No matter the home, there will come a time when everything starts to feel outdated. For some, that can come a lot sooner than others. When you purchase an older home with older features, you may feel compelled to want to make updates sooner rather than later.
But there are a number of ways you can go about making changes. Sure, you could go the easier route and just slap a coat of paint on. It can make a room feel different but that really only goes so far. You can only paint a room so many different colours before it feels like there is no change being made.
So, that is why far more people are investing in major renovations in their home. These renovations are a way to change the aesthetic and practical uses of a room to meet the needs of those living there. Or renovations can be a great way to prepare a house to hit the market.
Extensions
The thing to keep in mind about home renovations is that they are not all the same. Renovations can take on any hat that you want it to take. We each have our own unique reasons for wanting to make changes to our homes.
For starters, maybe you really do love your home or where it is located. It has a certain charm to it that you can’t find in any modern home. But there is a lack of space or certain features are missing that you would really like to have.
For this reason, an extension may be the best solution. Given the housing market of today, where finding a new home is a difficult and expensive proposition, making renovations to the home may be the most practical option.
An extension is a great way to add space to your current home. It also has a few benefits. For one, it means more space for the existing home. More space is never a bad thing, especially if the home is already limited in space as it is.
The second benefit is that it adds value to the property. Whenever you can add more liveable space to a structure, it will only increase the value.
What becomes important is ensuring that all of your bases are covered. Paying a professional contractor to undertake a renovation project can get costly quickly, which is why so many people are opting to take it on themselves.
But there is more to adding an extension than simply starting to build. Make sure to check with your local municipality to ensure that any permits necessary are acquired. The last thing you want to do is to put all that work in only for the city to tell you to tear it down.
With an extension, it has become easier than ever to take contemporary housing designs of the 50s, 60s, and 70s and give them additional space and a modern touch.
Remodelling
If you watch any of those DIY home renovation shows for more than five minutes, you are likely to hear a certain phrase: good bones. It gets tossed around a lot but it can be true. Homes with good bones have endless possibilities.
Maybe your current home has enough space to it but it doesn’t quite flow in the practical manner that you would like it to. Or maybe you are getting the home ready for sale and want it to appeal to the modern aesthetic that buyers seem to love.
Remodelling can take any aspect of the home and transform it into whatever you want it to be. Whether you are staying in the home or preparing it for sale, renovations can bring your vision to life and make the home what you want it to be.
For older homes, remodelling can be especially beneficial. These homes were designed with what was current then. That may mean more of a closed off layout. It may mean funky features that have no use in today’s world. There are a million different possibilities.
But the great thing about a remodelling project is that you can address those issues and make them what you want. It means keeping the charm that attracted you to the home in the first place and making it better and more liveable.
Best of all, even if you plan on keeping the home now, you have the knowledge of being able to sell the home sitting in your back pocket. Besides, remodelling a home is a great way to increase the overall value of the home should you ever need to sell it.
Recladding
Perhaps the biggest issue with older homes is not the practical functionality or the aesthetic. Depending on the type of home that you bought, and when you bought it, there may be issues within the walls of the home that need addressing.
Building materials of yesteryear are not what they are today. There were materials used then that were not only far less efficient but, in some cases, far less safe. Asbestos used to be commonly used in home construction but would trigger safety warnings in just about any modern structure, for example.
Buying an older home may have a certain charm or appeal to it, but there may be something less appealing waiting within the walls. Recladding means not only getting into the walls, but potentially stripping the structure down to the framework depending on what issues lay within.
While this sounds like a huge project, it has its benefits. For one, it allows the charm and appeal to remain. But the better thing is that any of those outdated and inefficient materials can be replaced with something more durable and efficient.
With more and more homes making the shift toward greater energy efficiency, having old and outdated materials may not be feasible anymore. But with recladding, you can have those materials removed and replaced with something that will help to effectively limit the amount of energy you spend without cutting into your comfort.
Perhaps the most important part is the long-term health of your home. Our home is the biggest investment that most of us make. We want to make sure that it is protected for a long time to come. When the materials within the walls are not strong or efficient, it means a threat to that investment.
But recladding can ensure that your investment is protected for decades to come. The last thing anyone wants is to have to contend with potentially dangerous materials or, even worse, a leak somewhere within the guts of the home. Make sure that your home is protected for the long-haul.
Starting From Scratch
One of the great things about working with a professional contractor is that you have options. Perhaps your existing home would take a lot more work than you are comfortable with. So, what options are you left with?
How about starting from scratch and getting exactly what you want? By working with a professional contractor, you can get precisely what you want, where you want it, and from the materials that you want.
A new build is the only way to go without making sacrifices or compromises. It is a custom build, so that means getting what you want in the exact place that you want it. No need to “make it work” when everything can be done to your specifications.
The process means working with an architect to create the perfect space and one that fits your budget. It means choosing the materials that most appeal to you based on needs and aesthetics. It means getting all of the small details down because even the smallest of details can have a major impact.
You can receive updates throughout each stage of the project, keeping you abreast of all the happenings with your home. You have the peace of mind in knowing that the end result will be precisely what you want it to be.
Make the Changes That Suit You
When it comes time to make a change – whether that be to your existing home or building from scratch – the key is to work with a reliable contractor. There are a ton of options out there for renovations and new builds, but only a few that you can lean on.
The difference in a project comes down to who is working on it. For renovations, there are more DIYers than ever before. But there is no guarantee that the DIY work done will be anything close to professional quality. With a professional on your side, you know that there is a guarantee that you can stand by.
That peace of mind should be everything when it comes to a home. After all, the last thing that you want is to question whether certain things have been done the right way or work the right way. By having a contractor on the job, you can sit back, relax, and wait for the finished product.