Remodeling or Rebuilding Which Is the Right One for You

Remodeling or rebuilding any part of your home is usually a very time and energy-consuming task. Both require you to take a little break from your daily responsibilities and focus on the project, even if you hire professionals to do it for you. But what many homeowners don’t know about remodeling and rebuilding is that they are actually quite different and there are many nuances that do not make the two terms interchangeable.

Knowing whether you need a remodel or a rebuilding project could make it much easier for you to plan it out. Understanding what kind of a project you’ll be working on and what will be accomplished is exactly what you need to plan everything out accordingly and successfully remodel or rebuild any part of your home.

Remodeling

What You Can Expect from a Remodel

By default, home interior remodeling projects are considered to be less energy, time, and resource-demanding. Sure, much like with rebuilding projects, remodeling gives you the opportunity to freshen up your home and give it a new look. You can remodel the entire home or even a single room, as well as an outdoor living space.

Remodels are generally a more cost-effective way to freshen up the interior. Exterior house remodels are also quite common, though most often remodels will refer to interior space. A renovation in a house renews various elements or even the space in its entirety. A remodel freshens up a few aspects of the space with either minimal or extensive changes to its design. 

What Makes Something a Remodel?

What Qualifies As a Remodel

When it comes to remodeling, there is a greater focus on visual changes and updating several interiors and exterior elements of your home. Remodeling a room, for example, could be something as simple as repainting the walls to far more complicated projects like completely replacing the furniture and utilities. Changing the flooring is also a common remodeling project for many homes as well. Also, for exterior remodels, a house facade makeover can also be considered a remodel as long as none of the structural elements get demolished.

One very important factor of successful remodels is keeping at least a small part of what made the original design work. A great example of this would be to paint the walls a different shade of the same color, but this time adding crown molding for a more regal or luxurious touch. The room still resembles what it originally was, but this time with a slightly different vibe. It’s something new for sure, but it’s not a complete redesign of the space.

A remodel can also refer to how the space is used. For example, you can remodel a living room to act more like a study or lounge by replacing a few of the features. By removing the TV from the room and bringing in a desk and a few bookcases, as well as painting the room a better color to help you focus, you can change the living room into a study. However, changing the room’s function does not always translate well to every room in the house. For example, if you wish to convert a bathroom into a kitchen or a basement into a guest house, then remodeling isn’t enough. These projects are far more invasive than simply repainting the wall, as you will need to tear down a few of the interior’s features and replace them with entirely new ones.

Rebuilding

How Does Rebuilding Differ from a Remodel?

Compared to renovations or remodels, rebuilding projects are much larger in scale. While renovations and remodels largely deal with visible elements of your home, be they interior or exterior, rebuilding projects focus on the structure itself. Foundation problems, rebuilding damaged parts of the building, rearranging room layouts, and installing a new roof are all examples of rebuilding projects.

The term “invasive” in construction refers to the process of having to demolish and rebuild a certain area of your home. Repainting walls or installing crown molding is minimally invasive as most you’ll have to do is scrape off the old paint or pull out the molding. But if you’re changing the layout of your home and must tear down and rebuild a few walls, this is a far more invasive project, thus making it a rebuilding as opposed to a remodel. 

What Makes Something a Rebuilding Project?

What Projects Are Considered to Be Rebuilding

When there’s a structural problem, then a rebuilding project is required, as a remodel won’t be enough. A common reason for a rebuilding project is when there are problems with the foundation. For example, as a result of foundational problems, parts or even the entire building may start to sink into the ground. This not only means that your home’s structural integrity is compromised, but even if it’s nothing too serious, it will manifest in smaller, but still quite serious problems. Even if your house doesn’t sink into the ground, the foundational problems may cause the floor to slope in a few places, making the surface uneven.

Cracks along the walls and insulation problems may also derive from foundational weaknesses. In these cases, a mere remodel or renovation simply won’t cut it — a rebuilding project is in order. When you call in a foundation contractor they will most likely tear down a few areas of the foundation and build it anew if surface-level repairs are not enough. Essentially, any project that requires a teardown and rebuilding of various areas of your home, then it is a rebuilding project. It can be anything from rebuilding a single exterior wall, knocking down a house, room additions to a house, or even knocking down a large part of the house and rebuilding it entirely.

When to Call In the Pros

How Professionals Can Help You Decide Between Remodel or Rebuild

At the end of the day, the best way to know whether you need a remodel or a rebuilding project is by contacting professionals. It’s quite easy to book a home inspector who can come in and give you the rundown of your home’s condition.

A home inspection is a very detail-oriented profession that requires a keen eye for the tiniest elements of your home. By bringing in a licensed professional, you make it easier on yourself to pinpoint exactly what needs to be redone and changed. There is some small home remodel projects you can do on your own without the help of a house renovation designer or other professionals. However, for a rebuilding project, even simply obtaining permits takes extensive knowledge of construction. So, if at any point a more invasive task needs to be performed, you will need to book a few professional contractors who have all the right permits and qualifications.