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One perplexing question potential home owners ask is whether it is better to renovate an existing home or build new? There are many factors to consider before heading down either road, and you have to be confident with your decision once it’s made. GNH Building Services have journeyed with many clients as they have navigated through a renovation and new build. From our experience, here are the main points to consider, before you decide on one or the other.

The Pros for Renovating

The most appealing reason many clients choose to renovate a home is simply because they love the location of their existing property. Most inner city suburbs are fully developed, which means clients have a choice of renovating or detonating a property so they can be in close proximity to the city or in their chosen location. Demolishing an existing home is a costly exercise and can add extra time to the building process, so many clients find the worst house on the best street, and work on renovating or extending the home so it can suit their needs.

If clients are after a short turnaround, so they can be in their home sooner rather than later, renovating an existing property may be their best option.

Renovating a home can also be staged, one room at a time. This can be a great option for clients that don’t have a huge budget, but are willing to live in a home that can be completed in stages when finances come through.

Some clients may only want a new bathroom and kitchen to give their home better appeal. It all comes down to budget, time and what a client is willing to live with.

The Cons of Renovating

When renovating an existing property, you are often limited in choices when it comes to extending and changing the design layout of your property. There are structural considerations your builder will need to work with. You may want an open plan living, kitchen and dining, but this may not be possible if there is a structural beam or pillar that must remain to keep the structural integrity of the home. Your builder can only work within the confines of the home, and what a structural engineer advises.

Sometimes there can be variations in cost when renovating an older home as some works may not have been allowed for if issues arise after the walls are demolished. Your builder may find old cabling or pipes that may need to be replaced and brought into compliance to meet current codes.

When renovating older homes, there are always unforeseen surprises. It’s important to be aware of this before you head down the renovating path.

The Pros for Building

Building a new home means you can choose a house design that suits you and your family. You’re not limited to the bones of an existing property and you have more freedom in design and layout choices.

Your home can also be built to maximize the landscape. For example you can build your home to maximize views or benefit from a prevailing breeze for energy efficient climate control.

If you do choose to build a home, there will be regulations on how far the house has to be built from the footpath which may hamper some of the design process.

The Cons for Building

Boundary and zoning regulations may alter the design of your home to fit on the land you have purchased. Many new builds also happen on the outskirts of the city and in suburban areas. You may also be limited to the size of your home and may resort to building up to ensure you have the house you require to fit on the land purchased.

Building a new home can also be hampered by the weather if it rains. With renovating, this isn’t a huge deal as usually there is a roof on the house so tradies can work within the confines of the home.

Overall, neither decision is better than the other. It comes down to personal choice and preferences to where you want to live. Budget also comes into play as you have to consider timeframes.