Unhappy With Your Home? 5 Times When Remodeling Beats Moving
If your current home just doesn't meet your needs any longer, you have several choices to fix the problem. The most basic decision every homeowner in your position must make is whether to move or to remodel the house. While moving to a new place may be your first thought, there are times when you may be better off to simply makeover your current home. Consider a few of these times below.
1. You Just Love Your Home
Moving houses and renovating both solve logistical problems. But only one choice allows you to stay in a home you are already sentimentally attached to. If the idea of leaving a house — no matter how frustrated you are with its problems — makes you heartbroken, then renovation is the only logical choice. Even if you spend more to do so, your home should be a source of joy and not a feeling of loss.
2. The Neighborhood Is Good
How do you feel about the area in which your home is located? Does it still satisfy your interests and needs? Do you enjoy the walkable parts? Are the schools good quality? Are home values appreciating? If so, looking for a new neighborhood that meets or exceeds these expectations could be difficult. And you may end up paying a premium to buy a home in a ready-made, great, new location.
3. You Only Need Layout Changes
What needs changed to make your house or property functional again? If it's a matter of needing to expand, does the property and zoning allow you to do so? If not, you may have no choice but to move. However, many owners can solve some of their problems by changing the layout rather than doing a lot of expansion.
Consider how much you might be able to do without expanding outward much. Do you need another bedroom? You might add one by reimagining the interior layout, cannibalizing unused rooms, or bumping out to the side of the house. Could you alter the basement to make it more functional? Would enclosing a patio or building an outdoor lounge solve your entertaining problems? If so, you may want to consider remodeling over moving.
4. You Know What You Need
It's important to know what makes you unhappy with your current house. Is it a nebulous feeling of dissatisfaction with a house you feel stuck with? Or are there specific issues that, once addressed, could resolve your problems?
If you can identify the exact changes needed — like solving a weird kitchen layout or adding bathrooms — and can budget accurately, renovation is a more targeted solution than moving your entire household. However, if you are just generally fed up with the home as a whole, a more complete solution may be necessary.
5. You'd End Up Remodeling Anyway
Looking at the available inventory of homes can help you decide whether moving would solve your problems better. As you browse other homes that would be in your price range and could interest you, do you anticipate having to remodel them after the purchase?
Someone with specific wants for their home (like a chef's kitchen or a home theater) may make the effort to find another house and then still end up with a big renovation to put up with. Or your budget might force you to buy a fixer upper and then have to update it. In these cases, you might be better off to skip the moving process and simply renovate what you have.
Where to Start
If you think that renovation might be an easier solution than moving to a new house, start by analyzing your options with an experienced contractor. Hastings Construction Inc. can help. We offer remodeling services for both large and small projects. Make an appointment today and we’ll help you make your home the haven it should be.