6 DIY Kits For Your Home That Are Worth Your Time And 6 To Avoid

According to a survey conducted by Today's Homeowner, about 71% of homeowners have opted to do a home improvement project themselves, rather than hiring a professional, due to inflation. When you look at the costs, this makes perfect sense, as DIYing your home improvements can save you quite a bit of money on labor. The problem, however, is that getting started on one of these projects, especially if you don't have much experience, can be intimidating. Sourcing your own materials and developing the plans can take just as much work as completing the DIY itself, but with the help of a DIY kit, you can bypass the first step of the process and get straight to work.

These kits contain everything you need for a project, whether you're refinishing your countertops or upgrading your outdoor space, so they effectively act as a middle ground between starting from scratch and hiring a professional. Think of it like a box cake mix: You still have to preheat the oven and crack a few eggs, but you don't have to do any complex measuring or spend the same money you would at the bakery. With that being said, the quality of the kit will inevitably have an impact on the quality of your final product. For that reason, we decided to round up some of the best and worst DIY kits on the market, so you have a better chance of ending up with a result you love.

According to Forbes, the average cost to install a pergola is around $5,000. That is, of course, unless you pick up one of these Mirador 80S Louvered Pergola kits from Amazon. The cost ranges from $999 to $1,999, depending on the size, but either way, it's cheaper than a professional install. These DIY pergola kits come with all of the materials and tools you need, and many reviewers note how easy this task was to complete. As an added bonus, its made entirely of durable weatherproof steel, meaning it's sure to hold up over time.

The style of your countertops can make or break a kitchen, and nothing is more classic than marble. This Rust-Oleum Home Marble Countertop Coating Kit promises to give you the look of marble countertops on a budget in a few simple steps. At just $60.99, it's much more affordable than a new countertop install, but unfortunately, it looks like this product might be too good to be true. Reviewers were impressed by the ease of application and final look, but many note that it's not very durable and the coating isn't food safe.

Having a shed in the backyard can seriously help to increase your storage space, so if you're looking for an option that's easy to build on you own and guaranteed to stand up to the elements, take a look at this Suncast 8' x 10' Heavy-Duty Resin Tremont Storage Shed. The package includes everything you need to assemble the shed yourself, including a plastic floor. Reviewers say this shed is sturdy, roomy, and well-designed, though a few note that assembly can be a bit tedious, thanks to the large number of screws.

Reinforcing or replacing your home's insulation can help to lower your electricity bill, but this is an easy task to put off when you consider the cost of hiring a professional. Because of this, it might be tempting to just do it yourself, but it's safe to say that buying a Visrie Spray Foam Insulation kit isn't the way to go. A whopping 78% of reviewers gave this product 1 star, noting that the sprayer doesn't spray in a fan as advertised, the foam doesn't stick to walls, and the nozzle constantly clogs.

After several years of use, it's not uncommon to find that your bathtub has worn spots, chips, or stains on the surface. To fix this without replacing the tub entirely, you can opt for a reglazing treatment, like this Ekopel Pour On Bathtub Refinishing Kit. This kit contains just about everything you need to complete the job yourself, including access to handy video tutorials that can help walk you through the process. Reviewers on Amazon were very satisfied with their DIY, with many noting that they achieved good results, even as first time users.

Installing a deck can bring a more polished, comfortable finish to your outdoor spaces, but undergoing a full-on construction project isn't in the cards for a lot of people. Instant decking offers a solution that can be easily installed over any flat surface, but it's important to find a product that's reliable and well-constructed. Unfortunately, this InstaDeck Outdoor Flooring kit doesn't fit the bill. While it's fairly well-priced and looks attractive in the product photos, reviewers state that they had major issues with the quality of the pieces and what items they received in their packages.

Garage floors are an absolute magnet for stains, but with a little bit of work and this Rust-Oleum Epoxyshield Garage Floor Coating Kit, you can restore them to their former glory. This kit contains a two-part epoxy mix that you apply straight to your flooring, but it is necessary to purchase your own tools. Reviewers were generally satisfied with this product's coverage and look, though a few had issues covering their entire floor with one kit. As long as you make sure to measure your garage's square footage and purchase accordingly, you should be good to go.

Installing a carport can help to protect your car from the weather in lieu of a garage, and, thanks to the relative simplicity of their design, they're pretty easy to DIY. If you're looking for a high-quality wood option, however, it's best to pass on the Backyard Discovery Kingsport 20 ft. x 20 ft. All Cedar Wooden Carport Gazebo. This carport kit is fairly pricey at $3,999, so it's tempting to assume that it will be high quality, but several customers note that they received damaged or ill-fitting pieces.

Painting your kitchen cabinets doesn't only require a can of paint, so if you're looking for an all-in-one kit that will ensure you have everything you need available, check out the Nuvo Titanium Infusion Cabinet Makeover Kit. This kit comes in 11 different color options and includes rollers, brushes, and stir sticks, so you're ready to get DIYing right away. Nuvo's paint kit has earned 4.6 stars across over 14,000 ratings on Amazon, with many reviewers stating that the paint was easy to use and left a beautiful finish on their cabinets.

While it's a minor detail that's often overlooked, the grout in your tiled spaces can have a major impact on the overall appearance of the space. Because of this, it might be tempting to pick up something like this Deuvuo Tile Grout Repair Kit. While this kit is well-priced at just $12.59, and contains plenty of tools to help with your application, several reviewers note that the grout repair formula itself ended up causing more harm than good. Negative reviews say that it arrived dried out, cracked after just a few weeks, or peeled up with tape.

Drywall certainly isn't the most durable material on the planet, so it's not uncommon to find that you've been left with damaged walls. Fixing it on your own can save you some serious money, but you can save yourself even more by picking up an all-in-one kit that already has everything you need. This Drywall Repair Kit from Boncart is only $18.99 and contains sandpaper, patches, wall mending agent, dispenser tubes, and a scraper. As long as you have your matching wall paint on hand, you'll be able to complete the entire repair for under $20. 

Picking up a DIY shed kit can give you the chance to have some fun building without having to spend hours preparing, but it seems like this Handy Home Products Greenbriar 8x10 Do-It-Yourself Storage Shed with Floor just ends up causing frustration. It contains all of the pieces needed to construct your own shed, including a floor, but many customers were less than pleased with the final product. Some note that it feels flimsy, while others state that they received pieces of wood that were warped and difficult to work with.