Stay or go

Should we stay or should we go – it’s your move

It is a huge decision to make: renovate or relocate is a tough one so make sure you have expert advice – time to call on a financial planner, estate agent, architects and builders to get all the information you need.

Then it is decision time.

COST

• Renovating will cost far less than moving.

• Depending on the age/ condition of your home and what you find when you start to rip it apart, moving could cost less.

WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT

• So why not stay put and create just that?

• A quick look at properties for sale might show you things you want just as much – if not more!

• What you create through renovation might mean you miss out on other desirable features in a new home.

• Time to study the market and consider the trade-offs.

WE WANT NEW!

• A new-build has heating systems, wireless technology and lighting systems, state-of-the-art kitchens, bathrooms, bi-fold windows and doors – you name it!

• Installing those during a renovation could push you way over budget.

WE LIKE IT HERE

• We know and like the place and the kids are thriving at school.

• A move doesn’t have to be across the country, your new dream home could be two streets or two miles away.

• Is it time to look closely at properties for sale on your doorstep?

A FRESH START

• Sometimes you know when you need to move.

• Do you need to downsize or upsize beyond your home’s capabilities?

• Garden to big or too small?

• Best time to move: kids starting primary or moving to high school or university?

• Empty nesting or new baby, kids back home to save for mortgage? Older parent coming to stay?

• Working from home/staring a business/ turning freelance needs more space.

• Only a new property can cope with this stage of your family life, unless you are prepared to renovate from the ground up – or you have enough land to build a smaller, separate property alongside.

TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION

• Will your renovation mean life in an onsite caravan or renting?

• Wouldn’t relocation just be so much simpler and less hassle right now?

. . . . . and always remember what your granny said: ‘what’s for you will not go by you!’