For brands
What to agree before you sponsor a DIY makeover
Renovation timelines slip and content rights get fuzzy. These are the points brands and creators should agree in writing before a sponsored makeover starts.
A sponsored makeover is more complicated than a sponsored post. The content depends on a real project, in a real home, run by someone who also has a life outside it. Most of the problems we see come from things nobody wrote down at the start.
This is the list we work through before a makeover partnership goes ahead. It is written for brands, but it is just as useful for creators.
Agree the project, not just the post
Start with the project itself. Which room, what is being changed, where exactly the product will be used, and roughly when the work happens. A brief that only describes the final post leaves the most important part open.
Agree what happens if the product doesn’t suit once it is in the room. Paint colours change with the light, and a floor can look different across a large area than it did on a sample board. Decide in advance whether the creator can swap to a different product from your range, and whether they can say honestly that the first choice didn’t work.
Build timelines that allow for real life
Renovations run late for ordinary reasons. Deliveries arrive after the date they were promised. Paint, grout and adhesives need time to dry or cure. Outdoor work waits for the weather. A plan with no slack in it will fail at the first delay.
Work backwards from the publishing date and include product lead times, installation days and finishing time. Then agree what counts as late and what happens if it is, whether that means moving the publishing date, changing the format or ending the agreement fairly.
Decide who installs what
Be clear about which parts of the job the creator will do and which need a professional. In Australia, electrical work has to be done by a licensed electrician and most plumbing work needs a licensed plumber. Other countries have their own rules. When licensed trades are involved, the content should show who did the work rather than implying the creator did it.
Agree safety expectations too. Viewers copy what they see, so protective gear and the manufacturer’s instructions should be part of the brief.
Think about responsibility if something goes wrong during the project. Insurance and liability depend on the country and the circumstances, so get proper advice rather than assuming either side is covered.
Pin down deliverables and approvals
Write down exactly what will be published. For example, one long-form video, three short vertical videos and a set of stories, with a description of where the product appears and how it is named.
Agree the approval process before production starts: how many rounds, how quickly each side responds, and what the brand can ask to change. Factual corrections, such as a wrong product name or an incorrect claim, should always be fixed. Creative choices are usually the creator’s, and audiences can tell when they have been overruled.
Make room for honest opinion. A creator who is allowed to describe their real experience, including minor frustrations, is more believable than one reading approved lines.
Be specific about usage rights and exclusivity
Organic posting on the creator’s own channels is one thing. Using the content on your website, in emails or in paid ads is another, and it should be priced and agreed separately. Paid amplification, where your brand runs the creator’s post as an ad, needs its own permission and time limit.
Set the territories and the duration for any usage. Open-ended rights are expensive and rarely necessary.
If you want exclusivity, define the category and the period precisely. Asking a creator not to work with competing paint brands for three months is clear. Asking them not to work with any home brand at all is a much bigger request and should be priced that way.
Make disclosure part of the agreement
Every paid partnership needs to be clearly labelled as advertising. Use the platform’s own partnership tools and plain words in the content itself. The rules differ between countries, so check the guidance that applies where the content will be seen, such as the FTC’s Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers in the United States, the ASA and CAP influencers’ guide in the United Kingdom, and the ACCC’s review of influencer testimonials and endorsements in Australia.
Putting disclosure in the agreement means nobody has to raise it awkwardly later.
Settle product, payment and what is left over
Agree how much product will be supplied and who pays if more is needed. Measuring mistakes happen, and a project that stalls for want of two boxes of tiles helps nobody.
Decide what happens to the product afterwards. Usually the creator keeps what has been installed, but surplus stock, tools and display items should be agreed.
Set the fee structure and payment terms. Many partnerships pay part of the fee on signing and the rest on publishing, which is fair to both sides on longer projects.
Include a cancellation clause. If the project stops for reasons outside anyone’s control, both sides should know where they stand.
A one-page summary
Before a makeover partnership starts, the agreement should cover:
- the project, the room and where the product will be used
- a timeline with product lead times, drying time and a buffer
- who does each part of the work, including licensed trades
- the exact deliverables and the approval process
- usage rights, territories, duration and any exclusivity
- disclosure on every platform
- product supply, surplus and payment terms
- what happens if the project is delayed or cancelled
If you are planning a makeover partnership and want help structuring it, send us a brief.