To Buy or Renovate? When Architectural Remodeling is the Smart Choice for Your Family

To Buy or Renovate? When Architectural Remodeling is the Smart Choice for Your Family

Photography by Tim Hursley

At some point, your home may stop feeling like your home meets all your needs, or it starts to look tired and rundown. At these crucial moments, every homeowner has to make the dreaded but important decision. “Should I buy a different house or renovate the one I own?” While buying or building something new makes sense in several situations, architectural remodeling may be the best choice for your family. Here’s how you can tell. 

Do You Have Enough Space?

While a growing family is often a reason to find a bigger house, it may be that your current home is big enough, but you are not utilizing the space well. Residential architects can help you reconfigure the floorplan of your home to keep the same footprint but add another bedroom or bathroom within the existing structure. These masters of architecture design are great resources for helping you use the space you have more efficiently, which can allow you to keep your home and avoid a costly move.  

Do You Love Your Current Location?

Many people want to stay in their current home and make it work with a renovation or remodel because they are happy with the location, love their neighbors, or are content with their current commute time. Location is always a leading factor in the search for a home, and if you’ve already checked that item off your wish list where you are, remodeling the space could be the best decision. When you renovate, you can make the choices that will turn your house into your dream home, giving you the flexibility to customize and make it yours. 

Does Your Current Home Offer Something Unique You May Not Find Elsewhere?

Sometimes, the deciding factor for staying put is that your current location offers something unique that no other home really can. Maybe you adore your view, appreciate the privacy your current lot affords you, or live very close to family members. These are factors that will be hard to replicate in a new home, so staying where you are and considering architectural remodeling of your current space is the best option for retaining these benefits. 

Have You Already Made Significant Improvements?

Moving to a new home may be exciting, but it brings a lot of unknowns, including how quickly you’ll need to make significant improvements, like a new furnace or roof. If you’ve recently invested in major projects such as these in your own home, staying where you are could alleviate a lot of unknowns. If your home is structurally sound, it can be much more economical to invest a little extra in a home remodeling project than to buy a different house. 

Do You Have the Time to Wait for Renovations?

Those who opt for an architectural remodeling project over moving will need to wait for all their home improvement projects to be finished before enjoying their new home. When you factor in the time it takes to pack and prepare for a move, sell your home, unpack, and fully settle, a home renovation may not take much less time, if you plan it well. If you choose to remodel the entire home, you may need to move out if you want to speed up the process. If you have time to wait for this to be completed and patience is a virtue you have, then waiting for your dream home will be worth it. 

Do the Disadvantages Outweigh the Benefits of a New Home?

If you want to downsize, relocate, or really hate something hard to change about your current home, then building or buying a different house may be the better choice. Taking the time to consider these questions will help you explore your options and determine what is best for you and your family.