47% of Couples Claim Doing DIY Projects Together Has Helped Their Relationship More Than Therapy
If you and your partner are experiencing relationship tension, you might be thinking about going to couples therapy - but perhaps you should consider just working together on a home improvement or DIY project instead.
A new survey conducted by Alan's Factory Outlet found that for quite a large percentage of people, doing a DIY project with their partner has brought them closer together. In fact, some people find it more helpful than going to therapy!
That said, no one's telling you to dive right into setting up a new printer with your partner when you two are fighting. The survey found that certain DIY projects are much more effective in bringing couples closer together, while others tend to cause more tension. Read on for more of the study's findings.
7 in 10 Couples Find Doing DIY Projects Help Bring Them Closer
For this report, Alan's Factory Outlet, a company known for its metal buildings like carports and garages, surveyed 1,041 Americans. The average age of respondents was 42, and everyone had a romantic partner when they took the survey.
Overall, 68 percent of respondents said that doing a DIY project with their partner has helped them feel closer to one another. That number was even higher amongst the Gen Z folks who were surveyed, with 80 percent of respondents saying DIY projects help them feel closer to their partner.
For Many Couples, Doing DIY Projects Together Is Better Than Therapy
Of the respondents who have tried both couples therapy and DIY projects with their partner (about 40 percent of those surveyed), nearly half of them (47 percent) claimed that doing the DIY project helped their relationship more than the therapy, while only 23 percent claimed therapy helped them more than doing the DIY. But why is this?
"DIY projects provide the perfect opportunity for couples to collaborate in a more tangible way, which ultimately improves their communication skills and helps them to build trust," Alan Bernau Jr, Owner and Building Design Expert at Alan's Factory Outlet, explains to Dengarden and Parade Home & Garden in an email. "Even something as basic as building a piece of furniture can help build better connections."
All that being said, this is simply interesting data - you should go to therapy if you want or need to.
Some DIY Projects Are More Effective for Bonding With Your Partner Than Others
It's not just any DIY project that will help bond you and your boo. The project has helped the most couples (27 percent) was outdoor projects, followed by painting/decorating, assembling furniture, organization and design.
Though furniture assembly and painting/decorating bring some pairs closer, it makes things worse for others. The report found assembling furniture to be the No. 1 tension-causing project, responsible for 20 percent of the vote. Other projects that respondents say cause tension include home maintenance, renovations, setting up new technology and painting/decorating.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM.