Most homeowners have at least one major regret, and it starts long before the for-sale sign comes down
Eight in 10 American homeowners have at least one regret about their home, according to a new report from Clever Real Estate, a nationwide discount real estate broker. The biggest source of disappointment is not what they bought, but what it cost them afterward.
The report found that 55% of owners say homeownership has run more expensive than expected. Property taxes and maintenance were the standout shocks, each cited by 65% of those respondents.
The data arrives as hidden ownership costs — taxes, insurance, utilities, and upkeep — now exceed $21,000 annually for a typical single-family home nationally, according to a Bankrate 2025 study, up 26% in four years.
Nearly 9 in 10 owners (87%) have faced at least one unplanned home problem — most often plumbing issues (39%), HVAC failures (37%), or appliance breakdowns (36%).
Half regret a past renovation, and 49% say that work cost more than anticipated. Another 46% have delayed repairs because of rising labor and material costs.
The cost gap no one warned buyers about
"For most folks, buying a home is the most expensive transaction of their lifetime," said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.
"After the purchase is complete, we find that affordability issues rank high on the list of regrets. It is prudent to consider and plan for many ongoing costs of ownership, not just getting over the threshold of the down payment and settlement."
Timing shapes the depth of regret. Among buyers who purchased in 2022 — when rates were climbing sharply and competition was fierce — 32% said it was not a good time to buy, the highest share of any cohort since 2000.
Kurt Strandson, president and CEO of Pinnacle Mortgage in New Hampshire, told Mortgage Professional America earlier this year that the competitive conditions of recent buying cycles left buyers in a difficult position.
"When someone's going to bid on a house, they're bidding over asking, waiving inspections, doing appraisal waivers, appraisal gaps," he said.
"And it was increasing the cost to acquire housing."
Strandson added that first-time buyers carry particular risk when they enter a pressured market. "When they're coming into their first home, they usually don't have the largest down payment. They don't have the most reserves. So you want to be able to get into safe housing and put people in a better position," he said.
Only 44% of all surveyed owners say they like their home more now than when they bought it.
Of the 38% who regret something about the purchase process itself, the leading complaints were compromising on what they wanted (9%), rushing the transaction (8%), and overpaying (7%).
Just 4% regretted not shopping around for a better mortgage rate, a narrow but real opening for brokers working with clients navigating the persistent affordability challenges in the American housing market.
Why most owners still wouldn't trade their keys
Despite the scale of remorse, 91% of respondents said they do not regret becoming homeowners, and 92% believe buying was a good financial investment. That split — frustration with the experience alongside confidence in the decision — is a tension brokers working in today's market will recognize.
Location regrets affect 45% of owners, with traffic (10%), distance from family and friends (10%), and difficult neighbors (9%) leading the complaints. Of those who wish they could move, 60% say rising home prices have made doing so less realistic.
Appearance concerns are also widespread: 66% of owners flag aesthetic issues, with outdated bathrooms (22%), kitchens (18%), and flooring (18%) most often cited.
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