Choose Wisely to Avoid
Renovator's Remorse

The roof of my house is about to be ripped off and I hope I won't regret it someday.

While the roof wrecking is actually necessary -- it's old and leaky -- in a major renovation we are starting this month, I have been thinking about regrets I still harbor from an earlier one. At the time, I fell for a bunch of hot home trends that later didn't thrill me as much.

When renovating, perhaps the most important thing you can do is to avoid the lure of getting the latest and greatest stuff. A little self-control will save you money, improve resale value and eliminate simple daily frustrations that come with bad choices.

Consider my kitchen sink, for example, which I use every day but grumble about every time I do. It was one of the extra-deep, stainless steel sinks that looked like a small bathtub. Its depth and size -- about six inches deeper than an average sink -- was its selling point.

I bought it thinking it would mean more space for dishes in a fashion-forward package. But as it turned out, the extra inches meant more backaches from bending down and less space underneath to hide unsightly items. The sink is also much harder to keep clean.

I fell hard for a lot of other passing trends back then, from putting in too many brushed-metal surfaces (they lose luster quicker than you might think) to picking a refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom (more bending and less space) to not understanding the care concrete countertops require (too much).

So, in order to help other home renovators who share my addiction to the bright and shiny, here's a list of five of the more recent top trends you might think twice about. While all are interesting and attractive, taking extra time to consider the consequences might be well spent -- as well as money saved.

Farmhouse Sinks: The traditional farmhouse or "apron" sink is a hot kitchen item now. With a high back, low front and often made of a rough material, it's easy to see the appeal of such a sink, which brings back feelings of nostalgia, even if the buyer has never been near a barn. But the sink commits you to a look that future buyers of your home may not love as much as you do. In addition, the short front and deeper width that was designed for chores like chicken plucking means more splashing and stretching. The sinks range in price from just a few hundred dollars to upward of $3,000, depending on the material and quality (and if it's an antique). A decent high-end sink runs for about $500 to $1,000.

Black Floors: There has been a marked rise in dyeing wood floors to the deepest shades of black, which can be done to many wood types. The result is a sheen resembling the surface of a grand piano. But the look is fraught with maintenance issues that are daunting to even the most dedicated homeowners.

Because the color (which is hard to get right, as flooring experts will admit in an honest moment) is so dark, pretty much any imperfection shows up, from simple dirt to serious scratches. Fading is also a problem. Dyeing your floor to the deepest shades costs from $3 to $7 more a square foot finished because of the additional work required in its installation.

Is it a toilet or art? The Kohler Hatbox is handsome, but pricey.

Hatbox Toilet: When I first saw the new Purist Hatbox toilet from Kohler, I wanted one immediately. With no visible pipes and a sleek oval shape, the tankless unit is more minimalist art than bathroom fixture. A lot of new toilets are becoming fashion items and some are getting more features, such as highly complex digital dashboards controlling a range of functions such as air drying.

While I applaud the effort, it's likely that over time you'll be much happier with a more traditional unit given the price and resale value. A Hatbox costs from $2,000 to $2,890, depending on where you purchase it, while a handsome looking but more traditional Kohler, like its sleek Highline Pressure Lite, costs around $500.

The Home Heartbeat system can tell if there's a water leak or if your iron is on.

Home Networks: While there have been a lot of improvements in home networking, some homes I have visited have such complex systems -- for everything from piping in stereo music throughout the house, to monitoring heat and even doors opening -- that you need an advanced degree just to turn on the lights. Those systems, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, are likely to be surpassed by increasing numbers of simpler, out-of-the-box wireless solutions for everything from fire alarms to home monitoring to entertainment. The new Home Heartbeat system from Eaton, for example, which will have a range of monitors in its starter kit, is expected to cost $150, with more for additional monitors. The system, which the company plans to start shipping out this summer, can monitor things like water leaks or whether you left the iron, using a remote control or your computer or cellphone for alerts.

Flat-Screen TVs: Even though prices for flat-screen televisions have come down a lot in recent years, a 30-inch LCD flat panel can cost about $1,600 to $3,000 for just a 30-inch screen, compared with $500 to $1,000 for a similarly size regular television. While a space-saving flat TV is nice, it's a lot to pay for just style. In two or three years, as prices drop further, of course, that issue will be gone. But it still seems a tiny bit early to make the leap.

Email your comments to rjeditor@dowjones.com.