If you’re dreaming of a new home for your family in the Des Moines metro area, you may be considering whether the right choice for you is to build a new custom home or buy a “fixer upper” that you can customize for your lifestyle. There are a lot of excellent reasons for both courses of action. You should consult with a few Des Moines home builders who are experienced in remodeling and new home construction to help you evaluate which option is right for you and obtain estimates for your project. But first, think about these questions.
Will remodeling save money over new construction?
One of the biggest reasons that people choose to remodel an existing home is because they believe it will save them money. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. It’s true that if most of the changes that you want to make are essentially cosmetic, renovations can be relatively inexpensive and easy. This can include tearing down interior walls, moving plumbing and heating lines, replacing cabinetry and other kitchen appliances, replacing fixtures, changing flooring materials, etc. While these kinds of renovations can add up, careful budgeting can allow you to get a lot of bang for your buck in a short amount of time (and generally while living in a home).
However, renovation efforts that are more extensive almost inevitably snowball into large, costly projects. Knocking out exterior walls, adding bathrooms, and rearranging a home’s layout can uncover latent issues that can add up to significant expense. These can be problems like foundation issues, termites, mold, or rot, asbestos materials, inadequate plumbing, out-of-date electrical wiring, structural weaknesses, and more. Replacing and repairing these problems to bring them into compliance with can be incredibly expensive.
Homeowners frequently underestimate the cost of home renovation projects, according to a Washington Post article written by a professional home remodeler who frequently assists home flippers who are in over their heads. Contrary to what you may believe from HGTV home-flipping shows, the author notes that he’s never had a whole-house home renovation project cost less than $35,000. He notes that “…in most cases $10,000 doesn’t even buy new carpet and paint.” Even without unexpected problems cropping up, the cost of new fixtures, finishes, and appliances can add up very quickly. If you are planning to renovate multiple rooms, including expensive projects like the kitchen and bathrooms, it may make more economic sense to build a new home.
Is it worth it in the big picture?
As energy costs go up, spending a little extra money to build a new energy-efficient house instead of trying to bring an older house up to those standards will save you money for the entire time that you own your house. This can really add up, especially as ever more advanced technology becomes available for new houses. While you can do a “green” remodel using energy-efficient appliances, building a new home using high-efficiency insulation, energy-saving appliances, water-saving fixtures, and more results in whole-home savings. Even if you completely renovate an older home from top to bottom, it’s unlikely to ever be as energy efficient as a new construction build.
Also, an older home will come with older features, like its foundation and roof. Even if they were in good condition when you purchased your home, they will need to be replaced much sooner than if you build a new home. This can require difficult and expensive repairs in the months and years following your purchase.
What about your home’s history?
If a building has historical significance and is in good structural condition, remodeling and preservation may make sense. Remodeling an old home can allow you to build in an area that doesn’t have any empty, available lots while preserving the character of the neighborhood. And if you are emotionally invested in your home—if it’s your childhood home or a family home—remodeling may enable you to stay in the home you love.
If you what you love about a home is primarily its location, however, think about whether you would consider demolishing the existing structure and starting over with a custom rebuild. Particularly if the building is in poor shape—which most homes older than a few decades are—remodeling may not be worth it. For very old homes, even if many of the fixtures and components are in great shape, the overall structure and systems like insulation, plumbing, and electricity may be prohibitively expensive to upgrade. Instead, you can salvage significant portions of the structure, like stained glass windows, hardwoods, and fixtures, and incorporate them into a new custom home design that retains the old home’s historical character. A pre-demolition/renovation inspection can help you decide between renovating versus demolishing the home a much easier one—and save you money, time, and headaches.
Where do you want to live?
Living in downtown Des Moines can be vibrant and convenient, but the metro area and small towns surrounding the city offer a wealth of amenities. When looking at home builders, find those who can help you explore what both the city and surrounding towns like Johnston, Waukee, Ankeny, Altoona, and Urbandale have to offer. Outlying towns can offer close-knit residential communities, excellent school systems, and easy access to the city center, as well as additional options for private and government financing.
Homes by Brill home builders has designed and built over 500 homes in Des Moines and the surrounding towns. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you find land and get started!
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