I was hoping for a piece of apple pie this week given I ate humble pie last week in Selling Off Market, but it appears I’ll be eating humble pie again.  It doesn’t taste nearly as good as apple pie, but at least it has no calories.

So what did I do wrong this time? A little while ago I wrote So You Want to Renovate? The purpose was to point out some things to think about before you decide to renovate to help you avoid disappointment, delays and additional expenses. The purpose was NOT to dissuade you from renovating. To wit, and I quote: “We’re not saying you shouldn’t renovate. Not at all. You should definitely renovate if that’s what you’d like to do. All we’re saying is that renovations aren’t nearly as clear cut as they may appear. If you’re in Camp Renovate, make sure to have detailed conversations with your agent and your contractor before you sign on the dotted line to buy your new home and, if at all possible, bring your contractor to see your potential new home, too.”

A contractor friend of mine, someone for whom I have the utmost respect and recommend to everyone, told me he thought the article discouraged people from renovating. I told him that was not my intention at all and pointed out the quote above which made it clear, I thought, that I wasn’t against renovating. It was a friendly discussion and after rereading the piece several times, I felt comfortable that it wasn’t anti-renovating.

But two days later clients of mine said “We’ve been wondering about whether to renovate or move and after reading your article, we’ve decided to move because renovating won’t give us what we want so why go through the hassle.” Now, I could say that my article served its purpose in that it helped them consider certain issues so they could make the decision that was best for them as to whether or not to renovate. On the other hand, my friend could say that if they hadn’t read my article, they’d be renovating instead of moving. If you’re reading this, John, I apologize. I’d much rather be enjoying a piece of coconut cream pie from Scaramouche, but humble pie will have to do for now.

To keep things balanced, here are some reasons you SHOULD renovate or, in other words, you should renovate when…..

• You know exactly what you want and are unlikely to find it already done for you by someone else. For example, you may have a particular vision for your kitchen or bathrooms. Or you may have a specific need for a main floor office which isn’t commonly found in the type of home for which you’re looking.
• You have an eye for detail and are very concerned about quality. You want to make sure things are done a certain way. The only way to achieve this is to have them done yourself so you can keep a close eye on all the work that’s being done to ensure it’s completed to your satisfaction.
• You love your location and your neighbours, but you need more space. Rather than move, you might want to consider putting on an addition or digging out your basement.
• You want the peace of mind that comes from knowing the work is new, you have warranties upon which you can rely and you’ll know exactly who to call if there are issues down the road.
• You enjoy planning and executing renovation projects and seeing your visions come to life.
• You’re much more skilled than I am and enjoy doing the renovations yourself.

I’m definitely not against renovating. In fact, I usually know exactly what I want, am very concerned about quality and don’t usually want to pay for someone else’s renovations unless I can ascertain that the quality is topnotch.

So please, go ahead and renovate if it’s the right move for you. All I suggest is that you think about the things mentioned in So You Want to Renovate? so you’ll go into it with your eyes open.

As always, if you know anyone who’s interested in learning how the market works and who’d like to receive the kind of help that involves honest answers, straightforward advice, no pressure and being treated like family, please let me know the best way for me to connect with them because I’d like to offer them this kind of help. And as always, don’t be shy if you have any questions or comments about this post! Thanks for reading.