Is it Better to Renovate, Extend or Rebuild?

It’s a common experience for many homeowners—the home that once suited your lifestyle and requirements perfectly simply doesn’t cut it anymore.

If you know you need to do something to improve the liveability or aesthetic of your home but can’t decide if you should renovate, extend or rebuild, it may help to consider the key benefits and challenges associated with each option.

RENOVATING

Renovating is the ideal option if, functionally, your current home works well for your family and lifestyle. If you love your home and feel that the existing floorplan provides ample space for you to live comfortably, a home renovation can give your home a much-needed style refresh for a fraction of the cost of an extension or rebuild.

A renovation project can address major pain points such as an outdated kitchen, tired-looking bathroom or ageing and damaged fittings, fixtures and finishes. These are usually relatively easy fixes that can dramatically improve the look and feel of your home. More extensive renovations that involve remodelling problem areas of the home can also help to improve its basic functionality.

While renovating is a great way to get your home up-to-scratch, it’s important to question the longevity of any renovation project. If you plan to stay in your current home for a while, try to envisage what your family and lifestyle will likely look like in 5,10 or 15 years’ time before commencing any renovations. If you’re likely to outgrow your home in the not-too-distant future, the best approach is to focus on renovations that will improve your homes’ resale value while you consider your options.

EXTENDING

If you love your home but are continually finding yourself in need of more space, an extension could be the ideal solution. An extension allows you to improve the liveability of your current home while retaining the existing character features that made you fall in love with the home in the first place.

Time-and-time-again we’re seeing clients who want to add a modern extension to their period home—and it’s not hard to understand why. It’s impossible to ignore the wonderment experienced when entering a well-preserved character home, before being greeted by an expansive contemporary addition.

Extending your home can however come with some challenges as you’ll be constrained to work within the confines and limitations of the existing home design. You may also need to leverage antiquated plumbing, electricals or structural elements of the existing home, which can present some issues. It’s also important to consider if the extension will consume valuable outdoor space—ideally, you’re best placed limiting your extension to stay within the footprint of the existing home if possible.

If you choose an experienced and reputable builder, they should be able to manage the process for you and find workable solutions that allow the project to run to schedule and budget. In most cases, a well-executed extension will also significantly increase the value of your home.

REBUILDING

If you want to continue living in your current location but altering your existing home to suit your current lifestyle isn’t a feasible option, rebuilding could be the perfect solution.

The key benefit to starting over from scratch and rebuilding your home is the freedom it grants you to create the exact home you want. When you opt for a bespoke build, you’ll have the flexibility to customise the home to satisfy every criterion you have and exemplify your personal tastes and preferences.

While the benefits of a home rebuild are obvious, the cost is an important factor for many homeowners considering the prospect. When you build with APC Build, you’ll benefit from our unique capability to accurately cost projects at an early stage, allowing you to make an informed decision about the financial viability of building your dream home.

While a knockdown-rebuild does typically cost more than a home renovation or extension, many clients still find it proves to be a more affordable alternative to selling up and buying another home that meets all their criteria.

WE’LL HELP YOU FIND THE BEST SOLUTION

If you’re unsure if a renovation, extension or rebuild is the way to go, it may help to speak with one of our friendly and experienced team members who can talk you through your options to find the ideal solution to suit your family, lifestyle and budget.