Renovate or move: how to decide

Start with what is wrong, specifically

• Not enough space: how many rooms, and of what kind?
• The wrong layout: a closed kitchen, one bathroom, bedrooms on the wrong floor.
• The house is tired: systems, windows, roof and finishes near the end of their life.
• The location no longer works: commute, schools, family nearby, stairs you can no longer climb.

The first three can often be fixed in place. The last one cannot, and no renovation will change it.

Can the house and the lot get you there

An addition has to fit the zoning code: setbacks, lot coverage and height. A second story has to be carried by the structure below. If the lot is tight or the code is strict, the renovation you want may need a variance, or may not be possible at all. Check that early: our permit guides link each town's rules, and the additions guide covers what the lot allows.

Compare the real budgets

• Renovating: design and engineering, permits, the contractor's estimate after a walk-through, a contingency for what the walls hide, and the cost of living elsewhere if the work forces you out.
• Moving: selling and buying both come with their own costs, such as closing costs and transfer taxes, plus moving itself and whatever the next house needs. A real estate attorney can estimate those for your sale and purchase.

Count the disruption

A large renovation can mean months of noise, dust and a kitchen or bathroom out of service, sometimes with the family living elsewhere. A move means two transactions and a new neighborhood. Neither is free of stress; decide which kind you would rather live through.

A short test

1. 1List the three things the house must changeIf none of them is about location, renovating is worth pricing.
2. 2Check the zoning and the structureIf the lot and the house allow the change, get real estimates.
3. 3Put both budgets side by sideInclude living elsewhere during the work on one side and transaction costs on the other.

Revival helps with the renovation side: a free call to get the job clear, then licensed contractors who walk through the house and give you real estimates. Revival does not give real estate or legal advice.