40 common mistakes that make your home look cheap (but they're so easy to fix)
Don’t make your home look cheap — make these cheap improvements instead.
It’s so easy to make little mistakes around your space without realizing that they’re taking away from the aesthetic of your home. Everyone has that one chore they avoid because it’s too hard or an old piece of furniture that seems too difficult to fix up. Don’t worry if it’s hard to spot these things around your own space. Instead, scroll through this list of 40 common mistakes that could be making your home look cheap. Not only will this list help you find the spots around your home that could use a little refresh, but it also has the easy fixes for them.
Mistake: You fall behind on refreshing the bathroom
Solution: These automatic toilet bowl cleaners that clip onto the bowl
A toilet that’s always perfectly clean and a fresh-smelling bathroom is completely doable with these essential oil clip-on cleaners. They’re barely noticeable in the bowl, and one of these lemon-scented cleaners will save you from grabbing a toilet brush for up to eight weeks. Plus, the clip has an antimicrobial design to keep it bacteria-free and smelling good while it works.
Mistake: There are water stains all over your wooden furniture
Solution: This reusable cloth that gets rid of water marks for good
This simple reusable cloth is surprisingly the only thing you need for annoying watermarks on your furniture. The clever design will also remove other stubborn spots like permanent marker stains, latex paint splatters, small scuffs, or even heat stains. To make it even better — this soft cloth won’t strip your furniture’s color.
Mistake: A messy-looking, food-covered stovetop is ruining your kitchen
Solution: These heat-resistant covers that you can easily wipe clean
Not only do these durable covers make your stovetop easier to clean, but they’ll also hide any scratches or old food stains. They have a flexible design with pre-cut holes at the center, so you can slip them under your stove grates without any trimming involved. And don’t worry — they’re heat-resistant up to 500 degrees.
Mistake: Your rugs curl up & move around
Solution: These floor-safe corner grippers to keep your rugs flat
These rug corner grippers will instantly make your space look more expensive because all of your rugs will stay perfectly flat. The V-shaped design makes it easy to hide these stick-on rubber grippers underneath your rug, no matter how high the pile. They’re also weatherproof, so you can also make all of your outdoor rugs look put together.
Mistake: There’s yellowed & old grout in your bathroom & kitchen
Solution: A best-selling, quick-to-use grout pen that covers up stains
This waterproof pen is specifically formulated to cover up old, stained, or gross-looking grout that’s making your bathroom or kitchen look bad. It also has a quick-drying design and a super precise cotton tip, so it’s easy to sweep it around tiles without making a mess.
Mistake: There’s smudged stainless steel around the house
Solution: A highly-rated, PH-neutral lavender cleaner that polishes away smudges
Stainless steel is honestly such a hassle in the kitchen, but not if you spritz on this lavender essential oil cleaning solution whenever you see smudges, fingerprints, or a layer of dust on your appliances. It leaves behind a polished and glossy finish that helps prevent future smudges, and it’s completely streak-free to make your fridge look brand new.
Mistake: Your shoe rack looks super messy & lacks space
Solution: These adjustable space-saving organizers that perfectly stack shoes
Just because your shoes are on a shoe rack or are in the closet doesn’t mean they look tidy. But, they will if you grab these non-slip organizers. Simply stack one shoe on top of the other with their easy-to-use design, and you’ll instantly have space for more pairs (and the ones you have will be compact and neat). You can also adjust the height of each one to fit everything from heels and chunky loafers to flats.
Mistake: You have devices & power cords dangling from your outlets
Solution: A 3-sided outlet extender with a tidy shelf on top
This outlet extender with a clever little shelf on top is the easiest way to make sure that your chargers and cords look tidy at all times. The curved design gives you spots for up to nine different chargers, including USB and USB-C, without any of them bumping into each other. It’s also finished off with a cozy nightlight on the bottom to make it look even more expensive.
Mistake: Your backsplash is covered in food & oil stains
Solution: This clear stick-on protector for a perfectly clean backsplash
This transparent wall protector will blend right in with your backsplash, and it’s so easy to wipe off after cooking because it’s made of PVC. It’s easy to cut it to the perfect size for your backsplash, while the adhesive on the back makes sticking it above your stove a breeze. Plus, the oil-proof finish will always look clean after making dinner.
Mistake: Your desk has scuffs, scratches & pen marks
Solution: A faux-leather desk pad with a sophisticated design
This desk pad has a faux-leather finish to make your desk setup look sophisticated and expensive, all while protecting the surface from scratches, stains, pen marks, and heat. It makes your desk completely non-slip, and it’s even water-resistant in case you spill your coffee while you work. It comes in over 20 colors and is also super thin, so this chic pad won’t look weird or feel too bulky on your desk.
Mistake: Your candles are just masking (not fixing) smells
Solution: A clever scented candle that eliminates 95% of odors
This essential oil candle will look like a classic decorative candle on your kitchen or bathroom counter, but it will actually eliminate any unwanted odors. The clever design will get rid of 95% of smells after cooking dinner or if your pup had an accident — not just mask them. Of course, it will also add a soothing vanilla bean scent to your space while removing bad odors, but it also comes in a variety of other yummy scents like pumpkin spice, very berry, and linen.
Mistake: There are stains around your home
Solution: These super thick cleaning pads that only need water to work
These super soft melamine cleaning pads are 1.25 inches thick, so you won’t have to deal with it flattening out or ripping when you’re scrubbing away stubborn stains. Yes, all stains. This huge pack of sponges also only needs water to work on spills, stains, and even wall scuffs on surfaces made of wood, marble, steel, leather, and any other surface that needs a good, thorough, and chemical-free scrubbing.
Mistake: You lack good reading light
Solution: An easy-to-install wall sconce that looks very modern & fancy
This minimalist reading light will look like an expensive built-in wall sconce, but only you will know that it only took a few seconds to stick on with the built-in 3M adhesive. This dimmable LED with adjustable color temperatures also has a magnet, so you can easily rotate it or even pull it off of the base to use it as a flashlight.
Mistake: You hide ripped sofa cushions with pillows
Solution: A upholstrey repair kit with super long-lasting thread
With this easy-to-use repair kit, you won’t worry about someone moving a pillow and seeing a rip or hole in your sofa cushion. It comes with heavyweight 100% nylon thread that’s super durable, so you’ll only have to fix the rip once. You also get seven heavy-duty needles with different shapes (including two curved needles reviewers love) to easily fix every rip — no matter where it is on your sofa.
Mistake: You just leave in burned-out light bulbs
Solution: A suction cup tool to make light bulb changing easier
This suction cup tool and expansion pole will make it a breeze to change those extra-high lightbulbs around your home, like recessed lights or even patio lighting. Simply adjust it to fit over the included extendable pole, which can reach up to 12 feet, and the sturdy suction cup will let you twist the new lightbulb in place without grabbing a stool or ladder.
Mistake: Your under-bed storage looks messy
Solution: These functional & seriously chic under-bed bags
These under-bed storage bags with built-in handles are honestly so much better than trying to fit bulky plastic bins under your bed. Not only is the flexible clear-top design super functional, chic, and discreet under your bed, but they’re also made of a simple, breathable fabric to keep your clothes fresh yet dust-free.
Mistake: You have dull kitchen cabinets & wood furniture
Solution: A wood cleaner that polishes & refreshes your furniture
This non-sticky cleaner and polish with essential oils is specifically for making your kitchen cabinets and wood furniture pieces look nicer. The coconut and mineral oil formula will take care of any dirt or grime on the wood and add a ton of glossiness, while the sweet almond oil leaves behind a freshened-up scent.
Mistake: Your pictures aren’t hung up straight
Solution: A laser level that can project lines at all angles
This wall-mounted laser level might just be the easiest picture-hanging option because you can twist it 360 degrees to get the perfect angle for whatever you’re hanging — even if you’re hanging something up diagonally. Not only does it have an easy-to-see laser, but it also comes with two built-in bubble levels to make sure everything is perfectly straight.
Mistake: Your TV is covered in obvious smudges & dust
Solution: A best-selling screen cleaner & cloth for nicer-looking screens
It’s so obvious if you rarely clean your screens (especially when you turn the TV off), but all you have to do is grab this streak-free screen-cleaning spray. This spray works on any screened surface, whether you need to clean off your TV, computer, tablet, touchscreen, or video game system. A bestseller on Amazon, this cleaner even comes with a shed-free microfiber cloth, so cleaning off all of those smudges or fingerprints will honestly only take a few seconds.
Mistake: There are sagging couch cushions in the living room
Solution: This sofa support board that’s completely non-slip
You won’t have to buy a pricey new couch if you simply slide this sofa support mat underneath any sagging or flat cushions. It’s made of durable wood to help out with any bending or sagging cushions. This foldable mat is also covered in a non-slip fabric to prevent the cushions from sliding away from the back of the couch and creating that annoying gap.
Mistake: You use old kitchen towels instead of trivets
Solution: These highly-rated silicone trivets with 3 chic designs
These non-slip silicone trivets are way lighter than those bulky metal trivets, and more importantly — they won’t scratch up your countertops. These heat-resistant trivets also come in a pack with adorable floral-shaped designs, so they’ll look like a decor piece on your countertop when you’re not cooking, which is why they have a 4.8-star rating on Amazon after 3,300 reviews.
Mistake: You’re missing expensive-looking books around your space
Solution: These faux books that look nice in any room
Grab these budget-friendly faux books, and you’ll instantly have an aesthetic stack of coffee table books that will look super curated. This city-themed book decor piece also comes with a simple black-and-white design that will easily blend in with any room in your home, and they can be used to add height to any display. Plus, they’re filled with blank sheets, so you can use these decorative books as journals.
Mistake: There’s pet hair embedded in your carpets
Solution: A rubber pet fur broom with a squeegee on top
It’s so worth making space for this silicone bristle broom next to your classic broom because it’s specifically decided to pick up pet fur from carpets and rugs. It even has a built-in squeegee on top, so you can scoop all of the fur into a pile or even clean up spills. This broom is comfortable to use, too, with a handle that extends from 36 to 60 inches.
Mistake: Your chairs scratch your wood & vinyl floors
Solution: These clear, pull-on chair leg protectors with soft padding
These stretchy furniture leg protectors feature soft felt pads on the bottom to help your chairs slide around the floor without scratching up your pricey flooring or creating a terrible dinner party-ruining noise. They also have a completely transparent top, so they’ll blend right in with all of your pieces.
Mistake: There are broken decor pieces in your home
Solution: This permanent moldable glue that matches everything
This permanent waterproof glue can honestly fix most of the broken things around your home, and the clever moldable formula will require basically zero effort. It comes in individual packets in a few colors, so it will blend in with whatever cracked decor piece or leaky facuet you use it on. It will stick to all kinds of materials, like ceramic vases, wooden furniture, and more. You can even mold it into a little hook and stick it by the door for your keys.
Mistake: Your closet is missing tidy storage space
Solution: This 9-shelf closet organizer with cubbies, drawers & pockets
You can arrange the five drawers in this closet organizer in a bunch of different ways to suit your unique storage needs. Each shelf has hidden cardboard inside to even make this hanging organizer sturdy enough for your extra shoes, bulky sweaters, or other heavier pieces. Plus, the sides are covered in mesh pockets to give you even more space for accessories.
Mistake: Your shower & sinks never look completely clean
Solution: A professional-grade hard water stain remover that reviewers love
This hard water stain remover is the thing to reach for when your shower tiles or sink faucets look constantly dirty. Instead of scrubbing for way too long with your usual cleaner, this clever formula will quickly fix soap scum, stains, limescale, and even rusty spots that are oftentimes hard to get rid of. Don’t believe the hype? Maybe you’ll believe the 14,000 five-star reviews.
Mistake: Your storage bins don’t match
Solution: These minimalist & handy cubes for easy matching storage
These foldable storage cubes with a minimalist design ensure that you’ll always have a matching storage bin ready-to-go when you need one. Each one is super lightweight and comes with a handle, so you can slide them onto any shelf and use them like deep drawers for storing extra clothes, shoes, toys, electronics, or whatever else needs a designated space.
Mistake: You have loud cabinets & scratched tabletops
Solution: These sound-dampening bumpers that also prevent scratches
These clear bumpers have a strong adhesive on the back, so you can stick them wherever you need them around the house. They’ll create silent kitchen cabinets and drawers, all while keeping a safe distance between the door and the cabinet to keep your furniture in good condition. This budget-friendly pack can also be used to prevent the bottom of your laptop, cutting boards, or other pieces from scratching up your tabletops. They’ll also stay completely clear (instead of turning yellow), so they’ll always look nice and discreet.
Mistake: Your breaker box is out in the open
Solution: This macrame wall art that looks so cozy & curated
These macrame hangings are way better than a generic pictures or wall art because the woven cotton design will add chic texture to your space. Best of all, they’re great for covering up unsightly things like breaker boxes or holes. Each one has a different woven design, so you can style them next to each other without them matching too much. The sturdy hanger will also add a touch of trendy light wood to warm up your wall.
Mistake: You don’t protect your dining room table
Solution: These easy-to-clean woven placemats with heat resistance
These neutral placemats look like expensive cloth placemats on your table, but only you will know that you can simply rinse them off in the sink after dinner because they’re made of vinyl. With this clever washable design, their durable and super chic fabric will stay perfectly stain-free for every dinner. They’re also heat-resistant enough to use these expensive-looking placements as trivets when serving dinner.
Mistake: You miss the small spaces when you vacuum
Solution: This 3-in-1 vacuum with 68,000 5-star ratings
This lightweight vacuum is a shocking powerhouse. It can handle a big open space and all of the smaller spots you might miss thanks to its three-in-one, convertible construction. Simply pull the roller bottom off and pop on the included nozzle to turn this into a hand vaccum so you can get all of the dust between furniture or sofa cushions. You can even shorten the handle to easily roll it over your stairs.
Mistake: There’s zero cozy texture or color in your space
Solution: This popular throw blanket with an easy-to-style texture
This throw blanket has all of the coziness your space needs, but it’s not too fluffy or textured. It’s light enough to look chic instead of bulky in your living room, and the minimalist and textured pattern won’t clash with your sofa’s upholstery. It also comes with soft tassels to add a little more of that cozy texture and is available in two dozen colors to match your aesthetic.
Mistake: A small hole is ruining an entire wall
Solution: This small hole repair kit with quick-to-use supplies
This small hole repair kit makes fixing up your wall a breeze because it has all of the easy-to-use tools and supplies you need. There’s a durable mesh patch to cover up the hole with adhesive on the back, so you simply stick it right on top. Plus, the putty and drywall sanding sponge is surprisingly quick-to-use.
Mistake: You lack entryway organization & places to put jackets
Solution: This sturdy coat rack that you can set up quickly
This wooden coat rack gives you designated spots for entryway clutter without having to mount any hooks or shelves on your wall. It can be set to three different heights, so it will perfectly fit in your space and it’s also great for kids’ rooms. You also get six heavy-duty hooks to hold onto all of your things — even that super heavy work tote.
Mistake: Your mattress is unprotected
Solution: A waterproof mattress protector that won’t bunch up
This waterproof mattress protector comes with a super soft terry cotton fabric on top that will blend right in with all of your comfy bedding. Despite this cozy fabric, it protects your pricey matress from bacteria, bugs, and even spills. Simply zip it onto your mattress, and you can be sure that it won’t bunch up while you sleep.
Mistake: Your sweaters & towels fall over on your closet shelves
Solution: These adjustable shelf dividers for your closet
These soft fabric dividers are the easiest way to keep the messy top shelf in your closet perfectly tidy. The sturdy epoxy-coated steel frame is easy to adjust to fit onto whatever shelf could use a little help. Plus, at almost 12 inches tall, these dividers make it super easy to stack up towels, purses, or folded clothes.
Mistake: Your bathroom towels are mismatched
Solution: This coordinated cotton towel set that’s a bestseller on Amazon
This 100% Turkish cotton towel set comes with everything you’ll need to make your bathroom look put together and ready for guests. It comes with all of the fluffy and matching bath towels, washcloths, and even hand towels you need, and each piece is super absorbent and soft. This set is available in 20 colors, from neutral gray and white to colorful shades of red and blue, so there’s one to match your style.
Mistake: You cover an older sofa with throw blankets
Solution: This stretchy sofa cover that looks like expensive upholstery
This sofa slipcover is so stretchy that it will snap over your couch and instantly blend right in. Simply tuck the soft fabric between the cushions and around the armrests to make it look like it’s your sofa’s upholstery instead of a slipcover. It’s also finished off with a simple texture to make it look even more like expensive upholstery, and it comes in over 30 different colors and seven sizes to suit your needs.
Mistake: You skip dusting fans & hard-to-reach spaces
Solution: This super popular duster that glides right over fan blades
This ceiling fan duster is a fan-favorite on Amazon thanks to its super clever design, which is highlighted by a circular fluffy microfiber head that wipes dust off the bottom and top of fan blades. The pole is also extendable from 27 to 47 inches, which isn’t just great for high fans but also works well for corners, walls, and ceilings.
