Whether you’ve been living in your home for years, or you just purchased a home – whether or not to remodel your Florida home is often a hot topic. Most often we look at the age of the features as a basis for remodeling – is the countertop too dated? Is the color of that vanity straight out of the 70’s?
To be sure, bringing your home up to date is an excellent reason to remodel – after all, you and your family should love where you live. But there are other reasons why you may decide to remodel as well.
Do any of these situations exist in your life? If so, it may be time to call in the experts to design a new look for your home.
When to Remodel Your Home
- You Need More Room to Cook: If you love cooking but find yourself without the room to prep, store, or prepare your food properly, it may be time for a new kitchen.
Maybe you need an island with overhead pot rack, or perhaps a wall of storage to keep everything neatly.
From butler’s pantries to double ovens, a chef needs a proper environment in which to create.
- Your Appliances are Costing You Money: Older appliances can be energy hogs. So even if they are still operational, replacing the old refrigerator, air conditioner, or washer/dryer could save you a lot in utility bills.
While you re replacing them, why not add a brand new countertop and a beautiful backsplash?
- Your Family is Growing: Your kids are growing up, or maybe Mom is moving in. Whether turning the loft into a playroom, knocking down a wall to allow for a bigger bedroom, or building an addition – your family dynamic is changing and your home’s current configuration just isn’t going to work any longer.
Remodeling allows you to stay put, but with more room for everyone.
- To Let the Sun Shine In: Older homes were often built with solid walls in most rooms, resulting in dark spaces which never see sunlight.
Open up rooms with windows or sliders to let the natural light flow in, or add skylights for concentrated sunlight which negates the need for electricity during most days. Add room darkening shades or shutters to close off the sun when needed.
- You are Getting Older: You love your home, but the steps are getting more difficult to navigate. Reconfiguring your home to move the master downstairs, as well as retrofitting the bathroom with a walk-in shower, or widening hallways for a wheelchair or walker, all make life at home more comfortable and safer.
These types of remodels will always be attractive for resale in the South Florida area, where retirees and snowbirds routinely purchase resale homes.
- It Just Makes Sense: Sometimes you decide to remodel your home simply because it makes sense. For instance, if you decide to add a pool in the backyard, it makes sense to remodel a few rooms to give access to the lanai; or add a pool bath. If you are going to be pulling down a wall anyway, taking the opportunity to upgrade windows, change flooring, or open up the space is just smart.
When you decide that you have few projects you would like to undertake, call in a general contractor to devise a plan. Although you may think you have to tackle one project at a time, it may be more cost-effective (and less disruptive to your family) to have a crew come in and completely remodel your home in one project. Call Lindahl Construction for a no-obligation consultation – we’ve been remodeling and building Longboat Key and Sarasota homes for decades.