Your home may not seem perfect right now, but what if it could be in a few years time? What if all it took were a few home improvements to turn your current home into your dream home?
It only takes a handful of drastic renovations to completely transform a home. This could allow you to feel as if you’re in a new home without having to go through the stress of moving.
Of course, there are certain limits to renovating and these are important to factor in too. Below are a few considerations to make when considering a dream home makeover.
Work out what is feasibly possible
Achieving your dream home may not be feasible using only the space and land that you have. If you live in a small home with a tiny backyard and your dream is to live in somewhere much bigger, there may be little that you can do to achieve this dream with the space you’ve got.
Out-of-the-box thinking can sometimes enable people to undertake wild renovations. This could include extending underground or knocking down walls to completely reconfigure the layout. It’s best to speak to an architect and see what feasible ideas they can come up with – there could be ingenious ways to extend your kitchen or add an extra bedroom if you’re willing to be a little ambitious.
Find out which improvements you have permission to do
On top of practicality, you need to be sure that you have planning permission. Certain extensions may be physically feasible, but your local planning and zoning board may not approve it. This is particularly the case with improvements that infringe on neighbors’ privacy or obstruct views/sunlight for neighbors. Historical buildings and homes in preserved areas may also have heavy restrictions when it comes to renovations.
It’s worth applying for planning permission if you’re serious about making a certain renovation. If it’s an improvement that affects the interior of your home and it meets safety standards, you generally won’t have to apply for planning permission.
Weigh up the cost of renovating vs the cost of moving
Getting your current home to look like your dream home could be an expensive process. You may end up having to spend tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars to get there. You need to be certain that this is financially feasible.
Selling up and moving to a new home could be more affordable in some cases. Using a custom home builder, you may even be able to build an entirely new home to your dream specs – and it could still work out more financially feasible than renovating. Make sure that you have a clear idea of the costs needed to achieve your dream home so that you can work out the most affordable solution.
Understand that you can change the property, but not the location
You can completely transform a house, but you can’t transform the area it’s in. If you don’t like the neighborhood or the local area in general, no amount of renovating will help you achieve your dream home.
Think about what your dream home location is and whether you’d have to make major sacrifices to realistically live here. The sacrifices may not always be worthwhile and you may realize that you’re actually better off staying put and renovating.
