RE6 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, November 3,1998 Move or renovate? How to decide if you need more space.l You've decided your home feels cramped and you need more space. You also want a better kitchen and you've had il with the lilac bathroom fixtures which are nearly tour decades old and showing t. Stîli, you love your garden and your homes location. The school is nearby and your kids have their friendri in the neigis- bourhood.Its a real dilemma. Do you ren- ovate your extstang house, or do you selI and buy another? Not 50 many years ago, people generally sold a house when they becamne ired of it or found it no longer suited their lifestyle. But loday, with construction and land costs hagh, more and more people aie tak- ing a look at their existing home and JOYCE SCOTT REAL ESTATE INC. JR --Z ~ I NOVI PHASE Ask about our excîtîng new modèes ~SINGLES FROM $1 649900 i Wi/I Cusiornîze Te deciding to transform in into the home of their dreams. By renovating, they get a different1 house withoul ever changingi rheir address. To move or to renovate! What's right for you? Begin by considering howi you feel about your current1 homes location. Does it meeti your needs? Can you picturej yourself co ntinuing to live here for many more years? Once you decide you want to stay in tise area, look for homes in your neighbourhood that are larger or have already been renovated. Would any of these suit tise lifestyle you now want? If so, what are tisey worth and how do they com- pare to your homes current value. Your best bet is to con- tact a local Realtor. Once you have a rougis idea of wisat it will cost to purchase the kind of home you want and what your current house is worth, you will have an idea of what it wiIl coot you to move. Don't forget to include real estate, legal and otiser fées for selling and buying, as well as moving expenses, when you are comparing tise coot of reno- vating to the cost of moving. You may fend there is no sig- niticant difference between tise coot of renovating and tise cool of selling and buying a larger, already remodeled home in the same neighbourhood. Renovaling isas a lot of advanlages. You avoid the stress and inconvenience of moving, especially if its 10 a different neighbourhood. You gel bo remodel your home that way you want il, nul the way someone else has cisosen. You get to choose the materials and colour that suite you. And, you have the advantage of renovat- ing as much or as litle as you \5.Oit. Remodeling also has ito ohare of disadvantages. You have to choose the right contractor. If you make a bad choice, the resuit coutd tsom a drearri mb a nightmare. Ask friends, col- leagues and relatives to recom- mend names. Knock on the door of a renovation projeet you like and ask about the con- tractor. Cet at least three to submiùt estimates. Once a renovation is under way, be prepared for some inconvenience. If the project is extensive, you may have to move out of your home for several weeks until much of the major work is completed. Alto, be prepared for extra costo. If you decide you'd rather have hardwood flooring instead of the vinyl you were originally quoted on, be prepared to pay more money. T'Me total renovation cost is a big factor in deciding whether to go ahead or oeil and buy elsewhere. Renovation prices vary considerably, so do your homework. In making your decision, bc sure to consider thse kind of renovalion you require. A second-story addi- tion, for instance, will cost less per square foot than a rear addition, which requires a foundation. Renovations lu the actual house can also be quite coslly per square foot. Thats because you have to consider the cost of taking thse house apart, disposing of materials and inslalling new parts and materials. HO EIE APPeLE PARK EWtt INC, IREAITLLT ,O ,- -'E- E 1 681300 . Locally buit by Potor Zions Construction [id. E III ml uldicg TradItIon Sucs 1904 IAN OLIVER, Publlsher General Manager: Bill Begin Real Estate Rep: Kathy McLean Published by: The Canadian Champion, 191 Main St. E., Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9, 878-2341 Fax: (905) 876-2364 Movrtislng s accepteri on the condton tfiaf, n thie eeot of a typograpriicai error, that portion of thie adoertisirng space occupied by the erroneous item. togettrer with a reasooabie alowance for sig- rature, ail ot rie citarged for, but trie balance of trie advetisemneft wiiI rie pold for at trie applicable fate. Trie publisher reserofis the rif f0 ocategorize and reect adoedîisiog. In the eoent of typograpti- cal error, adoeftisirig goods or services af Oie wroog price, goods or services moy flot rie solO. Adetiting Is merety aa offer ta oeil and moy rie witbdrawn at ariy ime. Produced oi eharifaith e Oakoile Mlon and District Rea Estate Boord. ~ Cant~anC~jmpioe