When I first learned about Agile and Scrum, I tried to read as many books as I could on the topic. Eventually, one of those books mentioned a guy applying Agile to his home renovation project. That was the first time I realized you could do Agile home renovation. Later, when we moved into our new house and wanted to spruce it up, I decided to try Agile for this project as well. I had already applied Agile principles in other areas of my life with great results, so it felt natural to try it here too.
Note: Most of our projects are decorative and DIY-friendly (painting, furniture, backsplash, decorating). If your renovation requires major structural changes, some advice below may not apply.
Agile Home Renovation Principle #1: Work in Sprints
Within the Monthly Method, we run three-week sprints followed by a one-week break. I kept the same routine for renovations and narrowed the focus to just one room per sprint.
Less overwhelm
Renovating one room at a time makes the process dramatically less overwhelming. When you go to Home Depot, you only look for items for that single room. When choosing colours, you decide for only that space. Because your attention stays narrow, there’s less decision fatigue and fewer distractions pulling you off track.
Keeps expenses under control
Focusing on one room per sprint also spreads expenses evenly throughout the year. Instead of buying paint and décor for the entire house, you purchase just enough for one room at a time. Consequently, budgeting becomes much easier.
Less mess
One of the hardest parts of renovation is the constant chaos. However, by containing work to one room per sprint, the mess stays contained too. You can close the door at night and enjoy the rest of your home being clean. Mentally, that makes a huge difference.
Keeps it fresh and interesting
Working on a new room every sprint keeps the project exciting. Since your environment visibly changes every month, you don’t get bored or stuck renovating the same space for ages.
Keeps the scope realistic
A sprint naturally limits how much you can do in three weeks. As a result, the renovation is less likely to balloon out of control.
A built-in deadline creates motivation
I divided the house into 12 areas (including outdoors) and focused on one per sprint. After three weeks, I moved on—no matter what. Next year I’ll return to the same space and improve it further. Surprisingly, this deadline adds motivation because I know I won’t work on that room again until the next rotation. It feels similar to having a school assignment deadline: you prioritize, stay focused, and finish what matters most.
Agile Home Renovation Principle #2: Evaluate Sprint Capacity
Before choosing the next room, I look at my calendar and realistically assess how much time I’ll have that month. Some months are quiet; others are filled with travel, appointments, or work deadlines. Because Agile accounts for real life, I only commit to what fits into that month’s capacity. This prevents burnout and frustration.
Agile Home Renovation Principle #3: Definition of Done
The Definition of Done is my favourite Agile concept. It protects you from vague goals like “make the room look nicer.” Nicer means different things to different people and has no finish line.
A strong Definition of Done turns subjective wishes into objective checkboxes.
Sprint Goal: Decorate the living room
Definition of Done: Walls painted, wall art hung, new rug under the coffee table, and a fresh set of pillows and throws added.
If a stranger can walk in and determine with certainty whether you completed the goal, you’ve written a good Definition of Done.
To see more examples of well scoped sprint goals and definitions of done, see the growing library of sprint goal examples.
Agile Home Renovation Principle #4: Work Sequencially
Scrum teams limit how many tasks can be “in progress” at the same time. Instead of multitasking, you take one task and move it all the way to Done before starting the next. The same rule applies beautifully to renovations.
Pick one task and finish it completely—tools cleaned up and put away—before touching the next task. If you’re working with someone else, decide whether each person takes a separate task or you pair up and finish one task quickly together. Either way, the main intention is the same: move your one thing to Done as soon as possible.
Agile Home Renovation Principle #5: Daily Stand-Up
Finally, a daily standup can make the whole experience smoother—especially if you’re renovating with another person. Each morning, ask:
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What did I do yesterday?
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What am I planning to do today?
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Are there any blockers?
The third question is crucial because blockers are often solved together. Instead of silently getting annoyed or building resentment, you identify the problem and get help early.
Standups set the tone for a productive day and reduce emotional friction.
It has been eight months since we began applying Agile to our renovation, and it continues to work incredibly well. Most importantly, it keeps the renovation process emotionally manageable. I hope these ideas help you approach your next renovation project with more clarity, motivation, and calm.
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4 Responses
Great post on applying Agile to home renovations! I especially like the idea of using sprints and daily standups to keep projects on track. I’m curious to know how you’ve dealt with unexpected challenges that arise during a sprint. Have you had to adjust the scope of the sprint or have you found other ways to work around the challenges? In terms of loft boarding specifically, I think Agile principles could be very helpful in breaking down the project into manageable chunks, such as planning, material procurement, and installation. This could help to ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget. I look forward to hearing more about your experience using Agile for home renovations!
Glad you found it helpful!
Since most of the tasks were under my control and I didn’t have to rely on subcontractors or suppliers, I didn’t have a lot of those unexpected delays.
There was one project (finishing garage) that took longer that I expected I just dedicated another sprint to getting it finished. I sticked with one focus per sprint philosophy and didn’t want to have two projects at the same time.
But here is the rule I borrowed from my product management days. There are only 3 levers you can pull at any given project:
1. Timeline
2. Resources
3. Scope
In the example above, I extended the timeline.
I could’ve hired people to help (resources).
Or I could’ve changed the scope of the project.
I really enjoyed reading about how Agile principles can be applied to home renovations—it’s such a practical and efficient approach! The use of sprints and daily standups to break down larger tasks feels like it could help keep projects moving smoothly, especially for someone like me who is managing a variety of tasks. I’m curious, when working on outdoor projects like building retaining walls, do you find that adjusting the scope or timeline is necessary to accommodate unpredictable factors, such as weather or unexpected site conditions? How do you manage those variables within your Agile framework?
https://www.stlouisretainingwallscontractor.com/
Hello,
Thank you for your comment. I would have a sprint timeline for the internal communication that is based on the average duration of such project. You can do all the daily standups, updates, etc. But I would add 50% to that timeline when communicating to a customer. That way if you finish early, they are impressed. If the bad weather hits, you have a safe margin to work with and still deliver on time.
If you are thinking about your own workload, I would suggest having 2 both types goals for your sprint – the ones that require you to be outside and some admin/computer goals (updating website, launching marketing campaigns, etc.). That way you can manage your daily work depending on the conditions outside.