are fine. But make sure the technical stuff is up to scratch. Anything structural needs to be checked and signed off by someone qualified—before the work begins.

3. The “fitted kitchen” that didn’t fit

One landlord ordered a full kitchen suite online—units, sink, appliances, worktops.
All measured by eye. No one checked the walls or pipework.

We were brought in after his builder quit mid-job.

The issues?
– The fridge door hit the wall when opened
– The hob was wired into the wrong fuse
– The units didn’t line up because the floor was uneven
– The sink unit covered the stopcock

What should’ve taken 5 days took nearly 3 weeks to sort.

The fix:

Before you order a single flatpack, get someone in to measure properly. And if your builder offers to supply and fit—take it. They’ll make sure it all lines up.

4. The client who kept changing their mind

Nice family. Big job. Full house refurb with rear extension. Only issue? Every decision came with a change… and then another.

– The floorboards got changed three times.
– The bathroom layout was flipped halfway through.
– The patio tiles were replaced after they were laid.

By the end, we’d lost count of how many deliveries had been sent back.

The work dragged on. The budget ballooned. We had to get in a local painting and decorating company to help. The stress level hit the roof.

The fix:

Make your choices before the work starts.
Changing one thing mid-build often means changing five others with it.

A small delay can snowball into weeks—especially if materials need to be reordered.

5. The one who didn’t tell the neighbours

Sounds small, right? Only it wasn’t.

The client lived in a terrace. We started the loft conversion. Scaffolding went up. Tools out. Work began.

Then the neighbours called the council. They hadn’t been told. And the scaffold crossed into their airspace by a few inches.

The council issued a stop notice. We had to take it down, redraw the scaffold layout, and apply for a licence.

Lost ten days and over a grand in extra scaffold hire.

The fix:
Talk to your neighbours before the build starts. Even if you don’t legally need their permission, letting them know what’s coming keeps things civil. Especially if you share walls, garden access, or anything else awkward.