Sophie and Matt Holdsworth started renovation work in 2024 (Picture: Novuna Personal Finance/Sophie and Matt Holdsworth/Getty)
When Sophie and Matt Holdsworth decided to undertake renovation work on their home, they were initially excited.
They’d saved hard and searched for the best deals to keep their costs down, even selecting their kitchen for their Essex home based on an offer that would allow them three years’ worth of interest-free credit.
They’d bought the property in 2022 knowing that they wanted to modernise it, and, having worked on the plans with an architect for the best part of two years, finally started work in February 2024.
But when the costs started to build beyond what they’d planned for, the stress weighed on their relationship – and, as they were also expecting their first child, they found themselves struggling.
The couple purchased their Essex home in 2022 (Picture: Novuna Personal Finance/Sophie and Matt Holdsworth)
‘Despite our efforts to keep costs down, the build costs ended up being 50% more than had originally been quoted,’ Sophie tells Metro.co.uk.
‘With our baby on the way, costs up and builders in our home longer than expected, tensions were high. The stress and cost of renovating took a toll on our relationship.’
For Sophie and Matt, who are 34 and 33, the biggest stressors were around managing the ever-increasing budget and, as Sophie adds, ’prioritising where to spend big or save, which often took some negotiation as we have different ideas about what’s important.’
The works were originally due to be completed by early May but were pushed back until July – right up until Sophie’s due date.
’The baby arrived five days after the builders left,’ Sophie recalls.
The works were supposed to be completed in May (Picture: Novuna Personal Finance/Sophie and Matt Holdsworth)
’It made the last few weeks of the pregnancy much more stressful than we would have liked because we were adamant it needed to be finished before the baby arrived.
’Instead of nesting, we were managing tradespeople coming in and out.’
Sophie and Matt aren’t alone. According to new research from Novuna Personal Finance, home renovation work is taking its toll on couples, as almost a fifth (19%) of homeowners said that a home improvement project has made them seriously consider splitting up – or has even resulted in a separation altogether.
As per the study, the most common reasons for domestic disagreements are a lack of storage space (32%), outdated kitchens (27%), and cramped bedrooms (19%), while only two-fifths (39%) of homeowners reported feeling relaxed in their home because of the issues they had with it.
What’s more, 1 in 15 (7%) admitted that renovation-related disagreements were the final straw that ended their relationship.
The couple struggled with builders coming in and out so close to their due date (Picture: Novuna Personal Finance/Sophie and Matt Holdsworth)
This is an experience that worsened among Gen Zs and Millennials, as 38% of 25-35-year-olds said that they almost parted ways with their partner during a …read more
Source:: Metro
