The decision of whether to remodel your home before or after moving in is a difficult one with many financial and practical concerns which can sway your decision to either side. In the end, you must carefully go over the arguments to decide what is best for your particular case. Since, unfortunately, there is no one answer for everyone. To help do just that, we have put together a guide with arguments weighing in favor for and against the decision. Let us answer the question of should you remodel a home before moving in!
Reasons to move in immediately
The remodeling you want to do is minor
A ‘minor’ remodel is one that would not affect your everyday life too much and can be done quickly. If all you want to do is something simple like add timber shutters, change fixtures, paint your façade, paint particular rooms, or something similar, then there is no reason to wait. You can comfortably live in your new home even if such work is in progress. It is also an excellent chance to get some DIY experience since most work is not difficult. This is a perfect way to both save some money and get to know your new home better.
Cannot afford to delay the sale of your old home
You might find yourself in a position of needing to sell your old house. To help pay off the mortgage on your new one or because you moved a considerable distance away. In that case, if you insist on not moving in immediately, you would likely be stuck living in a hotel for a significant amount of time. No matter how short a period, living out of a suitcase is more stressful than you would guess. You can never find your things, you can’t properly organize yourself, and if you have got kids, they will likely quickly get fed up with it and start making trouble. Not to mention how expensive it would be. So, if you do not have a place you can stay for an extended period, it is better to move into your new home first and worry about remodeling later.
Getting to know your new house better
If there is nothing seriously wrong with your home, then you will probably want to put off the remodeling a bit and move in first. After all, the only way to know what you want changed in your new home is to first experience what it is like at the moment. How can you tell if the windows are drafty when it is windy? How can you know whether your roof has a slight leak? All of this would need to be fixed during a remodel. So, if you rush through one, you would miss many minor problems that are not easily noticeable. If adding luxurious touches to your home is all you want to change, it is better to wait until you know the house better. So do not hesitate to move in immediately!
Reasons to postpone your move
The remodeling affects the rooms you need on a daily basis
If you’ve already planned out major remodeling work and paid for the services, it might affect the rooms you need access to. We cannot function properly without a bathroom or a kitchen, for example. And even if you can make do without a bedroom, since you could sleep in the living room, it would still not be a very comfortable way to live. In addition to that, any major remodeling would likely take quite a long time to complete. All of this means that you would be better off postponing your move. Once everything’s done and you’ve had a chance to either clean yourself or hire professionals to do it, you can start your new life in leisure and comfort. Just don’t forget you will need to get your belongings out of the way, so they are not damaged. Finding short-term storage for the duration of your project is an excellent idea (you can compare storage prices here).
You need remodeling, so the house is livable
When thinking about whether you should remodel a home before moving in, the need for extensive repairs will always result in a positive answer. If you’ve bought a fixer-upper, then it’s only expected that you’d need remodeling and repairs before you can move in. Common problems in such houses include faulty wiring, bad plumbing, leaky roofs, and more. Each one of those problems would take a lot of time to fix. However, it can also happen that such serious problems are detected only after you have bought a seemingly perfect house. So, don’t forget to do a house inspection, and it is helpful to have basic know-how before purchasing a fixer-upper.
The remodel would affect your family’s quality of life
Most do not consider the consequences of living in a house under renovation. The noise which such work produces alone is enough of a downside. It can cause migraines and keep you from sleeping in. It can even make it impossible to do any of your work at home. That’s not even mentioning its potential effect on your children’s schoolwork! Then, there is the brick dust and regular dust to worry about. If you or one of your family members have asthma or allergies, it can seriously endanger your health. Finally, there are common hazards of a remodeling sight to take into account. Things such as nails, wood chips, and potentially dangerous tools. You do not want your kids to come in contact with them daily!
Final Words
As we have established, the answer to whether you should remodel a home before moving in depends mainly on your circumstances. This is why it is essential for you to carefully consider whether or not you can push back the remodeling.