Renovate or Refresh
image courtesy of loveandrenovations.com
Renovate or Refresh
Renovation is a scary word. If houses were relationships, embarking on a home renovation would be like giving a diamond ring. Yikes! Once you start, it is a commitment and there’s no looking back.
The cost of renovating can be a prohibitive factor for homeowners who are looking to make improvements on a tight budget. However, there are various degrees of remodeling, ranging from an all-out gutting to simply refreshing the look of your home with a few updates.
Refresh
If you’re dissatisfied with your home but aren’t sure you want to tackle a full remodel or renovation, a cost-effective refresh or update might fulfill your desire for change. Updates are a good option if:
You are happy with the size and structural layout of your home.
Your home’s infrastructure, such as the plumbing, is still in good shape and functioning properly.
Your problems with your home are mainly aesthetic.
Bathroom and kitchen updating are the most common means of refreshing your living space. Ways to update a kitchen and bath include:
Cleaning, painting or refacing cabinetry.
Replacing cabinet knobs and drawer pulls with simple, modern hardware.
Installing new countertops on existing cabinets.
Replacing backsplashes.
Updating lighting fixtures.
Remodel
When your dissatisfaction with your home and how it works won’t just be fixed with a coat of paint or refresh, think about taking the plunge on a renovation. Signs that you may need to remodel your home include:
A desire to reallocate space within your house.
Water leaks, wiring issues or other structural issues that need to be addressed.
Inefficient or awkward placement of appliances, cabinets or architectural elements that impede functionality.
Ok, let’s break it down a bit more. The first step to making this decision is to do a full survey of your home, to assess which areas need help, and which ones can be left as is. Get out something to write on, and start making your list.
Repairs and Replacements:
Take a look and see what items no longer work, or work improperly, and what needs to be fixed in order to keep your home in good shape. Usually these are things that you don’t see for example, electrical issues/wiring, a leaky roof, peeling exterior finishes like siding or trim and eaves, poor fitting windows, or an old furnace or water heater. Oftentimes these can’t all be fixed at once (if there are a lot of issues), but identifying them will help you to better make a plan, moving forward.
Photo Credit: Aboveall.net
Tired decor:
Stand back and with a critical eye look at each room. What items are looking tired and worn out? These are often things like flooring, cabinetry, and light fixtures.
Photo credit AllThingsThirfty.com
Space Planning:
Where in your home is there a lack of functional space? Take a look and see where there are things happening like crowding (closets and cupboard space), a bottle-neck with traffic flow (this is often very apparent in a smaller kitchen, dining or bathroom space where there can be multiple users at one time). Is the living room feeling cramped, or does it function and feel open and inviting? Sometimes it’s just furniture placement that can make a world of difference.
Photo Credit: porchdaydreamer.com
Lifestyle Limits:
Look at your home and think about how it may limit how you live your life. Are there enough windows to let in natural light, or are the rooms feeling cave-like? Do you have appropriate areas for your children? This may include a play space if they are little, or homework/office space if they are older and need a surface to work from. What about access from the kitchen to the BBQ and outdoor spaces? Is this something that flows, or is it awkward and lacks accessibility? These are lifestyle limits.
Photo credit: Reddit.com
Other Inconveniences:
Take a few minutes, or better yet a few days, to curate a list of things that aren’t working. These can be anything that makes your home NOT perfect for you and your family, and how you live. Sometimes it’s something as little as not having a place to do crafting (or whatever your passion is), but it might be something like not enough electrical outlets in the kitchen, to make the space function well. This is all what makes your home feel and work at its optimum level.
Photo credit: Statefarm.com
Photo credit: Artistmyth.com
Love Letter:
What do you absolutely love about your home and how it serves you? Do you have a spectacular view? Is the sunshine pouring in your windows what gets you up and going at the start of your day? If you have a gorgeous antique built-in hutch, or a clawfoot tub, that you love then those should stay. What about mouldings and doors, are they spectacular? List them so you know that those are things that you would want to keep in your space, or at least re-purpose in some way.
Photo Credit: Henpicked.net
These steps will help you take a look at your home, access what is great, and what needs some work, and then move forward with the goals and planning (this might just be a hint of the blogs to come…)