Wouldn't it be nice to buy a home and never have it upgrade and renovate it? It would definitely save us the cash and the hassle, that's for sure! As 59% of American homes were built before 1980, Zippia averages that people renovate their homes every three to five years. When we say "renovate" here, we mean minor upgrades, like painting.

If people have lived in their house for more than six years, they're more likely to do renovations than to just move to another place. People do major upgrades like whole room remodels less often, and the main reasons for that are either lack of time or money.

In the same survey, 50% of the respondents said they intended to do home renovations themselves. At the same time, 56% said they would hire a professional to do at least a part or all the home improvements. The most sought-after professionals are electricians and general contractors.

People renovate their homes not only for themselves; they're also thinking about the value of their house. In that sense, the renovations that give the biggest yields are those done to the kitchen. Minor kitchen upgrades yield a return of up to 96%, while major upgrades yield around a 50% return on investment.

Sometimes, I think I'm lucky not to own a home yet. How do people even know when it's time for an upgrade? For example, when do your walls need repainting? The experts at PaintRite Pros write that repainting walls should be a job you do every five years at least. Hallways and corridors suffer the most as they get scuff marks, fingerprints, and other daily wear and tear.

Experts claim that homeowners should also make minor bathroom improvements every five years. This includes painting the walls, updating cabinet finishes, fixtures, and lighting. The carpet is another thing you should replace more often. Although some carpets can last up to 15 years, experts recommend addressing heavy traffic areas like hallways, doorways, and stairs every five years or so.

If you don't have carpeted floors and have hardwood instead, you should upgrade them every 10 years. That means sanding them down and applying a new finishing coat. I have some personal experience with that, as we redid the wood floors in our family house a few years ago. The sanding machine is loud and can be quite hard to operate because it's so heavy, but the result is totally worth it. More so because you did it yourself!

Experts also recommend replacing your water heater every 10 years. At this point, most of the systems start to decline in quality after 12 or so years, so when you hit that decade milestone, it's a good time to start thinking about a new one. If a water heater starts producing murky water, leaking, rusting, or producing odd sounds, those are signals to replace it too.

The dishwasher is another appliance that loses its full efficiency at 10 years old. Experts say that if the costs of the repair exceed 50% of the appliance's original cost, it's not really worth repairing. If it's more than 10 years old, just go for a new one; you'll have to eat out of the plates and bowls that it washes, after all.

The repairs and renovations experts advise doing every 15 years are more serious and costly. They include partially remodeling your kitchen, replacing the central AC, and the asphalt shingles on your roof. The kitchen will likely be the most costly of the three, as some estimates claim a mid-range kitchen remodel would cost around $20,000.

When your lovely home becomes 20 years old, it's time for some serious improvements to the outside of the house. This includes replacing the gutters, windows, and wooden fencing. One thing inside the house you should upgrade every 20 years is the light switches. At that point, they'll probably have discoloration and be loose or wiggly. Time to shop for some new ones!

If you're thinking about remodeling, Pandas, be sure to be careful; you probably wouldn't want the adventures here on this list to happen to you. If you're looking for some more home improvement disasters, head here! And if you've recently taken up a home improvement project, let us know in the comments about how it's going!