Not having the full plan for our remodel finished down to every. single. detail. before starting the remodel.

Had to redo A LOT of electrical at the expense of about $5000 when our plan changed, and there are a lot of little things we've had to find creative solutions for because the work that was already done was not quite right for what ended up being our final plan.

In general, everything has been so much more complicated and expensive because we didn't have the full plan before starting.

Listening to the electrician that there would be enough light even though I knew it wasn't enough. Again listening to the electrician as to where to put the switches.

If I had to do it over, I'd switch the wine fridge which is by the cooktop and near the dining room with the under counter microwave which is by the refrigerator. I find that I take most things from the microwave and either bring it to the table or over to the cooktop.

Oh and next time I'm building a doggie garage to hide dear dog's stuff because DH leaves it out on the counter all the time.

I second Jillius about starting before you thought everything through and have a detailed, comprehensive plan. It has cost me about an extra `20% in total costs because of it. That cost is to fix mistakes or make changes.

My remodel is taking much longer because I'm still changing the plan as I go along.

Don't buy or get start on the cosmetic stuff until everything is done.

Ask this question constantly - How can I do this for less or do I really need this. For example, I got lazy and spent hundreds on a Rev a Shelf insert when I could have replicated it for around $30 and have a more manageable pullout for my dad. I'm not sure he can handle the weight of the Rev-A-Shelf. Now I need to get rid of it.

I made the DW handle mistake, too! Our last two DW's didn't have a handle, so I didn't pay attention. Our Bosch is one of the highest rated units, and we got a great deal on it. I had already built the cabinets, so I shortened the face of the top drawer 1/2", and set the DW a little deeper. It's hard to spot where it's located, but I had plenty of room, and it could have been avoided. I didn't want to buy the DW too soon and use up the warranty sitting in a box during my slow build.

I made another minor mistake which wasn't my fault. I ordered my Formica, and did a large, L-shaped countertop. I didn't measure the laminate, though, and one piece was thicker than the other. My otherwise perfect seam has a slight step in it. I could have complained to the supplier, but they only would have replaced the one bad piece, and I would have had to make the entire counter over again. I'll live with it.

After living with our kitchen for some time now, there's really nothing else I can think of. We love it!

I didn't make too many. I only had so much space, which worked perfectly with the Ikea cabinets I chose. I planned meticulously and bought items on sale. The only thing that others might say is a mistake is the aisle is extremely tight, but that's the space I had to work with and I couldn't move anything. I suppose I could have done narrower base cabinets but then I wouldn't have my storage. God help me when I have to replace the fridge though. It will be almost impossible to move. LOL

This was an inexpensive mistake: I replaced the cabinet and drawer knobs. When I opened the DW (in a corner of the U-kitchen) the door brushed the knob of the drawer perpendicular to it.

Easy solution, just get shorter knobs, right? No. I really, really liked the shape of the knobs, that's why I replaced the old ones, they were so short, hard to get a grip.

My solution: the two affected knobs are sooooo close but not quite the same as all the others. No one has ever noticed. Wait, DH did, a few years after the fact.

We still have to watch that the drawer and cabinet are fully closed before opening the DW, and there is a mark on the DW door from where the cabinet knob hits it.

Made the drawer cabinet on one side of the corner an inch too wide, eventhought I had a filler spaced - just not enough. Now it catches on the other corner cabinet handle unless that one is closed all the way in (which takes a while with soft close drawers). It's annoying and I already have a dent in one of the drawer fronts - not that anyone but me knows the dent is there.

The space four our dishwasher is not a standard-sized space. The space fit our [discontinued] European model (Ariston) dishwasher perfectly, but after three circuit board failures, with parts that were difficult- if not impossible- to find, it was headed for the appliance graveyard. DH had enough and told me to find a dishwasher that wasn't a "piece of crap". After measuring the space, I instantly realized we were going to have very limited options and would have to spend more money. Lemons into lemonade, though, because that is how we got a really solid dishwasher to replace it. I have high hopes that this one (Miele) will last a lot longer than the last one. At least people have heard of this brand, and we do have a 5-year warranty... just in case.

We had a few and most of them were electrical issues I should have been more specific about. The outlet behind the microwave should have been recessed. Likewise the outlet behind the range and the one behind the dryer. Thankfully I have an electrician friend who will fix these issues for me. I also should have paid attention and kept the second light switch in the laundry room. The room is really small but you have to walk into it and reach across to turn on the light by the door into the garage.

The one I'm more frustrated about is that I didn't really think through the location of the island outlet. What we ended up with isn't very attractive.

Well, of course I didn't make the mistake, DH did ;^) We had been deliberating back and forth between a 30" sink and another. The cad drawing we drew had the other sink size; therefore, the sink was centered to the window incorrectly for the sink we used.....OH MY, I saw the mistake right away- after all the framing and after the window was in- ha ha......hubby insisted things were to drawings (and it was) so I let it go. By the time he figured it out, after drywall was in, I had a solution. It turned out OK in the long run. I was able to put in 2 more windows on each side of the sink grazing the counter- which eased the pain about moving the dishwasher....We are not done yet, but that is the biggest thing so far. Does it count that I painted twice?

My cabinets were locally built, and while I specified drawer heights for the bottom drawer in my 3-drawer stacks, I didn't think to ask about the top drawer height. I wish they were a little bit taller.

I put in one pull-out cutting board (between sink and range), and I wish I had another one by the fridge, for making sandwiches and salads. Very minor.

Mine wasn't a mistake--I knew it would be a problem because of the space available, but I had a similar situation as some of those described above. My 12" trash pullout, which fits the space perfectly, won't clear regular pulls on the drawers to the left. There is no room for filler, so I routed finger grooves on the top and bottom of each drawer front (they aren't visible from straight-on view), and cut the tops off of re-used wooden pulls, to match the upper cabinet pulls. You can see the difference in pics, but visitors don't notice unless they try to open a drawer with a shortened pull--and then it's good for a laugh. ;)

We're so used to the finger grooves, we don't even think about it.

My big mistake was being too accepting of someone else's idea of 'good enough.' I was raised that way, so it's difficult to change, but if I'd known that I could learn to do all those things myself (and often re-do them until I got it right), I'd have had a more critical eye, and I'd have done more on my own, from the start. Having said that, I'm grateful for all the help I've received--I'll just know better next time.

The only "mistakes" I can think of were putting one outlet on the front of the long island - it would be better if we had one about a 1/3 of the way in from each end, and we should have made the cabinets on the back of the island deeper than the standard 12" (since my placemats won't lie flat, and that's the perfect location for them).. Other than that, it's choices -- for ex., we didn't (and would if we do this again) put in a hands-free system for the trash pullout.

This was not my mistake, exactly, and I am still not quite sure whose mistake it was... but, when the GC's crew put in the cabinets, the run that went from wall to wall and ended in a corner cabinet was about 1/2 inch too long to fit. I have thought that it had to do with wall repair done after the cabinet maker measured, or maybe they didn't take the time to scribe the other end to the degree that the cabinet maker planned (very likely) -- or both -- but they "fixed" it by cutting into the wall and so fitting the cabinet. The problem with that is, with the easy-reach corner cabinet door being set back 1/2 inch more than planned, now I have to be very careful when opening the door because it just barely clears the corner of the stove. And I see the discrepancy in the cabinets flanking the stove, although no one else does.

Not having the cabinet maker install the cabinets was probably the other mistake, but installation was already in the GC contract when I decided on my cabinets.

Edited to add: ditto on settling on as many details as you can think of, and don't be vague on anything. For examples, tell the crew ahead of time that your UCL's will be placed at the front of the cabinet -- don't just say "shoulder high", give a height in inches (because, whose shoulder will they go by?)

Geeze. (Edited to add: Another novel. Sorry. Thinking out loud.)

I have the luxury of changing my mind, so whether they're mistakes or not...
I've cost myself a bunch of money, but OTOH, I was happy with what I'd done at the time, until I saw I wasn't happier and the PERFECT thing was sitting there, in front of me. Asking to be bought and installed.

I wish I hadn't been settling on cabinet style. I hadn't seen beaded inset yet and when I did, Angels sang. So, I took out all the cabinets I'd gotten at reuse centers, I bought 2, 42x30s, cabinet doors to match, etc., and gave them to my SIL. I'd have saved myself a bunch of money on that one. (I wish I'd known Norcroft has stupid, 3" deep top drawers.)

I knew I wanted interesting doors, but didn't know what. I have 15 pockets with beautiful, modern, exterior (thicker) 6-panel doors. They're still unfinished. I wish I'd know how much I like the antique, 6-horizontal panel doors. Citristrip wasn't invented when we started this rebuild, but slowly I'm replacing those doors. I'm selling them, too. I absolutely love my antique doors!

I wish I hadn't let my ex-DH-POC pressure me into decisions. I'm an oddball. I can wait a very long time until an item causes me to AH HA! I cut the peninsula off a week or two ago (I know, I owe pics). I sold a bunch of materials that were awaiting installation. They didn't ever really speak to me. The peninsula gone makes my 12x12' kitchen HUGE.

I wish when this began, I hadn't been considering my ex-DH-POC in my rebuild. Because it became MY rebuild. 10 years' worth. He was 6'5" and I'm 5'3 on a good day. The MBR has standard 34x24" cabinets and I'd definitely gone shorter. They're just high enough for me to be uncomfortable. But, I have my gorgeous Emperdor Dark (is that what it's called?) counters and I love them. I'm not afraid to admit I'm trying to figure out how to remove the cabinets and put in lower ones.

I wish I'd put in in-floor heating in the MBR. It was outrageously expensive at
that point, but came down almost right after to something affordable

I really wish I hadn't been pressured and he weren't so passive aggressive. That keeps coming to mind.

I learned way early that I know more than the average customer, let alone female customer. I let a few people "little lady" me and have had to fix (mistakes) things I knew I wanted. No longer.
My electricians do what I want. My handy-Fred knows I know what I want and will help me make it happen. My other, less expensive handy-John isn't upset when I change my mind. And they're both very OCD, which suits me just fine!

- No cabinet trouble -- but if I did, I'd just rip it out.
- No electrical trouble -- eh. I can change that and continue to do so! (No one understood why I put quad outlets everywhere. We have different electrical needs than they did in the 50s and 60s.)
- No plumbing mistakes other than letting DH do it while chatting on the phone with his new chick. Evidently that was enough of a distraction that I am slowly fixing leaks and finding new ones. New plumbing eventually.

So are my mind changes mistakes? Or just working without knowing what I want? No wonder I take things so slowly. Well, that and waitress' income.

(I'm thinking of taking out the MBR lights and selling them. They aren't talking to me...)

.

Yes! A whole thread just to make me feel better! :D I'm sure I'll have more to contribute as we finish up ;)