Differences Between a Home Renovation and a Home Remodel

If you’ve been thinking about updating your home and you don’t know whether to remodel or renovate, we hope you’ll make the right decision after reading this article.

Even though the words renovation and remodel are often used interchangeably, these processes differ in both scope and cost. While renovation and remodeling both mean making physical changes to a property, they aren’t the same, and in this article, we’ll explain how they differ.

Renovation vs Remodel

Renovating a room means updating its look without changing its purpose. For example, when renovating a living room, you might change the floors, walls, cabinets, furniture, and so on, or make some structural changes, like replacing rotted wood columns with new ones, but it still stays a living room. The term renovation is also used when restoration works are done on a historical building.

A remodel, on the other hand, involves changing an area’s design and structure. For example, turning a kitchen into a bathroom, or reconfiguring the layout of the kitchen and changing the physical structure of the room by combining the kitchen with the living room. Remember that you don’t always need to make structural changes to a project for it to be called a remodel, as giving a new purpose to a room is also considered remodeling.

Differences Between a Home Renovation and a Home Remodel

To make it crystal clear how renovation and remodeling differ, we’ve listed the main differences between each.

Characteristics of a renovation project:

• Generally small-scale, but it can also be a large-scale project
• Involves updates and restorations to a space
• Usually doesn’t require major changes
• Usually costs less
• Can be done by a few people
• Generally doesn’t require a permit

Characteristics of a remodeling project:

• Large-scale project
• Changes the use of a space
• Requires major changes to the layout or structure
• Costly project
• You need a bigger workforce to complete the project
• Generally requires a permit

Common Renovation and Remodeling Projects

Now that you know what these two words mean, let's dive further into which projects are considered renovation, and which are considered remodeling.

Common renovation projects include:

• Changing the floors and walls of a room
• Replacing windows
• Installing different light fixtures
• Updating appliances
• Repainting
• Adding new technology and systems

Common remodeling projects include:

• Changing the layout of a room
• Making structural changes to a room
• Combining two rooms into one
• Raising or lowering ceilings

Removing walls

While renovations are generally cheaper than remodels, the costs depend on the following factors:

• The type of materials used
• Whether permits are required
• The condition of the room/house
• The size of the project
• The fees for consultants, contractors, and subcontractors
• The price of appliances

Should You Renovate or Remodel?

Whether you go for a renovation or a remodel will often depend on how big your budget is, how much time you have for the project, and what you want out of the space or property. Let’s give you some tips that’ll help you decide.

If you have a smaller budget and want to update the aesthetics of one or more rooms, you may want to go for a renovation. This way, you’ll get visible results in a shorter amount of time while spending a minimal amount of money. A renovation is also the best option if you’re living in a house that’s considered cultural heritage to which you can’t make any structural changes.

However, if you aren’t satisfied with certain aspects of your home, you may want to opt for a remodel. This project may help lower your costs for energy use in the future or improve the functionality of certain rooms in your home while increasing its value.

The Bottom Line

We trust that you now know the difference between renovation and remodel, and know what type of upgrade to choose for your home. In the end, whether you go for a remodel or just do a renovation, the most important thing is to plan out the scope of work efficiently, consider your budget, and find the right people to help you out. Good luck!