Your house doesn’t have enough storage space, bathrooms, or counter space! Not too mention your kitchen is old, small and poorly ventilated. Now you are trying to decide between remodeling your current home to address some of these needs and buying a new bigger home. This is a question many homeowners find themselves trying to answer. There are a few key factors to consider as you try to decide what will be best for you and your family.
First think about the location of your current home. Do you like this area? Do you have kids in local schools? Is there a low crime rate? If you like your current location, then you need to determine if you are able to buy a new bigger home in this same neighborhood or would you be forced to buy in a different less desirable area? If you can’t afford a bigger home in your current area and you want to stay local, then you should consider remodeling/adding more square footage on to your current home.
Another factor to consider when deciding between remodeling and buying a new home is the disruption caused by remodeling. If you are remodeling your kitchen this means you will be without a fully functioning kitchen for a couple of weeks. Even if you are not working in a key area like the kitchen you can still expect disruption from any remodeling project. Construction materials, dust, noise, and additional trash will be sure to accompany any remodeling project. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea then maybe you should buy a new house and leave the messy, inconvenient remodeling to someone else.
Finances obviously need to be taken into account when making such a large decision. If you don’t have the cash on hand then you might want to tap into your home’s equity. When remodeling you can leverage the equity you have in your home to pay for the upgrades. If don’t have a strong equity position in your current home you might be better off selling you home and buying a bigger home for a similar price in a less desirable neighborhood.
When thinking about adding more square footage to your existing home you need to consult your local zoning laws. In some areas you might not be able to add-on due to zoning laws so be sure to do your research before starting construction.
All of these factors need to be considered before making a decision on whether it makes more sense to remodel your current home or buy a new home. The home is often our largest investment so when making decision about remodeling or buying a different house it is important to consider all factors.
By: Gregg Hicks
Posts Tagged ‘Bathrooms’
Age Old Question: Buy New or Remodel Existing Home?
June 16th, 2010Best Home Improvement Projects
April 17th, 2010
Maybe its time you treat yourself to some luxury with a couple of nice bathroom home improvement projects. There are several things you can do to make your bathroom a place of total bliss and relaxation. This article will look at a couple great ideas for your next home improvement projects.
The first and all important step in redoing your bathroom is to decide what type of feel you are after. Will you spend time taking nice soaks in the tub or would you prefer a very relaxing shower. You want to be careful that you are not influenced by your friend’s bathrooms or things you have seen on television. What is really important to you?
When you’re visiting the nicer plumbing supply showrooms you will see that they have very nice displays of complete bathrooms. They look so nice when you’re looking at them. That is what they are supposed to look like. These people are trained to set them up in a way that will look enticing to you. Your home improvement projects may not be headed in the same direction, and can often change if you do not plan ahead.
The three most important elements to your bathroom are going to be the sink/faucet, toilet, and tub/shower. You may be able to make a considerable change in your bathroom by just adding a newer style toilet. The plumbing of many of these newer toilets is quite unique – not to mention economical.
Maybe your home improvement projects will include removing a wall to make the bathroom bigger. One of the main reasons for a bigger bathroom would be to include such additions as a garden tub or a gas fire place. You might even consider adding a nice stereo system to your bathroom home improvement projects idea.
By: Tom Turner
Home Improvement Ideas to Increase Your Home’s Value
November 30th, 2009
Does your home need a little bit of improving? Are you considering putting your home on the market and you think that it could use a few different improvements before you actually put it on the market? If so, there are a lot of different home improvement options for you to choose from that will not only improve the look of your home but will also positively impact the value of it. Whether you are choosing to sell or you just want to improve the home for your own use, home improvement can be a lot of fun and worth the time, effort, and money.
Improving Your Home for Value and Style
When considering home improvement you should know that the bulk of your money would be best spent in the kitchen and in the bathrooms. These are the areas that are not only used the most in the home, but also will benefit you where the value of your home is concerned.
When looking in the kitchen there are several things that you will want to consider when considering home improvement. First, you will want to make sure that you have a well laid out kitchen or a plan for one. When you plan the kitchen you will want to spend a good deal of your budget on new cabinets, hardware for the cabinets, as well as quality countertops such as granite, slate or marble. In addition, stainless steel appliances are always a plus as these are very popular right now.
In the bathroom some of your focus will be the same as it is in the kitchen. You will want to spend a good deal of your budget on a luxurious bathtub as well as a sink and shower enclosure. You should make sure to create a bathroom floor plan that not only looks good, but provides the best use of space. Quality countertops are also a concern in the bathroom.
Throughout the house you should consider things during home improvement such as paint, lighting fixtures, and flooring. Recessed lighting is very popular right now and it gives the look and feel that many people are fond of. Paint colors right now are often neutral but are colors nonetheless and add a touch of warmth to any space. Tile and wood flooring is also a great choice and the products on the market today make these floors easy to care for.
Home improvement is something different to everyone. If you plan on being in the home for more than five to ten years you should definitely gear all of your home improvement choices to your tastes. If you are going to be in the home for less than five years it is a good idea to think about how your choices would appeal to the general population as you will not want to turn off a future buyer with some very specific choices.
By: Heather Jacobson