Owning your own home is the great Aussie dream, however over time we fall out of love with our current house or fall victim to the itchy feet and crave a fresh start. The journey however between these thoughts and deciding what to do with them is where most of us become stuck.

The decision ends up becoming a choice between renovating your existing home or building a brand new home with all the bells and whistles. In most cases, budget, lifestyle and feasibility become factors to consider, with both options offering their own unique benefits. Let’s take a deep dive into the advantages of both a renovation project and new build.

The benefits of renovating your existing home.

1. Don’t have to move house

Let’s start with the most obvious one and usually the one that becomes the deciding factor in our busy lives. The process of packing up all your belongings, organising removalists and then unpacking at the other end is stressful. The benefit of renovating your own home is you get to stay right where you are. No trucks necessary!

2. Save on stamp duty and agent fees

Selling a house comes with a lot of out of pocket costs – big costs that add up to tens of thousands of dollars! By undertaking a renovation, you can reinvest that money back into your existing home and enhance its features instead of lining an agent’s pocket.

3. Stay in the neighbourhood you love

Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. If you live in a neighbourhood that you love with good neighbours and facilities nearby, you might be trading all that for the unknown. A renovation on your current home will give you the extra space or new style you’re after without the fear of dodgy neighbours at the other end.

4. Increase the value of your current home

There’s no disputing that a well-executed renovation will add value to your current home. A new kitchen, bathroom shower or extension on your home could add to the capital value of your home down the track and make it even more saleable when you do decide it’s time to move.

5. Convenience

With the aforementioned points in mind, the convenience of not having to move house, make new friends or lose the lifestyle you’ve become accustomed to can’t be dismissed. Staying in your home and reimagining what could be through the eyes of a professional builder – not to mention fixing all the things that have bugged you over the years – is something to strongly consider. 

Now let’s go through the benefits of a newly built home.

1. Brand new home with new home warranty

The most appealing thing about building a new modern home is the new home warranty. Everything in your home from the floors to the kitchen door handles are brand new with the latest trends. The new home warranty gives you peace of mind that if something goes wrong, it will be fixed. Of course, choosing a reputable custom builder will reduce the likelihood of needing to follow through with this.

2. Design your new home from the ground up

All the things you’ve always wanted in a house can be yours. Designing your new home from the ground up means you get to dictate the floorplan, how much storage you have right down to that internal garage access you’ve been missing. All the things you might not have been able to fix if you bought a pre-existing home.

3. Choose the fittings and fixtures you’ve always wanted

Following on from point two, a new build will allow you to choose the exact fittings and fixtures you want in your new home. Whether it’s downlights in all your rooms or gold taps in the bathrooms for that extra elegant touch, you can guarantee your new home will reflect the style you love.

4. A fresh start in a new area

If you’re over your current neighbourhood and looking for a change of scenery, then a new build might be your perfect solution. Building a new home allows you to choose your preferred block in your desired location and build your dream home, giving you the fresh start and new adventure you’re looking for.

5. Live in your current home while your new home is built

The plus side to building a new home over a renovation is you can live in your current home while your new home is being built. This limits the disruption to you and your family and you can move into your new dream home at your own pace. 

The decision to renovate or build a new home is a personal one with unique circumstances for each person. For some it’s a financial decision and for others it’s a lifestyle or love of their current home that will be the deciding factor on whether to renovate or build. Whatever your circumstances and decision, JA Ridgley Building can help make your dreams into a reality.