Renovate or Move - How Do You Decide?

Outgrown your current home?

Even though your home may no longer suit your family's needs, you may still love the location of your house.  Your family and friends all live nearby, you're close to good schools and you really don't want to leave your street.

You're faced with a choice: renovate your existing home or move to another established property. So, how do you decide which is best for you?

BuildingWA.com.au takes a look at the advantages of both with Simon Birkhead, General Manager of Celebration Homes.

Renovating allows you to:

• maintain the character of your home, keeping the overall design and features you like.
• achieve your dream home without moving, uprooting the family and resettling into a different neighbourhood.
• design your home improvement to exactly suit your needs.
• save money on selling, buying and moving costs – stamp duty, inspections, real estate commission fees and removalists – which could otherwise go towards the cost of your extension.
• keep your family in the community you know and love.

• If you find your ideal property, you can start enjoying your dream home immediately.
• You can avoid the stress of living in a possibly dusty and uncomfortable environment.
• You only have to move once.  Full renovations may require you to vacate your property while the renovations are underway and then move back in again after the alterations are complete.

"The decision to renovate or move really comes down to personal preference", concludes Simon.  One final piece of advice?  "Make sure you fully explore both options before making your final decision.  Speak to friends and family about their experiences and seek the advice of a qualified professional to avoid any hidden costs".