What are 5 things you need to know before remodeling your home?

Stuck in confusion over your home improvement choices? Let’s narrow it down a bit. Read these 5 helpful tips from our owner, Darrell, that could help you nail down your decision and choose the best route for your dream home!

I get a lot of questions from clients/potential clients in our business that directly affect whether or not we win their business. Should we sell or should we remodel? If we are selling, how much should we do to the house to make it ready for sale? Are we going to put this money into our home remodel and never get it out? Should we build new or add a second story to this house? These are real questions from real people just like me so (as Bethany is laughing at me) sometimes I risk the business for a real, heartfelt answer. It is so important to people like our clients and me that I thought I would share some very helpful tips and answers to these questions that may help my you weather through these life changing decisions when they come along.

1.) How Long are You Planning to Stay?

One of the most important questions to answer when you are about to spend $50k – $350k on your home is…how long are you going to stay? If you are planning on moving in the next 3-5 years I would minimize the expense unless the home (according to your personal standards) is not livable.

2.) A Little Paint Goes a Long Way

If you are selling your home and it needs some work, don’t spend all your money trying to make someone else happy especially in this hot market. Decluttering and a little paint goes along way. Besides, you could spend a lot of time and money (picking the cheapest finishes you can find because it is not for you to enjoy but to sell to someone you care nothing about) only to have them move in and tear it all out (because it was the cheapest stuff you could find just to sell the house). If the house won’t sell because it must have work done, then do what you have to do.

3. Quality of Life is #1

If you’re not planning on moving in the next 5-15 years, the gloves are off. When you turn 40-45, quality of life starts to set in. You’ve worked hard your whole life and quality means something to you now and the kids are starting to leave home. Quality of life and how we feel about our homes matter to us. So much so, you and I will remodel our homes on average of every 8 years. Thank you, Joanna Gaines!

4. What’s the Payoff?

The big question that comes with #3 is whether or not you will ever get your money out of this big remodel? The state of Texas averages a 4% growth on property value each year in a healthy economy. If you stay put, you will see some return on that investment. The other side of that coin is the added value you feel about your surroundings. I do believe that if you feel peace in your home and have a pleasant environment, the stress level comes down and absolutely effects your overall health. Diet and exercise is also recommended.

5. Is Selling the Best Route?

Should I just sell my house and buy a new one? Although the question depends on what you can afford to do and what Mr. Budget will allow, the cost of building new homes (and I’m a builder) is an average of about $135 per sf without the land. That is $405k for a 3000sf home without land. Location factors in where cities are land locked as well.

The Solutions are Bigger than the Problems

Don’t get discouraged when it comes to these big decision questions, because the solutions are bigger than the problems. If I can sell you a new home project or get you to use us to do a $200k remodel on your home, we are in the business to do just that. However, we won’t let you waste your money if it is not good for us both. After all, if you move we will probably remodel your next home anyway (unless you move to Canada).

Blessings Ya’ll!

Darrell Jarrell
Owner

Jarrell Signature, Inc