Should You Renovate or Buy a Newer Home?

Being realistic about your budget is key when deciding if you should renovate or buy a newer home. Renovation costs can surpass the initial budget, thanks to unforeseen issues such as rotten floor joists or not-to-code electrical.

These problems have to be fixed, but may go above the original amount you set aside for a new bathroom and pot lighting. If your budget is fixed, looking for a new property may be the better way to go.

If you’re leaning toward renovations, another factor to consider is time. Remodeling a home can take a lot of it; a full kitchen redo can take three to six months to complete. If adding another bedroom is what your family needs to stay put, you can be looking at a month or two for that project.

Living in a renovation zone can be inconvenient and unsettling, especially when you have small children. The daily upheaval needs to be considered before launching into a full-scale renovation.

Think about why you need to renovate your home. Is the space just too small for a growing family, even with a bedroom addition? Is the location loud or is the street really busy?

If there are factors beyond your control contributing to this desire to move, listen to them and start looking at listings.

One of the most common reasons people think about moving into a newer home is the need for more bedrooms. Whether there’s another kid on the way or the in-laws are moving in, more square footage is a popular reason to move.

Often, a smart designer can rejig a floor-plan to find underused space and create another fully functioning room. It may be less disruptive than moving to a new home. However, if you can’t make additional space, it’s time to start packing.

Before deciding to renovate or buy a newer home, look at both investment options and figure out which path pays out. Ideally, you want the eventual sale price of an updated home to at least cover the cost of those structural changes. Some renovations can recover their costs while others barely hit the halfway mark. Make sure your design ideas equal dollars.

If you buy a newer home, calculate whether you’ll stay at the property long enough to make the moving costs (and stresses) worthwhile. On average, it takes about five to seven years to earn back the upfront costs of moving and setting up a new home