Move or Improve? Renovating vs Selling Your Home
When you’re unhappy with your home, the correct course of action is often unclear. Is selling your home and buying a new one the way to go? It seems a little extreme. But there are many people out there who would tell you that renovating your property would be even riskier. So what do you do?
We’ll explore the options and methods in this article. If you’re currently struggling with this problem, we hope this helps drive you towards a decision.
Why are you unhappy with your home?
The first thing you should do is identify the problem you have. Without knowing specific reasons you’re not happy with your property, you will struggle to come up with decent solutions. Do you not have enough space? Do you have too much space? Do you not like the layout? Is there a weird smell? Do you hate your neighbours?
Whatever the reasons, you need to note them down. Otherwise, you may find that whatever action you take may not have solved the issue you had in the first place. Oh, and if the reason is that you hate your neighbours, you may find this article disappointing. We have no hints for neighbour disposal to offer you.
Have an extreme clean-out
All that clutter is giving you an inaccurate image of your home. A messy environment always looks smaller than it actually is. Having piles of clothes and boxes and miscellaneous items will make you feel cramped. So you need to pull up your sleeves and have an extreme clean-out!
[Image courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio/pexels.com]
The aim here is to make your home look as bare-bones as possible. Imagine for a moment that you really are going to sell it. What would you do? You would make that home look as attractive as possible in order to get a good price and land a sale fast. You need to revert it back to a very basic state, one filled with potential.
Tour your home
Cleaned your home? Good. Now you need to go through every room in the house and assess it. Ideally, you would assess your home over the course of a year. This way you know exactly what happens in each room when there are external changes. These changes will include light, temperature and noise. They also include all the different types of weather
This will really help you get your finger on what might be bothering you. By re-evaluating your living spaces, you may find that you only need to make simple changes. Maybe you just need to rearrange the furniture. Or maybe you need new blinds to adapt to light changes. But maybe you’ll find that you still feel a bit cramped in these rooms. Maybe making extensive changes will be the right way to go. In any case, this clean-and-tour method will have helped you make your decision.
Visit open houses
So, you’ve made up your mind. Either you’re renovating or you’re selling. Here’s a great idea: visit open homes. That may seem like something you’d only do if you’re looking to buy a new property. Not so.
By visiting a new and open property, you can get a good idea of what a professional renovation looks and feels like. The most effective way of going about this, if possible, is to visit open homes in your neighbourhood. This is because the houses here may be very similar. This will allow you to see what upgrades have done to homes that are similar in layout to your own.
It is, of course, also an excellent way of scoping out property you want to buy when you sell your home. If you’re not sure, or are definitely just looking at renovation, we recommend keeping it to open houses. Arranging a private visit to a property will just waste the time of the estate agent!
The blueprint
If you have the blueprints to your home, then there are other possibilities open to you. You can take blueprints to renovation and building stores and ask them for advice. If the store is particularly modern, they may even be able to give you a digital rendering of what your renovated rooms could look like.
If you don’t have the blueprints for your home to hand, there will be ways to get them. Local councils are usually able to help. Previous owners of the property may also have them, or any building company that have worked on your home in the past.
Selling versus renovation: getting assistance
Selling can often seem like the easier way to deal with the whole thing. Getting the money for your current home and simply buying a brand new one is definitely an attractive solution.
Do remember that you’re not alone if you are thinking about renovating. Contractors or remodelers can give you practical tips. Websites like R.H. Homes are replete with suggestions and inspirational articles and guides.
Consider your commitments, career and social life
Moving home, of course, comes with its own unique stresses. If you move to a new home, there’s a chance you’ll have to change career, or that your child has to go to a new school. Your commute will change, as will your social life. If you’re heavily involved in your local community, then moving will take its toll on you and that community. One of the main reasons people choose to renovate is so that they can avoid the need to move from their home permanently.
Considering the costs
Buying a new home seems like the most expensive solution, right? Well, not necessarily. Remember that the cost of buying a new home will be offset significantly by the money you make from the sale of your current home. It also depends on how you go about the purchase. Say you pay in instalments for a new home. You could actually end up paying less monthly than you would for extensive renovations.
What you need to get is a cost estimate for renovation. A contractor or remodeler can provide this. You may be looking at something small, or you could be looking at a waller-devastating structural change to your layout. And if the renovations are complex and require you to live somewhere else for a while, there’s that cost to consider too
So what do I do?
We can’t tell you that! If you research all of your options carefully, you should be able to come to the right answer in no time. Weigh the risks and benefits. Remember that the purpose of this is to increase the quality and enjoyment of your life. Best of luck to you!
