We Asked a Contractor Which Little Home Flaws Guests Always Notice—And You Probably Stopped Seeing Them Yourself

The holiday season is the perfect time to take care of small home repairs you’ve been putting off. Even minor flaws can stand out to guests and make a space feel less polished. Before hosting, it’s worth addressing these quick fixes to keep your home looking its best. A professional contractor shares which little details guests notice most—and how to correct them before they arrive.

Loose Cabinets, Drawers, and Handles

When you are grabbing a plate or some cutlery, you may notice that the cabinet hinges, drawer slides, or handles are loose, but you probably put it off and think you’ll get around to fixing it later.

“Homeowners become ‘house-blind’ to repeated imperfections,” says Jeri Goodkin-Dausey, Certified General Contractor and Building Inspector at Violation Clinic. “Loose cabinets, drawers, and handles are things people live with daily and eventually stop noticing.”

However, when a guest visits your home, they will certainly notice if the handle on a door is wobbly or if the hinges on the cabinet are loose, so you should give them a once-over before hosting any friends or family. It takes only a few minutes to use a screwdriver to tighten up your loose hinges, hardware, and drawer slides.

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Gaps in Caulking Around Sinks and Tubs

Small gaps in the caulking around the sinks and tubs in your bathrooms are easy to overlook, but guests tend to zero in on these imperfections.

“Pay special attention to the guest bathroom, which is often the most scrutinized space,” Goodkin-Dausey says. “Taking just ten minutes with a fresh set of eyes will reveal every small flaw your guests will notice. Refreshing caulk lines in bathrooms and kitchens makes those spaces feel cleaner immediately.”

Fixing this issue doesn’t take much time at all and all you need is a single tube of caulk. Not only will this help you deal with the appearance of the bathroom and kitchen, it will also safeguard these areas against water damage, making this an obvious fix you should make before guests arrive.

Flickering Light Bulbs

In many homes, guest rooms and guest bathrooms are rarely used, so a light bulb that flickers every so often in these spaces may go completely unnoticed or overlooked until a guest comes to stay.

“The best method to spot these flaws is to walk through the home exactly as a guest would,” Goodkin-Dausey says. “Enter through the front door, turn on all the lights, and move slowly through each room as if you’ve never seen it before.”

Flickering light bulbs are usually caused by a faulty switch, wiring, or even the light socket. If you don’t feel comfortable tackling electrical issues, you should have an electrician come in to fix the problem before it gets worse, since neglected electrical problems aren’t just an issue for guests, these seemingly minor issues could actually put your home at risk of an electrical fire.

Scuffed Baseboards

Baseboards can take a beating over the years, since they are at floor-level where people walk, pets run, and items get wheeled or dragged through the halls.

“When people walk into a home—especially during the holidays when everyone is paying closer attention—they immediately pick up on scuffed baseboards, chipped trim, or worn switch plates,” Goodkin-Dausey says.

The good news is that fixing up scuffed baseboards is typically as easy as washing them down with a cloth and hot water, letting them dry, then applying a coat of paint to cover up any dings, chips, or stains on the baseboards, giving the rooms and hallways a renewed look.

Cracked or Crooked Switch Plates

If you will be having guests come to visit or stay at your home for a few days, do a quick sweep of the house to check for any cracked, crooked, or otherwise damaged switch plates on light switches and outlets.

“Anything at eye level or something guests have to touch, like door handles or light switches, stands out right away,” Goodkin-Dausey says. “Even if a home is spotless, these visual disruptions draw attention the moment someone walks in.”

Additionally, if you are replacing any switch or outlet plates, then it’s important to find replacements that match the color and style of the other plates in the home, otherwise these new switch and outlet plates will stand out.

You can also replace all of the switch and outlet plates if you want update the look or style of your household light switches and power outlets.

Chipped Paint on Door or Window Trim

Small chips and dings on the door trim and window frames are relatively common, though many homeowners choose to ignore these minor issues because getting out a can of paint for a little fix doesn’t usually feel like it’s worth the time.

But guests will spot these little problems immediately. Thankfully, fixing these minor dings and chips is simple.

“Most of these issues can be corrected quickly and affordably,” Goodkin-Dausey says. “Touching up baseboards and trim with a small amount of semi-gloss paint can make a room look new.”