Home (Dys) Improvement?

1. Keep your home renovation costs under control.

Don't kid yourselves about the price of your project. Home renovation cost typically rises about 25% above the original estimate, especially if couples decide on upgrades once the project's underway. Paul Bimm, senior sales manager of new home construction for RBC Royal Bank of Toronto, suggests that couples get quotes before they set their hearts on renovations they can't afford. According to Bimm, research is the key to keeping down home renovation costs.


2. When you plan a home renovation, get an idea of how long it will take.

Next to the cost of a renovation, the time it takes to finish a job is the biggest stressor, says reporter Alex Newman. "Your life changes radically, your former conveniences are gone, and most people just don't anticipate the level of edginess a renovation is going to produce," Chicago marriage counselor Michele Weiner-Davis tells him. If the renovation chaos is too much, a week in a hotel proves much cheaper than divorce court.


3. Distinguish between décor essentials and emotional needs.

Ultimately, in home renovation, it's the idea behind granite versus laminate and not the materials themselves that trigger struggles. Remodeling choices are about "money, time, energy and power," says Rachel Cox, who specializes in couple's therapy for remodelers. "A renovation is a very stressful activity," Toronto relationship therapist Joe Rich agrees, but he has a tip for remodelers. When home improvement addresses a family problem--like creating an office that gets the computer out of the bedroom--the renovation may actually improve the marriage.

• "Decor wars," by Alex Newman. Toronto Star (Apr 17, 2003).
• "Till Faucets Do Us Part," by Karen Breslau. Newsweek 147.5 (Jan 30, 2006).
• "When renovating leaves relationships in need of repair," by Georgie Binks. Toronto Star (Jan 13, 2006).