WASHINGTON, DC — Most American homeowners have at least one regret about buying a house, and the biggest source of frustration is what came after the closing table. A new survey from Clever Real Estate found that 8 in 10 owners say they regret something about their home, while 55% say homeownership has cost more than they expected.
Property taxes and maintenance led the list of financial surprises, with each cited by 65% of those who said costs were higher than expected. The findings land as ownership expenses continue to climb, with a Bankrate 2025 study putting taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep above $21,000 a year for a typical single-family home nationwide.
Property taxes, upkeep and surprise repairs are weighing on owners
The survey points to a long list of expenses that buyers may not fully absorb before they move in. Nearly 9 in 10 owners, or 87%, said they have already dealt with at least one unplanned home problem. Plumbing troubles were the most common at 39%, followed by HVAC failures at 37% and appliance breakdowns at 36%.
Those costs are showing up alongside the regular bills of ownership. Bankrate said the typical annual burden has climbed 26% over four years, reinforcing why many homeowners feel squeezed even after getting into a house they wanted. The numbers suggest that the purchase price is only part of the financial picture, especially for buyers who focused on qualifying for a mortgage rather than on the ongoing cost of ownership.
Renovation regret is common, and many owners are postponing fixes
Home improvements are another major pain point. Half of surveyed owners said they regret a past renovation, and 49% said the work cost more than they planned. Another 46% said they have delayed repairs because labor and material prices have risen.
That pattern matters because deferred maintenance can make small problems larger over time. The survey does not break out how much owners spent or which projects turned into the biggest disappointments, but it does show that repair and upgrade decisions are often made under pressure. For many households, a new roof, a bathroom update or a system repair can become a strain long after the original home purchase is complete.
Buyers who closed in 2022 felt the pressure most
Timing appears to play a major role in how much regret buyers feel. Among homeowners who purchased in 2022, 32% said it was not a good time to buy, the highest share of any cohort since 2000. That group was buying in a period marked by rising mortgage rates and intense competition for homes.
Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate, said homebuying is often the largest transaction people ever make, which is why the ongoing costs matter so much after the deal is done. He said buyers should plan for recurring ownership expenses, not just the down payment and settlement. The survey suggests that some regret is tied less to the house itself than to the conditions under which people had to buy it.
Competitive bidding left many buyers feeling they compromised
Mortgage Professional America also quoted Kurt Strandson, president and CEO of Pinnacle Mortgage in New Hampshire, on the pressures buyers faced in recent housing cycles. He said people were bidding over asking price, waiving inspections, accepting appraisal waivers and agreeing to appraisal gaps, all of which pushed up the true cost of getting into a home.
Strandson said first-time buyers can be hit especially hard because they often do not have large down payments or deep reserves. In that kind of market, he said, the goal should be safe housing and a stronger financial position, not just winning the bid. The survey’s regret numbers fit that view, with 38% saying they regret something about the process itself.
Most owners still believe buying a home was the right move
Even with the complaints, the survey shows homeownership remains emotionally and financially important to most respondents. Ninety-one percent said they do not regret becoming homeowners, and 92% said buying was a good financial investment. Just 44% said they like their home more now than when they bought it, however, which points to a gap between pride of ownership and day-to-day satisfaction.
Among those who regretted part of the process, the top complaints were compromising on what they wanted, rushing the deal and overpaying. Only 4% said they regret not shopping around for a better mortgage rate, suggesting that many buyers are focused on more immediate pressures than rate shopping alone. The data shows a familiar American housing tension: people may be unhappy with how they got the keys, but most still believe the keys were worth getting.
Location and appearance regrets show how quickly a home can feel different
The survey also found that regret is not limited to dollars and cents. Forty-five percent of owners said they have some location-based regret, with traffic, distance from family and friends, and difficult neighbors leading the list. Of those who want to move, 60% said rising home prices have made that harder to do.
Appearance issues were even more common, with 66% flagging some kind of aesthetic concern. Outdated bathrooms were the biggest complaint at 22%, followed by kitchens and flooring at 18% each. Those results suggest that many owners are living with features they would change if budgets and market conditions allowed, but a tight housing market is limiting their options.
More on what homes, rents and new builds are doing near you, on RHS Commoner.
