It’s finally time to give your home that TLC it so desperately needs after all these years. But not that you’re here, you are wondering which way is the best way to go. Renovate or rebuild? Well do not worry, we are taking all the hard thinking out of the equation for you so you can feel comfortable with your final decision.

With most big life decisions, unfortunately, your budget is a large consideration. Looking at your budgets and a timeline will be a huge deciding factor. One of the first things you should ask yourself is how much are you ready and able to spend. If you are on a tight budget, the best option is most definitely a remodel. You can start with one room and move on to another room when you can add more to your budget. In other words, you can upscale, downgrade or freeze your project all together depending on your financial situation. Whereas with a rebuild, the very first step is a demolition, and once that has happened, you have committed to a large scale project. There is not much flexibility to slow down the project since elements of a home that are exposed over long periods of time will age quickly.

You should also consider how long you are planning to stay in this home. If it is your long term home, then the wisest decision could be to tear down and rebuild. When you rebuild your home, you are resetting the longevity of lifetime clock of the foundation and physical nature of your house. Instead of the next structural issue constantly being right around the corner, you could have at least 10 - 15 years before needing to update or restore any structural aspects of the home. You may also be able to increase the resale value if you ever do decide to move on.

When you rebuild you should make sure you are building a better fundamental structure, with all new systems that provide high quality, energy efficiency, and sustainability all while achieving the design of your dreams. On the flip side, that also means it is a much bigger project. With that comes potentially more planning permissions needed and regulations to abide by, with the associated time and cost implications. Not to mention the many more professionals and their crews that you'll need to hire to make sure the project is done correctly the first time around. 

Apart from your budget and timeline, you should also consider what you are trying to achieve and what you have to work with. For example, does the existing floor plan allow for the changes you want or would you have to add on? In that case, you might be just as well rebuilding. The cost of renovating plus an extension might be nearly the same as simply just starting afresh. Also, make sure you have a solid foundation, especially if you are building upwards. There’s no use renovating a home if the foundation it sits on is not suitable for the structure you have planned. Lastly, is one of your main goals to upgrade the energy efficiency of your location? These upgrades are a smart long-term investment that might just make rebuilding worth it by reducing running costs in the longer term, especially if this is going to be your forever home.

Renovations do have a certain charm though. If the property has sentimental value to you, say being passed down through your family or the home you grew up in, remodels can help keep some of the original charms. Materials can be reused or areas of the home simply restored, such as the crown mouldings, wooden floors and antique fixtures to keep the house's essence. If the home has a meaning for you, renovations are the best way to upgrade your home without losing the original character.

Arc Design Services can help you weigh your options and guide you all the way through to the end of a major home project. For more info, visit us at www.arcdesignservices.net or call 0161 928 4433.