Ask The Contractor: Building A New House Vs. Renovating An Old One (2024)

If your family has grown, but your house hasn’t, you may be facing questions about your housing arrangements. Buying an existing home is one option. But there are other options too. A home renovation can increase the size of your house, provide better functionality and, depending on the scope, be affordable. On the other hand, building a new home from scratch could net you your dream home and possibly lower some long-term costs. Here are some factors to consider while making your decision.

Q: How much does it cost to build a new house?

A: The average cost to build a house is around $300,000 for 2,000 square feet of living space. That’s about $150 per square foot. In addition, if you don’t already own land, that’ll be a hefty additional cost that varies steeply by location. Also, the time from design to move-day can be anywhere from six months to over a year.

Q: Is it cheaper to renovate your house, buy a used one or build a new one?

A: It’s almost always less expensive to renovate an existing house than to buy used or build a new one. It’s easiest to break the numbers down by square foot, keeping in mind that costs are highly variable based on location and market shifts. On average, home renovation costs around $100 per square foot to complete, and moving costs are minimal or nonexistent. Buying a used house comes in at around $120 per square foot, and building a new one is about $150 per square foot on average.

Q: What’s the most expensive part of renovating a house?

A: Materials and labor are the driving factors behind the cost of renovating a house. Each one takes up almost half of the entire remodeling budget. Labor is typically more expensive for renovations than new home construction, where labor costs can be as low as 30% of the home.

The most expensive room to remodel is the kitchen. Kitchen renovations include all the elements of remodeling any other space, plus plumbing, HVAC, extra electrical, cabinetry, appliances and extra planning. Bathrooms, although pricey, are in a distant second place to kitchens.

Q: What house renovations boost home value?

A: One substantial benefit of remodeling instead of building new is that, with the proper renovation, you can significantly increase the selling value of your home. That could be important when it’s finally time to sell. Even less-expensive remodel projects can boost home values. Here are a few large-scale projects that can provide healthy ROI.

• Large or small kitchen remodels
• Small bathroom remodeling
• Deck or patio additions
• Basem*nt finishing
• Attic remodels

Q: What are the benefits of building a new house?

A: Perhaps the most significant benefit of building a new house is that, if your budget allows, you can create the perfect home for you and your family. You may even have the chance to build it in the perfect place. Although the upfront costs are greater than remodeling or buying a used home, long-term costs can be substantially lower in a new home. Lower maintenance costs, energy efficiency and a lack of needing future renovations often mean the overall prices are comparable to the other options in the long run.

Q: Is it better to renovate a house or build a new one?

A: A universal answer to that question isn’t possible. However, here are some questions that may help you get closer to deciding.

• Do I have equity in my current home to consider?
• What’s the state of the current real-estate market?
• What are the financing costs of both options?
• Is moving an option?
• Do I have time to wait for a new house to be built?
• Is short-term or long-term money savings more critical to my family?
• Is my family going to grow larger?