Undertaking a big home renovation project can push even the most solid of marriages to the brink. But luckily, this doesn’t have to be the case. With the right planning and expectations, you and your spouse can go through a big home renovation without having to find a divorce lawyer in addition to your contractor.
To help you see how you and your spouse can accomplish this, here are three ways to prepare your marriage for taking on a home renovation.
Start Your Project With A Set Limit To The Scope
Before you start making any moves to get your home renovation underway, you and your spouse should sit down together and really talk about the scope of your project.
Not only should you talk about what parts of your home you’re going to be focusing your renovation on and what changes you’re wanting to make, but you should also nail down exactly what your budget is looking like. Having one spouse who wants to take on an additional project once the renovations get underway or wanting to splurge on something that you hadn’t initially agreed on can be a few of the things that strain a marriage during renovations. So by talking everything out beforehand and having firm boundaries and limitations on the scope, you can hopefully avoid these issues.
Find A Contractor You Both Like
The contractor that you choose to go with will have a huge impact on the outcome of your renovation and how hard this renovation ends up being on your marriage. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that you find a contractor that you both like.
Having a contractor that seems to always take the side of one spouse over the other can be hard to handle. Additionally, if one spouse doesn’t like the contractor or trust their opinion, things can get tense quickly. With these things in mind, make sure you take the time to find a contractor that you both like and get along with.
Commit To Compromising
With most home renovations, there will be certain things that each partner will want to their exact specifications and certain things that they’re less worried about. So when something comes up that you don’t have a strong opinion on, talk with your spouse about how the two of you can compromise with each other and come to an agreement rather than fighting over something that neither of you really care about in the first place. Then, for the things that each person really wants, do your best to defer to them for the part that does really matter.
If you don’t want your upcoming home renovations to ruin your marriage, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you protect your relationship during this time.
