Getting Buy-In From Your Partner For a New Kitchen

Categories: Design, Kitchen, Renovation

Renovating Is a Team Decision

You’re not alone if you think that it’s time for a remodel, the kitchen is often the most popular room to renovate in a house. For most families, the kitchen is the hub of your entire house. Partners who love cooking may spend as much as three hours a day in the kitchen, which can equate to about one-eighth of your entire life. If you’re about to dedicate that much time into one room, it’s fair to want that space to be functional, cost effective, and inviting.

 A renovation is no small task, it takes up time, money, and tests your patience along the way. In order to go through this unscathed you and your partner need to be a team. If your kitchen renovation pitch isn’t creating the enthusiasm in your partner like you were hoping, you might have some convincing to do. So we have compiled some tips on how to help win your partner over.

Ask For Their Input

When approaching the topic of renovating, start with questions. 

“How do you feel about our counter space?”

“What would you change in our kitchen?”

“Did you like how our neighbors kitchen had X,Y,Z?”

Instead of making a one sided statement that could give your partner an impression that you’ve made this big decision on your own, inviting your partner to participate and think about upgrades lets them brainstorm about what they would like to change, and allows you to get insight on where their head is at.

Listen & Understand Your Partner’s Hesitations

You may know in your bones that you need to renovate your kitchen, but you also need to make this decision together. Start by asking your partner what it is that makes them hesitant about a remodel. They could have very legitimate concerns about the cost, necessity, and time of the project. 

Understanding the pain point of your partner allows you to address them and counter with the upsides you see will come out of this investment. Similarly, get your partner to understand that you probably aren’t ever going to spend less and less time in your kitchen. Create conversations where you address every concern and present what this renovation could have on both your home life and home value.

Address What You Both Want Visually

Nobody wants to be involved in an argument where you and your partner find yourselves disagreeing about what color cabinets you need to decide on with no visuals presented to showcase what either of you are thinking about. 

To get your partner onboard with a remodel, present pictures of what you envision replicating. Show your partner how much more accessible the kitchen can be with more counter space or with an addition of a kitchen island. 

Similarly, have your partner find photos of kitchens they find appealing and are excited about. Compare designs, highlight comparisons, and start conversations about aspects you two differ about. Decide on classic kitchen layouts that get you both excited about cooking, and understand the pros and cons of each style.    

Come To Terms With Compromise

The process of getting your partner onboard does not mean that they are also onboard with every decision you want to make. Maybe you want entirely new appliances, but your partner thinks the dishwasher is in perfect working condition. Maybe you envisioned a maroon tiled backsplash but your partner prefers a different color. 

These differences in opinion and vision doesn’t mean that one of you always has to concede to the other’s preference. You and your partner are building a dream kitchen together, and both of you will have to compromise throughout the process. 

Set Your Budget Before You Remodel

When discussing the potential remodel you and your partner will have to understand that there is your ultimate dream kitchen and then there is the dream kitchen you can afford. Before you begin any remodeling you need to be realistic about the cost and decide on a budget you both are comfortable with. 

Renovation projects often take up more time and money than what originally was planned for. When discussing a budget that works for you a good rule of thumb is to decide on a budget that is actually under (around 10-20%) what you would consider your max amount. This way if the project goes over you have the funds allocated to still keep the project moving. 

Once You Win Them Over

Hopefully by now you and your partner are both equally invested in the benefits that will come with a newly renovated kitchen. Now that you’ve received buy-in from your significant other, the real challenge awaits. There is no sugar coating that a kitchen renovation can be an overwhelming process, check out this checklist to make sure that you both are prepared for everything going forward.