Relationships

Surviving a Home Renovation

There are many times in life when repairing something is more difficult than tossing it out and buying something new, but that often does not apply to the home. Buying a house is generally one of the largest investments a couple can make, so most of them would rather do renovations than tear down their house and start over. Unfortunately, renovations are often much more difficult to live through than planned. Couples must be ready to face plenty of hardship and financial surprises when embarking on the renovation journey, so finding ways to survive it together is important.

One of the best ways to survive a renovation is to plan for the unexpected, and it means the couple should set aside additional funds as a contingency when things go wrong. They might not have thought they would need to replace all the wiring, but they should be aware that older homes are not generally up to code. This is one of the most common areas where renovation budgets explode, so understanding it can happen to them is part of their survival as a couple.

Home is the place where people feel relaxed and comfortable, but a renovation can suddenly change all that. Even if only one room is being changed, it will create a different dynamic atmosphere through the entire house. Coping with the changes begins with recognizing this will occur, so couples who have discussed it have a better chance of coming through the situation easier.

Surviving a home renovation has many different facets, and the expense and lack of comfort are just two of them. As the project advances, there can be design decisions that do not work out. Differences of opinion on how to fix them can tax any relationship, so it is important to have a plan in place before they happen if the relationship is to survive.