Renovating With Your Partner
I don’t know about you, but our home renovations go perfectly—until he dares to disagree with my brilliant ideas, my flawless product choices, and my expert-level project management (which mostly involves me telling him what to do).
Let’s dive into some of the other hilarious obstacles we all face when renovating with our partners—because picking paint colours is easy, but surviving a reno together? That’s the real challenge!
Renovating with your partner can be a true test of love (and patience). Here are some funny survival tips to get through it without committing DIY-induced crimes:
Pick Your Battles (and Your Paint Colours Wisely) – If they love that weird shade of green, just nod and pretend it’s growing on you.
Measure Twice, Blame Once – If something doesn’t fit, it was obviously the tape measure’s fault.
Power Tools and Relationships Don’t Mix – If tensions rise, put down the drill and take a snack break. Nobody argues over pizza.
DIY Means “Do It Yourself”… or “Don’t Involve Yourself” – Sometimes, it’s best to let them think they’re in charge.
Compromise Like a Pro – You get the tiles you love; they get the fancy smart toilet. Everyone wins.
Expect Delays (and Deny Responsibility) – “It was supposed to take a weekend” is the funniest joke in home renovation history.
When in Doubt, Hire a Professional – It’s cheaper than couples therapy.
Celebrate Small Wins – Even if it’s just agreeing on grout colour without a debate.
A friend of mine got tired of waiting for her husband to hang a picture, so one day, while he was home, she grabbed a hammer and nails and decided to “hang it herself”. It worked—he jumped up and did it, mostly to avoid a wall full of unnecessary holes. Genius, right?
So, I tried her trick with some patch painting I wanted to do. Hubby showed up, took one look, and instead of helping, told me I’d made a mess on the floor and should probably clean it up. Long story short—I ended up painting the entire top floor and the spare room downstairs… alone.
Moral of the story: Some tips don’t work on everyone!
“Renovate wisely, stay married, and keep the toolbox and your sanity intact! The end project is worth it all.”
— De Novo Homes