Love is in the air—and your home
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. While some people plan a fancy night out or buy a bouquet of beautiful flowers, home improvement couples are likely planning to tackle a project to elevate their home and the romance in it.
Rest assured: There are many ways to upgrade your home to give you and your special someone a gift that will last more than one night. Home improvement couples rejoice—here are a few ways to help your relationship thrive long after February 14.
When cohabitating with your partner, there are just some things you don’t need to see, hear, or know about, so a little separation goes a long way. To create more privacy in a shared bathroom, consider building a separate area in the bathroom for the toilet, which is now a common fixture in many new or remodeled homes.
Investing in a bathroom remodel that encloses the toilet will give you the privacy you seek. The cost of a bathroom remodel is about $12,000 on average, and this process can transform your bathroom experience. Everyone’s got to go—but having the privacy to do so will help you and your partner maintain bathroom boundaries.
Division of household labor and chores often creates friction between partners. One way to smooth things over is by hiring professionals for tasks that are burdensome to both partners. For example, the cost of hiring house cleaners averages about $170—a small price to pay to avoid the never-ending argument of whose turn it is to make the house sparkle.
You can also consider hiring out for other monthly or seasonal tasks, including landscaping, pest control, and pool maintenance. Hiring professional contractors ensures a job well done and takes one thing off your plate, allowing you to spend more time with your beau.
Appliances can be a tremendous relationship and time saver around the house. Prioritize replacing, updating, and repairing frequently used appliances to improve the efficiency of day-to-day chores. For example, if doing dishes is a source of tension in your relationship, having a dishwasher with a high load capacity and features like quick wash and sanitized wash are worth the upgrade.
The average cost of appliance installation ranges from $125 to $285, plus the cost of the appliance itself. According to Angi’s State of Home Spending Report, 21% of homeowners surveyed stated they plan to update their appliances in 2024. Use this romantic holiday as an excuse to upgrade your appliance game and keep your home running smoothly.
According to Angi Home Experts Mallory Micetich, doors have been a relationship saver for her and her partner. Doors allow them a bit of space and separation, even in their smaller space. The biggest adjustment was a mindset around using and closing doors. "I used to think closed doors were an anger statement, but now, a closed door is an easy way to create a little space, filter out sound, and give my partner a break." Micetich said.
As our homes continue to serve multiple purposes, doors help us close off spaces, buffer out noises, and create room for many types of activities. The cost of installing an interior door is about $785 on average, depending on the door type and if you need to reframe the opening. Don’t let the feeling of always being in each other’s space push you apart—close a door instead to give everyone a necessary break.
Adding soundproofing to bedrooms, offices, or hobby spaces can make a big impact on your relationship and the functionality of your home. Since many people use their homes partially for work or other hobbies that might be disruptive, soundproofing is a great way to keep the noise down, especially if you have children or pets that are sensitive to loud sounds.
The average cost of soundproofing a room is $1,870, depending on the room and the soundproofing surface. While adding this home feature may not seem like a traditional strategy for bringing couples closer together, creating extra quiet spaces is a great way to balance ever-changing hobbies and routines.
Taking a cold shower can get you into "hot water" with your partner or spouse. Our home experts know firsthand how important having a high-capacity or tankless water heater is to keeping everyone’s showers warm and steamy. While upgrading your water heater is an investment project, it will help prevent the never-popular cold shower and return value to your home.
The cost of a tankless water heater is $2,550 on average. If you’ve been debating whether to install a new water heating system, this is your sign to invest in the future of your home and relationship to ensure you have hot showers for years to come.
It’s no secret that having separate sinks in the primary bathroom is a relationship saver for many couples. Bathrooms are places where we often have different routines from our partners and need storage space for many products. Two sinks and vanities increase the functionality of your primary bathroom, avoiding many early morning or late night fights for space in front of the mirror.
The cost to install a double vanity is $1,500 on average, but it can be as inexpensive as $300. Plan a romantic Valentine’s Day of sketching out plans for your new-and-improved bathroom setup, with plenty of storage for every skin care product and hair tool.
Have you ever gotten into an argument with your partner about a missing sweater or piles of dirty clothes in every corner? Many couples run into storage issues, especially if they are tight on space. Organized storage solutions are the key to solving these issues before they arise, mitigating disagreements over a messy bedroom or closet.
If you don’t know where to start in your organization journey, consider getting extra help from a professional. Hire a home storage expert or local home organizer for an outside perspective on how to improve your home’s functionality.
"Our homes should be a place where we can not only participate in our hobbies, but celebrate them, too," said Micetich, Angi Home Expert. Micetich says having spaces for partners to work on hobbies is key, including practices like gaming, cooking, pottery, sewing, crafting, or yoga. Creating space for hobbies does not need to be elaborate or dedicated but often takes a bit of creativity. Showcasing your hobbies can help make your home feel more unique to you and bring you closer to your partner.
Consider turning an extra room into your creative crafting space or turn your garage into a home gym to exercise your endorphins daily. No matter your hobby or skill, celebrate it proudly in your home with your own space. And occasionally, check in with your partner to see if they want to join the fun.
When Micetich recently moved in with her partner, they discussed absolute needs and priorities before deciding on a place. "Discussing what we needed to prioritize helped us when we were looking for a new place and still helps us now that we are settled,” Micetich said.
Whether you recently moved in with your sweetie or you’ve been living together for decades, it’s always a good idea to circle back to the essential priorities you need from your home since they often change over the years. For example, you might need a dedicated nursery if you’ve recently expanded your family. Or, if you recently discovered a love of cooking together, a kitchen renovation might be in your future.
Finding a soulmate is hard, but finding someone who agrees with your ideal indoor temperature can be even more complicated. Thankfully, an HVAC solution exists for couples who can't agree on the perfect comfortable temperature. Consider adding a split duct system in living rooms, bedrooms, and offices to control the climate in those rooms more easily. If you are looking for a low-budget option, add a ceiling fan to rooms that need a boost of cool air.
Nothing is worse than fighting your significant other for the comfiest couch or chair, especially when trying to spend quality time together. The key to a blissful home is comfort for everyone, and incorporating cozy furniture and home features is a great starting point.
You can also make bathroom upgrades that transform the space into your spa-like oasis and increase your home's resale value. If you or your significant other is an avid reader, consider turning one corner of the home into a reading nook.
Part of being a power couple is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate your DIY skills before tackling a new home task. Sure, DIYing a home improvement project might save on labor costs, but if you don’t have prior experience, the project might end up in unnecessary frustration and require a pro to step in to fix your mistakes.
If you’re unsure where your DIY skills fall as a couple, don’t fret! There are some easy DIY projects to try to get started. For example, you can take a day to clean your air ducts to remove dirt and debris. For a more significant challenge, you can install a dog wash station for your pooch. For obvious reasons, we advise against attempting any DIY project that could be dangerous, illegal, or downright bad for your relationship.
Do you love sports, and your significant other doesn’t? Or do you adore flowers and pastels, but your sweetie thinks they are too much? Part of investing in your relationship is making your shared space feel like yours as a couple.
To ensure you’re not overwhelming one person with decor they detest, have an open conversation about what you’d like your home to look like. Once you establish the design style you want, create your design aesthetic by adding features that feel unique to both of you. These elements could include favorite sports team emblems, colors, or artwork. Whatever you choose, make sure it reflects your personality within your relationship—not one or the other.
