New Report Details Challenges Home Remodels Pose on Relationships

While collaboration is largely a rewarding process, for some couples, it can be a challenge. The 2025 U.S. Houzz Remodeling and Relationships Report examines the toll that home remodeling projects has on couples, with 59% describing the process as “collaborative” and 50% claiming it to be “fulfilling”. Despite these mostly positive results, a fair number of those surveyed admit that the process did strain their relationship to some degree. 4% of responders considered separation or divorce during the home renovation. For couples in a relationship for 5 years or less, the number jumps to 12%, whereas it is only at 2% for couples together for 30 years or more.

Despite the hardships, the vast majority of couples surveyed (96%) agreed that the finished result of the remodel was worth the struggles in the end, saying that they feel more comfortable (60%), calm and stress-free (39%), and more organized (38%) in their homes post-renovation.

A number of issues led to conflict among couples going through the process, including a difficulty staying on budget (31%), deciding on products, materials or finishes (28%), and agreeing on the project’s scope or design (20% each). Some frequently cited sticking points were selecting paint colors (36%), furniture (33%), and flooring materials (29%), with these usually being influenced by relationship duration. For those in a relationship less than 10 years, the most common struggle was choosing furniture (41%), with couples of 30 years or more struggling with paint colors and flooring (35% each). Disagreement on the choice of flooring was the highest for couples with 21 to 30 years of an established relationship (44%).

Compromise proved to be an effective method for 56% of couples, with visualization tools to help them see the final result also proving beneficial (44%). Those early into a relationship were most likely to compromise (64%) compared to those in long-term relationships, who were twice as likely to have one partner defer to the other (10% vs. 5% for relationships less than 10 years).

“A home renovation is one of the most demanding journeys a couple embarks on together, with numerous decisions, budget considerations and trade-offs along the way,” Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist, said in a news release. “The findings highlight how communication, compromise and visualization technologies help mitigate disagreements and support productive collaboration throughout the renovation process among couples and the pros they hire.”

Many respondents reported desires of improved visibility and coordination when working with hired design and construction professionals, with transparent timelines (45%), clear communication (42%), and more accurate timelines (39%) being the most common requests.

The full report from Houzz is available here.