The best thing about owning a home is that you have the freedom to do as you please. One of the lifelong commitments most homeowners have is renovating their property to make it appear beautiful, comfortable, and strong enough to withstand inclement weather. But, before embarking on anything, it doesn’t hurt to ask yourself questions such as how often should you remodel your home.
So, in this guide, we’re going to share some essential details on when is the best time to renovate your home. We’ll also discuss why it’s important to renovate a home, common signs that tell it’s time to renovate a home and whether you should renovate your home at once or piece by piece.
Why Should You Renovate Your Home?
First and foremost, a home remodel or renovation takes around 15 – 20 years. So, it’s not something that you’ll be doing routinely. Secondly, many reasons might force you to consider redesigning your home.
One of them is giving your home a modern appearance that’s different from the past. Remember, as time passes, technology and architectural trends also change.
The second reason is to improve the resale value of your property. The third reason is to make your home structurally stronger. Remember, as your house ages, it becomes prone to decay hence fragile and dangerous to live in. So, to avoid any accidents, it’s important to remodel your home by repairing crucial parts.
How Often Should You Remodel Your Home?
As we mentioned earlier, your home will require remodeling every 15 – 20 years. However, there are factors that can influence how long you renovate your home. For instance, certain areas such as the kitchen and the bathroom require frequent remodeling as they’re the most used areas of your home.
For instance, your kitchen cabinets and countertop are used frequently as that’s where all the hard work in the kitchen is done. The same applies to bathrooms where dampness and plumbing problems are very common.
Secondly, the technology and style preferences of both kitchens and bathrooms change frequently. So, to keep up with the latest emerging trends, you have to remodel these parts of your home frequently.
Then there’s the living room space. This one will require remodeling every 20 – 25 years. Now, when it comes to the living room space, which includes the furniture, décor, walls, and flooring, you can decide to get timeless items that are hard to wear out.
For instance, you can get furniture made from high-quality wood that will survive longer without looking tattered. The carpets should be cleaned professionally, cracked tiles should be replaced immediately and wooden flooring should be sanded and refinished often to remove stains and scuff marks.
With such a strategy, the only things you can update frequently are the inexpensive decorative pieces that include wall paint, curtains, cushions, and floor mats.
Signs That Tell it’s Time to Remodel Your Home?
So, if you’re asking how often you should remodel your home, then you have an answer. However, while some homeowners remodel their homes to keep up with the latest trends, others are forced by circumstances.
This includes obvious signs that tell you it’s about time that you do something to your home. So, which are some of these signs that indicate it’s time to remodel your home?
- Leaking Roof
A leaking roof is one of the obvious signs that tell your home needs remodeling. A roof is an essential part of any home as it protects the interior from the elements. In most cases, your roofing will last for around 25 years.
However, depending on the weather conditions, the quality of materials used and the overall workmanship, the waterproofing on the roof can wear out or the roof itself can suffer damages that can allow water to penetrate through. If this happens, then you’ll have to take immediate action.
- Detaching floor tiles
Detachment of walls and floor tiles usually happens in the kitchen and bathroom where there’s a likelihood of water causing damage. Although it usually takes around 20 – 25 years for walls and tiles to deteriorate, there are times when water might accelerate the deterioration. So, if your walls and tiles are wearing out at an alarming rate, then it means it’s time to replace them.
- Chipping Paint
Now, there are many factors that cause paint to chip from walls and ceilings. Some of the common reasons include using the wrong paint, applying too many coats of paint, high humidity on the walls, using low-quality paint, exposure to sunlight, and lack of proper preparation before painting.
With all these factors in mind, it’s clear that repainting your walls/ceiling is something that can’t wait for 20 years. It’s actually something you’ll be doing frequently. Thankfully, this is one of the cheapest remodeling projects meaning it won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
- Termite Infestation
Lastly, there’s the issue of termite infestations. This comes in the form of pests, insects, and fungal growth. In most cases, this occurs when you have dirty spots or corners or excess moist and damp conditions inside your home.
Cost of Remodeling Your Home
Now that you’re ready to remodel your home, the last question you need to ask yourself is how much it will cost to accomplish the job. Here, most professionals suggest an estimated budget of around $150 – $200 per square foot.
Depending on the size of your home, this can cost you anywhere from $10,000 to upwards of $100,000. The timeframe can range from 5 – 10 months depending on whether the renovation is done all at once or piece by piece.
When I mention piece-by-piece, what I mean is starting with the most essential parts and then moving on to the less significant parts. For instance, you can decide to start by fixing a leaking roof and then repaint the walls later.
Conclusion
As you can see, remodeling your home is a project that needs a lot of thinking in terms of planning and researching. You also need to think about your budget and the amount of time it will take for the project to be accomplished. So, whether you intend to remodel your home to sell it at a high price or just give it an updated appearance, this short guide has covered everything you need to know.
