Stuck at home

We’re living in a weird time here in Bluffton.

There are homeowners who want to move, but moving just doesn’t make much sense.

Maybe you bought or refinanced during the COVID-19 pandemic and locked in an incredible interest rate. Now your family has grown, your needs have changed, and the house doesn’t quite work the way it used to.

So what do you do?

Spend money improving the home you already have? Give up that incredible interest rate, buy another house and potentially spend thousands more every month? Or I guess you could do absolutely nothing to the house and buy a new vehicle worth a quarter of your home’s value and park it in the driveway.

For the record, I think that last one is a terrible idea.

Here’s the bigger point: Your mortgage rate may have you staying put, but that doesn’t mean your house has to stay the same.

In my work as a builder, I primarily work on homes valued above $1 million. We continue to see homeowners in that segment investing heavily in their properties.

But what about everyone else?

If your home is worth less than $1 million and you’re sitting on a great mortgage rate, moving may not make financial sense right now. But neither does spending the next five or 10 years living in a house that doesn’t work for your family.

The key is improving it without overimproving it for the neighborhood.

One of my favorite ways to do that is to enclose a screened porch and convert it into conditioned living space.

We’re doing a lot of these projects right now. As families grow, their needs change. Little kids become bigger kids. Suddenly, everyone needs a little more room and, sometimes, a little more separation.

Instead of building an entirely new addition, using space that already exists can be a smart way to gain usable square footage while keeping costs under control.

Next, bathrooms.

A midsize bathroom remodel can retain around 63% of its value when it comes time to resell. But resale value isn’t the only reason to do it. The bathroom is one of those rooms you use every day, and the shower is often one of the most important parts of that renovation, both functionally and visually.

So put your money where you actually use it.

Choose a shower system that is durable, easy to clean and maintain, backed by a strong warranty and designed to last. The same thinking applies to cabinetry, plumbing fixtures and finishes.

You don’t necessarily need the most expensive bathroom in the neighborhood. You need a bathroom that works better for you today and still makes sense for the house tomorrow.

And finally, let’s talk kitchens.

For years, the trend has been to knock down every wall in sight.

Big, open great room. Huge, flat island. Kitchen in the living room. Living room in the kitchen.

And when my kids were younger, I understood it. You wanted to cook dinner while still being able to see what the kids were doing.

But kids grow up.

Eventually, you might actually want a wall again.

That’s why I think the next generation of kitchen remodeling needs to be less about following a trend and more about asking one question:

How do I want to live in this house for the next 10 years?

Not every room needs to be compartmentalized, but some separation can be a good thing. Before you remove another wall, think about privacy, noise, storage and how your family is going to use the house as everyone gets older.

Whatever you renovate, think long term. Quality cabinetry, dependable plumbing fixtures, strong warranties and surfaces that are easy to maintain can help protect the money you’re putting into your home.

Make smart improvements. Don’t overimprove for the neighborhood. Build around the way your family is actually going to live for the next five or 10 years.

Then, if the market changes and rates eventually become more attractive, you’ll be in a better position.

You’ll have enjoyed your house while you owned it, improved the things that mattered and created a better home to sell when the time comes.

Ryan Chowansky is the owner of Bluffton Builders, LLC, www.bluffton.builders.