10
Jun

Renovation Rules: Renovate or Refresh Your Living Space?

It doesn’t matter if you live in a large mansion or a one-bedroom home, the state of your living space is important. Aside from wanting to keep things clean, you also want to make sure that you’re comfortable and that everything looks great. 

Is it time for a change at home? If you love home remodelling shows or just have an eye for interior design, you may be wondering if there’s a true difference between a home refresh and a home renovation. 

This may seem like we’re getting a bit nit-picky, but there actually is a reasonable difference between the two! Want to know if your living space needs a refresh or renovation? Keep reading to learn about the difference between the two terms and signs it’s time for one or the other. 

Remodel vs. Refresh Your Living Space

If you want to understand the difference between both terms, look at this from a matter of the amount of work you want to put into it. Something simple that improves the look of an area of your house could be seen as a refresh. A project that involves a lot of time and effort is usually a renovation.

When you refresh something in your home, you’re typically looking at work that involves cleaning, painting, or refinishing a surface. Refreshes happen when you’re focused on giving your home or a room a new look, but you aren’t doing anything major like tearing down walls or replacing appliances. Almost all of these projects can be DIY and won’t need to involve a contractor or other professional. 

Did you just put down some new carpet? Were your doors or windows replaced? Are you experimenting with new countertop finishes or cabinet pulls? If so, congratulations, you’ve been involved in a refresh project!

Remodelling projects are going to be a bit of a heavier lift. Major areas of your home will be completely changed, space can be added, and your appliances can be updated. 

3 Signs It’s Time for a Refresh 

Now that we’ve sorted out the difference between the two terms, let’s talk about why you may want to embark on a refresh project.

Remember, refreshes aren’t meant to be very in-depth or complicated. If you find yourself in any of the following scenarios, it may be time to think about a refresh. 

1. You’re Happy With the Way Your Home Is Built

Some people think their kitchen would function a lot better if they had more space. Other people may be okay with the size of their master bathroom, but think that the addition of a jacuzzi tub and sitting shower would be ideal. 

You, on the other hand, are perfectly fine with the way your house is currently built. There’s no need to add any more space or swap out major appliances. You definitely want to make some changes, but the layout of your house works for you and your family. 

2. Infrastructure Works Well

Your house isn’t brand new, but you’re still happy with the state of everything. There are never any issues with circuits getting overloaded and your electric bill is pretty steady even during the hottest months. You haven’t had any issues with leaks, and you don’t feel too hot or too cold when the weather gets crazy.

Infrastructure is a very popular reason for some people to go through renovation work. It can be difficult to update electric, water, and HVAC appliances without going through major renovations. 

3. Your Changes are Mainly Aesthetic

Remember, the key to home refresh work is simplicity. Any home improvement projects that are complicated or need the help of a professional usually fall into the renovation category. 

If you think that your home can be improved with some paint, carpet, and new decor, you’re looking at refresh work overall. 

Two Big Signs You Need Renovation Work

Since we’ve talked about refresh work, it’s time to look at the other side of the coin.

A home renovation project could make your home more comfortable for you or be a major selling point for potential buyers. If you find yourself identifying with any of the following scenarios, a home renovation project may be in your future.

1. Your Home Layout Doesn’t Work For You 

You’d love to cook more with your spouse in the kitchen, but there’s barely any room to move around let alone do prep work. If you could design the room all over again, you’d put the oven in a completely different place and add more cabinet space. 

Layout and space are big reasons to go through renovation work. Sometimes the only way to make your home more comfortable is to completely change things. 

2. You’re Concerned About Certain Infrastructure Functions 

Everyone in your house knows that you can’t run the dishwasher whenever you’re showering or else you won’t get any hot water. There are “bad” plugs in the kitchen you know never to use, and it seems like you’re adding more fans to the room whenever the weather gets hot. 

There are some things a coat of paint and furniture rearrangement won’t be able to fix. Sometimes things might be severe enough that getting new appliances won’t function well and you need to do serious infrastructure work to get things working again. 

Refresh, Renovate, and Revamp With the Best

The home refresh and renovation worlds may be similar, but they have key differences where it counts. Knowing the difference between a simple refresh and an involved renovation can help save you time and money when the time comes to make changes. 

Sometimes you don’t know what your home truly needs until you talk to an expert. You have plenty of great ideas on how you can improve the look and feel of your living space. Now you just need someone that can help bring your ideas to life.

Regardless of if you need help with a refresh or a total renovation, we’re here to help. Reach out to us today so we can talk about how to help with your next home project.