At Under Construction Builders, we often discuss the option between renovating or rebuilding with our clients. The decision to tear down your home and rebuild is a difficult and emotional one, but it may make the most sense both financially and from a practical perspective. Renovating, however, may be the optimal choice if your home has “good bones”, you want to preserve its character or it is filled with fond memories that you would like to safeguard.
Renovating
Did your children grow up in this home? Has the home been in your family for generations? Does the house have historical integrity that you want to preserve? Renovating an existing home may be more cost effective if the original foot print is good and the house has been well cared for over the years. Even small renovations can increase the value of your home. But keep in mind that an older home may have some unexpected surprises behind its walls that don’t become visible until the renovation has begun. It is important to have a contingency budget. Depending on the extent of the modifications you are looking to make, a renovation will typically be less of a time commitment than building a new home. But the decision doesn’t always come down to time frame or dollars and cents. If you are renovating in a desirable area, then investing in your existing home will be worth the expense. And for a home that may have been in the family for generations, it will be worth preserving the memories.
Building new
There is nothing as exciting as building a new home! It will be updated with the latest technology, be more energy efficient and will be built to meet the most current building codes. You will have the opportunity to customize everything with your taste and preferences from colors to kitchen cabinets to flooring. There are less compromises with building new. You don’t have to be constrained with the original footprint of your existing home. Building new alleviates the issue of the unknown. Depending on the age and condition of your home, it is quite possible that renovating a home with older systems could be costlier than building a new one. In addition, if you are contemplating numerous changes and adding significant square footage to an existing home, it may make more sense to build new rather than invest in the older structure. Building new allows you to fulfill your wish list and design your home with the amenities of your dreams.
Deciding whether to renovate or build new is an individual decision, but it is helpful to seek advice from builders, architects, engineers and contractors. At Under Construction Builders, we will help you navigate the “rebuild or renovate” question to find the best option for you and your family.
Under Construction Builders has serviced Southern New Jersey and the Jersey Shore, including Long Beach Island, for over 25 years. Our office is on 9th Street in Ship Bottom directly across from the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to continuing to serve the LBI area. For more information about UCB, visit our website at www.ucbuildersnj.com or call us at 609-661-6055. Follow us on Facebook and Houzz to see numerous pictures of our most recent projects.