We started this two years ago, and it has now become a tradition – our annual review of home inspection nightmares.

When we wrote our article about home inspection nightmares one year ago, we mentioned that 2020 gave us little to smile or laugh about. Who knew we would be saying much the same thing about 2021? But as you review these examples of DIY work, we hope once again, that we are giving you something that will put a smile on your face.

As far as credit for these images, the first one is from Family Handyman, the second and third from Popular Mechanics, fourth and fifth from Reader’s Digest, and the last one is from PowerSite Pro.

What we’re looking at here may indicate it is time to invest in a new faucet and possibly an indoor freeze detector.

This one really is a nightmare, especially for the home inspector who must crawl in this space with a joist being supported (and I use that term loosely) by cinder blocks and wood.

We all sometimes wonder where we left that hammer or screwdriver, but the electrical control panel is not the spot to store your tools.

The job of your smoke detector is to detect smoke and fire in your home – not to be the source of that smoke or fire.

While it may follow the same principle as putting a band aid on a cut, plastic wrap is not the right tool to patch and repair pipes.

Caulk for the chimney? It’s probably not the most effective way to keep your chimney secure.

And finally, one more chimney shot. This is a problem really waiting to happen.