Major Home Renovation vs New, Modern Build.
While it might seem crazy at first, it is almost always a better investment to build a house from the ground up
rather than doing a major home renovation.
Wait! Don’t leave yet. Let us explain!
We understand that the psychology of knocking down an existing structure is always the biggest hurdle
but we believe the data proves that, if you or your family require a significant addition and/or drastic
renovation to make your home work for you, it’s a better investment to start fresh.
Here are a couple of key items that we always focus on if the house was built between the 1960's and
1990's.
ROOF
Did you know that most houses over 20 years old will have major rot in the pitched roofs due to flashing and
material decay which require costly repairs? This means that for major home renovations in New York, you will
most likely need to include the substantial costs of a new roof.
Additionally, many of the homes we design on Long Island and the Hudson Valley are set on lush properties. By
designing a flat roof on all (or part) of the home, we are able to quickly create an incredible amount of
additional space that captures these enviable views of nature. However, given the changing seasons of New
York, this extra space involves a great deal of design and engineering to address drainage, freezing and
safety. The costs for addressing these important design details are included in the overall design costs for a
new build. Which ultimately means that construction costs on a flat roof are significantly less on a new build
than on an existing home.
CONCLUSION:
In a major renovation it should be assumed that, regardless of design, you will need a new roof which means
you aren't saving any money during a renovation.
The flat roof of West Beech provides a private roof deck and solar. [See More.]
CEILING HEIGHTS
Ceiling heights are one of the biggest issues in doing a major home renovation. Almost every house built
outside of NYC between the 1960's and1990's will have 8' ceilings throughout the house. If you want higher
ceilings (which nearly all of our clients do) we will be ripping out a majority of the structure to
accommodate for them. Again, this is costly and will also involve needing to remove the existing roof.
CONCLUSION:
In a major renovation, it should be assumed that you will spend more money if you want higher ceilings because
we will need to rip out and add to the existing structure.
High Ceilings in our bright, modern Open Corner House. [See More.]
KITCHENS, BATHROOMS AND/OR STAIRS
When designing a major renovation it is common to move the kitchen, bathrooms and sometimes the stairs
because the original layout doesn’t reflect a modern way of living. Unlike in modern homes, in these older
homes, kitchens are typically isolated and not visible from any space in the house, bathrooms are usually
quite confining spaces with minimal storage and stairs rarely connect to the main living spaces.
However, moving any of these elements will require new plumbing and framing plus the cost of the actual
materials. Material costs increase significantly if the new home design reorganizes the “wet” spaces or
proposes a new addition that is further away from the home’s original supply. In this scenario, we are often
faced with a choice - limit our design and settle for a less optimal layout or accept the increased
construction cost.
CONCLUSION:
In a major renovation, it should be assumed that you will spend more money if you want to move the kitchen,
bathrooms & stairs because we will need to rip out and rebuild to accommodate for the new location of these
elements.
The modern kitchen at our Open Corner House.[See More About This Home.]
OPEN FLOOR PLAN
Many of our custom home designs provide our clients with a modern open floor plan. We believe this creates
spaces that enhance people’s lives by encouraging families to gather, by filling the space with natural light,
and by making smaller space feel much larger.
If you are looking for an open plan, you will most likely need to put new steel beams in to hold up the floors
above. When designing from scratch we can incorporate this into the structure and efficiently design the plan
to accommodate the columns and beams in a way that does not interrupt the flow or create unnecessary soffits.
However, in a renovation these beams are typically just added on, often creating some unsightly details.
CONCLUSION:
In a major renovation, it should be assumed that you will spend more money if you want an open plan layout
because we will need to rip out and rebuild to accommodate for the new columns and beams.
The open floor plan at our Infinity House [See More About This Home.]
BASEMENT HEIGHTS
In Hudson Valley and Long Island properties, we are lucky to be able to create additional space in a home by
putting it in the ground. When done correctly, this can greatly increase the size of the home without
increasing the home’s footprint. However, almost every house in this area built between the 1960's and 1990's
will have unwelcoming basements with low 7' ceilings.
CONCLUSION:
In a major renovation, you will be saving the cost of a new foundation (approximately 50- 60k). However, it
should be assumed that you will have a less than desirable basement height which usually leads to wasted
space. If you choose to do a ground-up home, we will be able to design significantly more usable space for a
minimal impact on the total budget.
Yes, this is a new basement during construction! [See More About This Home.]
WINDOWS AND DOORS
Many modern homes feature large walls of glass. Embracing natural light is a key part in any of our designs,
however, older homes typically have a minimal amount of windows. Also the windows that exist are significantly
smaller in size then we would typically specify. Modernizing an older home to capture more natural light will
necessitate new windows and the (costly) structural changes needed to accommodate them.
CONCLUSION:
In a major renovation it should be assumed that (regardless of design) you will need new windows and doors
which means you aren't saving any money during a renovation.
The rear of our Harbor Hideaway opens up to nature. [See More About This Home.]
If your dream custom home design includes a flat roof and an open floor plan with large windows, then your best
investment is a ground up house not a major renovation.
By choosing to design a new build custom home, you will have less design compromises and get as close as
possible to your wish list, while still being within a similar cost to a major renovation.
Are you debating between a major renovation or a new modern home? Here’s are some free resources that
are a great place to start:
• How Much will a New, Custom Home
Cost?
• How Long will a Custom Modern Home
Take?
• What is the Custom Home Design
Process?