Renovating vs. New Construction: Which Is Better For Your Project?

Homeowners will eventually have to face the dilemma of renovation vs. new construction. This situation occurs frequently in the situation of owning a home that is a decade or more of age. At Ultimate Construction, we’ve heard of every argument for both sides, which is why we’ve compiled the information below to help you decide whether you should consider renovation or new construction as you plan for your future home.

Renovation Or Build New

Renovation Overview

Renovation is a broad term that covers anything from a simple bathroom redesign to the addition of a new wing to your house. Renovation may not grant you complete freedom, but the contractor still needs your input.

Renovation Construction

The Benefits of Renovating

Renovation comes with many benefits that you may not have even considered:

  • Renovations could increase the value of your home
  • It is easier to plan and budget for a renovation
  • Some changes can make a home more functional or efficient
  • You won’t have to leave a home that has sentimental value to you

Sometimes, you might consider a new construction, but you might only need a few renovations to your current home. It’s possible that once you make those updates, you’ll discover that you’re already satisfied.

Considerations for Renovation

While renovation is much more manageable than new construction, there are important questions you must ask yourself before starting.

  • Have any renovations been done to my home by the previous owners?
  • How will this update affect the value of my home? Will it influence salability?
  • Do I need to contact local government or the HOA before I can start?
  • What exactly do I want to change and what am I willing to budge on?

These are simply a few factors you need to consider during a renovation, but once you have all the details you need, you’ll be ready to get the project started.

New Construction Overview

As you can imagine, a new construction involves a much larger investment, both in time and in expenses. You’ll need to work closely with your building team to ensure that your new home has been customized to your liking.

New Home Construction

The Benefits of Building New Construction

A new construction may seem like a daunting task at first, but you’ll find that there are benefits to building a brand-new house.

  • The home is tailored to your needs
  • Newly built homes usually have lower maintenance expenses, meaning a lesser cost in the long term
  • Your ideas won’t be hindered by pre-existing layouts or structures
  • You can choose what goes into your home, which can make it more efficient or environmentally friendly

A new construction allows for everything to be built according to your specifications. Only budget and imagination can stand in the way of your vision.

Comparing Renovation to New Build

Renovate Custom Home

When making the decision to construct or renovate, the answer is going to come down to your personal needs. Here are some questions to ask yourself before starting your project:

  • Which choice is more cost-effective for me?
  • Am I ready for the time commitment this project entails?
  • What is my budget, and how far am I willing to stretch it?
  • Which project will result in something that best satisfies my needs?

Your needs, situation, and budget help you make your final decision. Your best option is to contact a construction company to help you effectively deal with the problem. At Ultimate Construction, we will help you identify the source of the issue and provide the best solution. To obtain a free quote from a professional with over 26 years of experience, contact David Magill at 210-379-4348.

Retaining construction company FAQs

1. When should I consider renovation instead of new construction?

If you find that you are satisfied with your current home, except for a few small parts of it, we advise renovation against construction. Since there are so many traits you already love, it is likely that updating the parts that you don’t like will bring you more satisfaction than constructing a brand-new home.

2. Which would cost less renovation or new construction?

This depends on the scale of your construction or renovation. In some cases, a large-scale renovation may cost more than a small-scale new construction. However, we’ve found that new construction generally costs more than renovation, due to the amount of different expenses involved.

3. Which is more environmentally friendly?

Again, this can vary from case to case. In general, however, since you have so much freedom of what you put into a new construction, building a new home has the potential to be environmentally friendly depending on the materials and landscaping you opt for. There also are renovations you can make to an existing home that can make them more ecofriendly and energy efficient.

Winter is gone at long last, and already the people of the San Antonio area are mowing their lawns, firing up their grills, and getting ready for another summer. One thing that took a beating over the winter months and gets a lot of use in the warmer weather is the driveway. If you’re in need of concrete or asphalt driveway repair, then give us a call. We can help.

Causes of Driveway Damage

Whether it’s made of concrete or asphalt, your driveway is dependent on the underlying material to support it. Usually crushed stone is used as the foundation for driveways. When properly laid, it can do its job for many years, but over time, settling and erosion can make the stone shift. Also, when it does, the asphalt or concrete top layer can develop depressions and even potholes.

Another cause of driveway damage is the weather. The south Texas sun causes both concrete and asphalt to expand, while the cool night air forces it to contract. This constant back-and-forth motion eventually forms cracks that will grow over time until major crumbling and other damage occurs.

Human activity can also have not-so-desirable effects on driveways. Driveways are only meant to hold so much weight and storing heavy loads on them for long periods of time can do a significant amount of damage. Things like doing automotive repairs and spilling toxic chemicals can all damage driveways over time, causing dips, bulges, cracks, and crumbles.

One more frequently seen cause of driveway damage is poor construction. For example, if the person who poured the concrete or asphalt did so in a hurry, or if the initial mix wasn’t just right, then fractures and other imperfections can start to show up within months or even weeks.

Whatever sort of problems you have, if you’re in need of any driveway repair, call us at Ultimate Construction to get the repair process started. We’ll determine the underlying cause and fix it. We guarantee that we’ll leave you with a driveway that’s as good as new, if not better. So get in touch with us today.