Don’t Let These Myths Scare You Off of Home Remodeling

With all the excitement over “Ghost-busting” going on this summer, we thought we’d get in on the action with a little busting of our own—but we’ll stick to myth-busting and leave the ghosts to the pros. There are a few home remodeling myths that seem to have been lurking around, causing confusion for many years, so we thought this would be a good time to clear a few of them up.

Myth #1: You’ll Make Your Money Back

It seems strange, and we wish it weren’t so, but when you spend money on remodeling a home, you will increase the sale value, but not to the same extent that you invest. Some remodeling gets a pretty high return. A minor kitchen remodel or siding replacement may get a return on investment that’s over 90%, but other renovations may yield a lower return. It’s best to consult with your General Contractor and/or a local realtor that specializes in your area. They can give you the peace of mind about what’s going on in the neighborhood to capitalizing on that value.

Myth #2: Investment Is the Most Important Reason for Home Remodeling

Home remodeling as an investment only makes sense if you are about to sell. If you will be in the house for five years or more, trends will change and who knows what buyers will be looking for, or what the market will be doing, by then? If you will be in your home for a while, the most important reason for remodeling is to make your home serve you better. This is especially relevant for those who are in their retirement years.

Remodeling with an emphasis on universal design facilitates aging in place, so that you can stay in your own home instead of going to assisted living, should you become unable to climb up and down stairs or in and out of a tub, or no longer be able to lift objects overhead. Today’s designs are so modern and stylish, you wouldn’t think they were “handicap” features, but upgrades that just make everything easier. Handrails no longer look like hospital gear, and accessible showers look like something off of a movie set rather than the old institutional-looking bathing options. If you aren’t familiar with them, we invite you to come to our showroom and see for yourself!

Myth #3: DIY Saves Money on Remodeling

Sometimes it’s true that you can save money by doing work yourself. You can make a fancy birthday cake a lot cheaper than buying one at a bakery. On the other hand, there’s a reason disastrous DIY plumbing repair is regularly featured on sitcoms. It’s only funny on TV, but all too common in real life.

Home remodeling is something that impacts you every day thereafter. You may not be too concerned about your cabinets being exactly straight, but every time something slides to the side on a sloping surface, you’ll will wish you’d had the job done professionally, so we recommend you hire a remodeling contractor for something as important as upgrading your house.

Myth #4: If the Contractor Is Good, the Budget Won’t Budge

An experienced remodeling contractor knows how much each part of a kitchen remodel will cost, and can work with your budget to arrive at a realistic price for the job. They will also be able to look over your property and tell you of likely additional issues that will need to be addressed, but there is always the possibility of the completely unexpected arising. Water and termite damage in hidden places are two of the more common contingencies that arise, but there are many unforeseen problems that occur during remodeling, so regardless of how carefully you and your contractor price everything out, you still must have a contingency fund in the budget.

Myth #5: You Need to Do It All at Once

It can be tempting to put off remodeling until you can afford an end-to-end makeover, but that really isn’t necessary, or even the best way to go. If you have the luxury of summering somewhere else, and the money available to do a huge remodeling project, it may make sense to just leave for several months and have the place redone. But it’s much more realistic for most people to do a room or two at a time. The time you need to be out of your home and the immediate costs are reduced, and instead of waiting for years to be able to do it all at once, you get to start enjoying the benefits of remodeling right away.

If you have any questions about kitchen remodels, adding outdoor living spaces, or any other aspect of home remodeling here in the Phoenix area, give us a call at 623-544-1211. Our certified design professionals are always happy to answer questions and assist you any way they can, and our showroom features all the latest trends in home remodeling.