Renovating the kitchen, finishing the basement, upgrading flooring – home improvement projects of all shapes and sizes are exciting ways to add new life to your home. Unfortunately, these undertakings can also be stressful, whether you do it yourself or hire contractors. For some couples, their journey to spruce up the nest instead becomes the route to divorce.
When Home Improvement Goes South
Breaking up over a home improvement project sounds like the stuff of television comedy-drama. But this kind of occurrence does happen in real life.
A recent HomeAdvisor survey about how Americans navigate their home improvement projects with their partner has found that this sort of adventure is an important relationship test. Though 67% of couples feel happier or closer to their partner once the project is complete, there are plenty of unfortunate outcomes too:
- 46% have had to bring in a third party to help mediate
- 39% regret working on a project with their partner
- 17% have separated or divorced because of a project
That means 1 in 5 marriages have ended in separation or divorce – because of a home improvement project. If your relationship is on shaky ground, it might make you think twice about redoing that en suite.
Factors That Can Ruin a Marriage
You may not be surprised to learn that the biggest challenge of taking on a home improvement project with a partner, according to the survey, is financial. Nearly 80% of those surveyed identified agreeing to or staying with a budget as the biggest sticking point. It’s no surprise, since financial matters can tank what seems like even the strongest of marriages. Other issues:
- Having different tastes or styles (43%)
- Agreeing on a vision (40%)
- Getting their partner involved (33%)
- Sticking to a timeline (20%)
For projects like these – whether big or small – couples want to feel like they’re in it together. Places where they thought they gelled may prove to be not so (from paint color to flooring type). Envisioning this journey as fun and an experience that will bring you closer together could end up with one person leading the charge and the other indifferent, which pushes them away from each other.
It’s logical to compare these home improvement issues with general relationship issues. If you have different tastes in how you live your lives together, if you disagree on plans and goals, if one of you is more invested than the other, or if you’re on different timelines when it comes to having kids or moving, these problems can tank your marriage, no hammers, nails, or paint brushes needed.
Just Say No to a DIY Divorce
A DIY home improvement project can be bad for some marriages. But DIY divorce is a bad idea for every split. Always work with an experienced Michigan divorce lawyer to ensure that someone is fighting for your needs and your future.
When a marriage is ending, it’s because couples are no longer an ideal pair for each other – they have different opinions, beliefs, thoughts, and visions. Your ex can’t represent your interests and you can’t represent theirs.
If you are ready to file for divorce, contact Michigan Divorce Help to schedule your free initial consultation.