By Jeff Kirk
Earlier this year, I wrote an article on which type of addition fits the needs of homeowners based on their current house. However, one thing homeowners really need to look at before undertaking a major renovation is the state of the current house they have and then compare it to the desired end result is at completion of the project. Should they renovate or remodel?
Something I’ve been seeing quite often over the last four or five years is people buying older homes then hiring an architect to draw up a very elaborate blueprint. This is all well and good, but three things are often overlooked:
1) How drastic are the changes to the existing house and is it even feasible? On some houses the structural alterations are so drastic that the amount of time in labor along with the materials to achieve what’s on paper just isn’t worth it. In some instances I’ve seen upwards of a full week of demolition even before beginning on the new structure. On a rebuild you can have an excavator knock the place down and haul it away in a matter of hours.
Do drastic changes to the existing house make the project more economically feasible or less?
2) More often than not the electrical and plumbing is so out of date that a complete rewire is required. In order to do such a thing walls have to be opened up completely to tear out the old wiring and pipes and then all new run to not only be up to code, but to work with the new layouts of lighting, and bath and kitchen fixtures.
What makes or breaks a project of this nature is the budget.
3) Budget. Ultimately, what can make or break a project of this nature is the budget. The homeowner has to look at how much they can truly afford in regards to that dream home. I have done countless major renovations and several knock down rebuilds. On one such knockdown, we priced the job both ways: As either a major remodel or a rebuild. Because of the drastic changes to the existing house, there was a $120,000 difference between remodeling and starting from scratch. The homeowners opted to go with knocking the house down. Our machine arrived on a Monday and the house was gone by 10 a.m. Wednesday. This included digging a trench for new footings for the foundation at the back of the house.
Building New Means Starting Fresh
When it comes to new builds, you can ensure that everything is level plumb and square. Though the foundation may not be perfectly level and square, you can correct it in the mudsils before framing knee walls or the first floor system. Once that’s taken care of, it should be easy sailing. With a major renovation you might be dealing with a house that’s upwards of 100 years old – one side of the house may have settled, which throws everything out of level. To boot, back when it was built they might not have been built square in the first place. The trouble with this is that you can’t always create square. So you have to split the difference and try to hide it every step of the job from framing to trim and flooring.
Smaller renovations on an older home can add value.
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