Refurbish or Build from Scratch?
Robert Ciuraru is the Managing Director at Robert's 21st Century Design. In this article, he talks about the factors to consider when deciding between refurbishing a house and building a new one.
During our lifetime, we are often faced with situations where we must make important decisions. One of the most important is probably regarding our house.
Living in a proper built house with the much-loved family around is for sure everyone’s goal in terms of homes, but being the owner of a house can be very tricky and definitely brings some responsibilities and challenges. One of the biggest questions is whether or not refurbishing a house is better than building a new house from scratch.
How large is your family?
First and foremost, a house is not just for you, but also for your family. Having that in mind, it is very important to understand how much space you need on a day-to-day basis. Is it just you and your partner? Do you have any kids, or do you plan to have them? If so, how many?
You have probably already figured out where this is headed, haven’t you? It is of utmost importance to have enough rooms for every member of your family or even an additional room for guests. If you already own a house with not enough space, you can definitely think about extensions or maybe conversions, but this introduces a crucial second point that we will discuss next – how old is the construction?
House condition and age
You should probably know by now what you want for you and your family, how much space you need and how your dream house should look like. If you already have a house built just over a decade or a couple decades ago, a refurbishment could be your choice.
What kind of problems can houses built before 2000 pose? You may already know: asbestos, asbestos, asbestos. There is a whole process to take care of if you intend to refurbish old houses, and this involves some extra costs. Thus, you have to seriously think about it and decide if refurbishing is the smartest choice for your family. Another thing to consider is that used materials can be seriously damaged by harsh UK weather, with high precipitations, humidity, and mould being very serious concerns.
Let’s dig a bit deeper and mention something that could possibly generate lots of problems: plumbing and electrical installations. Being something that you are going to use every single day, even if they are properly looked after and serviced regularly, they may become very expensive to maintain or repair with the passing of the years.
In all honesty, we consider these installations the framework of every house, thus our focus is to make it a priority and always come with the best solutions.
Technology features and materials used
Last but not least, we live in a very different age today compared to a few decades ago, with many differences, especially in the construction sector. Technology evolved exponentially, with more engineering studies showing exactly what kind of materials are more efficient in terms of sustainability, environmentally friendly processes and energy. What all this means is that choosing to build a new house nowadays can offer you more quality than ever.
Over the years, we have been involved in all kinds of projects. Some of our clients wanted to convert their space, others to extend their houses or simply to refurbish what they have. We managed to stay on top of every situation with huge attention to details, so that the final result would meet our clients’ expectations, offering a well-deserved upgrade to their homes.
What is more, most of our projects are now focused on building new houses. Most of the time, it can be much easier for you, as a future house owner, to build everything from scratch, exactly how you have always envisaged it, with the best materials.
From our experience, the financial difference between refurbishing a house and building a new one is usually around 20%, so there is no surprise that we have a winner: building a new house.