Personal Experience: 10 Mistakes When Furnishing a Country House

Lena is a blogger and the founder of the company Bo.ho.dom. She built this house with her husband three years ago. Although it looks perfect on the surface, there are still some shortcomings. Read our post and learn from others' mistakes!

Measurement PlanBought an insufficiently powerful boiler

We installed a warm floor and put in an induction boiler with a power of 7 kW, but it cannot handle the volume of fluid. If we could turn back time, I would have chosen a 10 kW boiler.

Laid cheap laminate on the floor

Originally, we wanted to use ceramic granite, but due to lack of time and funds, we couldn't buy or lay it. In a hurry, we took the cheapest laminate and regretted it: the surface cracked and bubbled up, and now it has to be replaced.

Now I would choose practical ceramic granite — especially in the kitchen area.

Didn't paint the doors immediately

Doors were selected and purchased gradually. We settled on pine wood and installed them unpainted. After a couple of years, the surface discolored, and to apply paint, we have to remove the doors from their hinges.

Chose plastic moldings

Since children live in the house, holes and cracks quickly appeared on the moldings. It's better to bet on more practical materials — for example, MDF or duroplast for painting.

Didn't make a septic tank well

Clear water from the septic tank flows into the rain sewer instead of the well. Once in winter, the hose froze and flooded the septic tank, causing damage to the pump and aerator.

Didn't calculate ceiling heights

The highest point in the house is 4.5 meters and is not used at all. I would lower the roof by 50–90 cm now. This would help reduce construction and heating costs.

Installed a metal door

A metal door with thermal break was unnecessary — given that there is a plastic door leading to the terrace, and large windows.

Moreover, over time, the metal started rusting and lost its appearance. In the future, I plan to replace it with a plastic door with glass.

Painted walls black

The walls look like chalkboards — they leave marks, scratches, and fingerprints.

Made windows on the north side

We underestimated solar energy, and we should not have. Making windows on the south side is much more profitable — it helps save money on heating.

Chose impractical bathroom finishing

We opted for gypsum board for painting and covered the lower part of the wall with wood. It would have been better to choose tiles — they are more resistant to scratches and chips.

It was possible to lay tiles on the lower 1.5 meters and paint the rest of the walls.