A Fresh Start: Renovating Your Home After Divorce

By Worthy Staff | Mar 29th, 2016

Divorce is all about change–from letting go of your past to embracing your next chapter. Staying in the same house you lived in with your ex can be upsetting, with every corner evoking a memory. Switching the photos of the picture frames may not be enough to make your home fit your new life. Here’s why giving your house a 180° renewal will help you overcome divorce, and how to do it without breaking the bank.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Property splitting can be a very painful process and the possibilities vary according to each couple’s situation. The current status of the real estate market can make it challenging to sell the house, making it more financially feasible for one of the counterparts to keep the house.

Financial aspects aside, staying in the family house can be good for your kids, keeping changes at a minimum, making it easier for them to adapt to a new normal. Taking them out of the community has the potential to add more stress to an already difficult situation.

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Renew & Reclaim Your Space

On the other hand, anybody who has been through divorce knows how staying in the same house can make it hard to recover emotionally. From furniture that you bought together to souvenirs from trips, the house is loaded with memories from a time of your life that you’re trying to move on from. This is why, if the agreement is that you keep the house, you may want to start planning home renovations ASAP.

Giving a new look to your apartment or house will renew the feel of the place you habitate everyday. Improve the energy flow by applying the Feng Shui principles. Dive into the minimalist lifestyle and stick to the less is more philosophy. Getting rid of unused stuff and keeping it simple will help you move on and feel better. At the end of the day, you’ll realize that new exciting things will only come when you make room for them.

Renovating on a Budget

While house renovations might sound like a luxury you can’t afford after a costly divorce, there are many ways to reduce the costs of remodeling. We did some research and we want to share with you some hacks to make post-divorce house renovations easy and affordable:

Choose the right season. According to experts, you can save a significant amount of money based on the time of the year you choose to do home renovations. Summer, early fall and the weeks leading up to Christmas are the most expensive periods to hire contractors. Conversely, demand for contractors right after New Year’s drops, and fees tend to be lower.
Have a one-time consultation with an architect. Although renovation projects are usually led by an architect, you don’t necessarily need a full-time professional. Hiring one would not just cost you a lot of money, but would also take up a lot of extra time. Instead, there are many design consultants that can provide a one-time meeting to advise you on the best and cheapest way to give your house a facelift.
Plan ahead. Don’t just leave everything in your contractor’s hands: their idea of what are acceptable costs may be different than yours. Do some market research before starting, and get to know what’s out there: learn the different materials and price ranges, and know what you want before giving the thumbs up to your contractor.
Your trash is someone’s treasure. Donate the materials and furniture you won’t need anymore to NGOs like Habitat for Humanity, which will happily pick them up for later resale. This way, you’re not only contributing to a good cause, but you can also get tax deductions.
DIY. Use your creativity and save up to thousands of dollars. Recycle materials and repurpose old furniture. Head to Pinterest for inspiration and let your creativity flow. It will help you clear your mind, who knows, you might even discover a new passion!
Used recycled materials. And when it comes to DIY, your best ally will be the closest recycling center in your neighborhood. At places like ReStores you can find salvaged materials at half the price than home centers.
Make one big change. Total gut jobs aren’t always worth it. Whether it is painting the walls a totally different color or purchasing a beautiful new couch, making one big spectacular change can have a big visual impact, and will cost you less money than completely renovating your place.

Finally, when it comes to financing home renovations, don’t forget that your old jewelry can help you out! If you have diamond jewelry that lost its emotional meaning, it’s time to let them go. At Worthy, you can sell your no-longer-wanted engagement ring for the highest market value. Instead of letting it gather dust in your drawers, let your jewelry make your home shine again!