Shifting means changing one’s home or place of residence. Whereas renovation means improving, modernizing, or refurbishing your old home, apartment or building to make it look more presentable.
Shifting your home
As already mentioned shifting means moving lock, stock and barrel to an entirely new place and simultaneously a new neighborhood, area or even a new city. Shifting allows you the luxury of choosing your own preference. It could mean you are shifting to a bigger and better house which is nearer to your office, your children’s schools or marketplaces. Or it could mean you are placing convenience above space area and hence moving to a smaller place that is nearer to your office or in the main city to avoid commuting longer distance to a distant suburb that may let you have a bigger and more lavish home, but leave you little time to enjoy your desired lifestyle.
These are options that would not be available to you in case you opt for renovation as compared to shifting. If you and your family want to make a new beginning then shifting is the best option. It will give you the liberty to start all over again with a fresh perspective.
Advantages of shifting your home
1. You Get To Choose Your Home or Locality As Per Your Preference
One of the biggest benefit of moving or shifting to a new house is that you get a chance to live in a location and new neighborhood of your choice. You can either buy a newly constructed home or a resale property according to your preferences. A considerably larger or smaller home, in a new locality and better neighborhood. You could even move to an area with better schools and malls, which is something you don’t get when you renovate your existing house.
2. Your New Home Will Be Modern and Up To Date
When weighing the benefits and drawbacks of moving vs. renovating, you have to take into consideration not only the frequently exorbitant costs of renovating your old home, but also the age of your home. If you are staying in a building built 3-4 decades ago then relocation or shifting is almost always the clear winner. Your new home will be built with more modern technology and have modern lifestyle amenities, and of course will allow you to stay woory-free for the next few decades.
3. You Can Avoid The Mess That Accompanies Any Renovation
When you shift to a new house, more particularly a newly constructed house, you do not have to deal with any mess that is created during renovation. Renovating your house, on the other hand, requires you to deal with a lot of stress and handle a lot of unwanted mess. This causes a lot of inconvenience and discomfort during the renovation. For example, a big change in the kitchen renovation can leave you with no proper place to cook food for a month or a new upgraded bathroom may cause a lot of discomfort for the days it is being made, as you may have to request your neighbours to let you use their bathrooms or wash rooms, as most city apartments have only one bathroom and toilet.
Each room you renovate will take a lot of time and make your life much more hectic and inconvenient. So, if your financial status permits, you can easily shift to a new place in a house of your choice. It is a more stress-free procedure.
Remember that you need to keep the cost of furnishing in mind. The new house’s design, floor, wall panels, space, and furnished rooms will cost you accordingly. So, you must find a house according to your taste and budget. If you buy a newly constructed house, then it will have the newest household designs with everything built-in from the outset – wood flooring and wall panels, spacious and modernly furnished rooms, kitchen, bathrooms with new sanitary ware and fittings. But if you buy a resale home, then also it will save you the mess and inconvenience of renovation as you can plan to move in only after all the interior decoration and furnishing has been done.
Disadvantages of shifting your home
Shifting involves buying a home, which may cost you a lot of money. You might consider that the money you will get by selling your previous house will be enough to cover all the expenses, but that’s rarely happens. You normally move to a better or bigger home in a more convenient locality, so you normally have to put in more money. Moreover, packaging all items, moving the furniture, and transporting all the stuff to a new location results in additional expenses. There will be extra charges like preparing legal papers’ fees, commission, and many more. Also, the bigger the family, the more you will need to move and the more costly as well as hectic it becomes.
Pros of renovating the house
1. Renovating Your Home Is Far Less Expensive Than Buying A New Home
While deciding whether to renovate or relocate, you must put your dreams on hold momentarily and weigh the financial consideration or the cost. It is a fact that a well-planned renovation project will not deplete your bank account as much as a purchasing a new home will do. This is because you can choose to upgrade your rooms one at a time, this makes it more cost-effective, as you can control the workflow based on your available budget.
2. Renovation Allows You To Customize Your Home According To Your Needs and Taste
There is a possibility that while you are buying a new home, you may have to compromise in a small way in some aspect, as the home may be good as per your liking, but there could be one or two elements in it that you wish could have been better For example, while you may like your modern, high-tech modular kitchen, you may have preferred your living room and bedrooms to have a balcony or your flat to have two bathrooms. And making any changes or alterations may not be possible or may prove to be too expensive as major changes may be required to be made to the structure or plumbing etc If, on the other hand, you decide to renovate your old house, you’ll be able to add wooden flooring or make your kitchen high-tech at a much lesser price.
3. Renovating Your House Allows You To Stay In The House or Locality You are More Comfortable With
Since you have spent most of your life living in your house and locality for years, you’re probably more familiar and comfortable with the neighborhood. You know your neighbours for years, get along with them and know where to go for the best coffee shops, bars, and retail establishments in the area. Your children will not have to worry about leaving behind their friends or hobbies. In addition, the new home comes with a lot of unlikely unknowns like although you may buy the house after a lot of deliberation, your building may not have sufficient water supply or the area could be prone to flooding during monsoons or you may simply not be able to gel with the neighbourhood for various reasons.
Cons of renovating the house
If you’re planning on updating a few rooms, then it’s fine. But if you wish to renovate the entire house then it may not be worth the investment. Renovating your home is cost-effective only if there are only a few areas within the home to renovate. But if you want to change the structure of the whole house, then it’s always a good idea to get a new property and shift the house. Even if your bedroom is the only room that’s being renovated and you don’t mind sleeping on the couch, the daily commotion is bound to eventually get on your nerves and disrupt your sleep.
Conclusion
Shifting and Renovating a house both have their own advantages and disadvantages. While shifting will give you a whole new address and life, it will simultaneously cost you a lot. On the other hand, renovation is quick but stressful. Therefore, it ultimately depends on your choices and requirements. Before deciding on whether to renovate or relocate, sit with your family, contemplate, weigh the pros and cons of both, as well as your budget and then decide. Don’t forget to check your bank balance, it’s the most important thing while deciding whether to renovate or re-locate.
