Most of us consider renovations when something breaks or when we get a little disposable income to invest. If you’re one of the thousands of homeowners who wistfully looks around and thinks “Someday,” we hope to convince you that maybe that day is today. Here are a few signs that it’s futile to delay your home renovation until some abstract future date.
When Closeness Becomes Contentious
Any of us who grew up with brothers and sisters know the ins and outs of sharing a room with a sibling. For many, a milestone of adolescence was getting our own room. If sharing quarters is making sibling rivalry unbearable or if your children are far apart in age, an extra bedroom is an investment in family harmony. Room additions or basement remodels are also viable solutions for families with senior members who are no longer able to live on their own. Many of these occasions also warrant an extra or updated bathroom.
When Your Vital Home Functions Start Costing Money
Is your central heating becoming inefficient? Are your utility and energy bills threatening to blow a whole in your household budget? It may be time to consider trading in outdated appliances for energy-saver models or re-insulating your home. It might also be a smart idea to have an energy assessment performed on your home to look for places where heat or air conditioning is seeping through cracks and gaps. Some improvements like solar energy systems or a new roof may even qualify for tax breaks or rebates.
When There’s a Change in Family Size
Ideally, your home should be able to accommodate your family’s needs for as long as you live there. However, life is full of surprises, and the empty nest syndrome affects every parent at one time or another. Whether you’re bringing home a new arrival or your last child has flown the coop, it’s time to reevaluate your living space. Could that bonus room become a nursery or the kids’ old room the home office you’ve always wanted?
When the Cost of Repairs is More Than Replacement
Any contractor will tell you that continued patching becomes ineffective after a while. If the price of servicing that old furnace or calling the plumber is beginning to outpace the cost of a new system, it’s time to consider replacement. The same goes for things like appliances, electrical components, and roofs.
When You’re Planning to Sell Within Two Years
Rarely do people decide to sell their home on a dime, and emergency upgrades are a subject for another post. Most homeowners know well in advance if they’re going to put their home on the market, but waiting until you have it listed may cause you to make rash decisions under pressure. Planning a renovation too far in advance may make it impossible to recoup your investment. However, if you’re planning to sell within a year or two, now is the time to think about remodeling ideas that will increase your resale value and bring a high ROI.
A renovation doesn’t have to cause financial hardship. Even if you don’t have it in your budget to do a full upgrade right now, you can do a home improvement triage to prioritize and tackle one update at a time. Your local remodeling contractors can provide a professional perspective, and some can even help you finance the work.