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April 25, 2014

Should You Move or Renovate to Adapt? Monarch Explores the Benefits of Updating Your Home to Fit Your Needs


Does this house still fit our needs? Should we move?

We often ask these questions as we journey through the different stages in our lives. Perhaps you’re ready to move into your first home, move in with your partner, or have children? Or maybe you’ve been considering downsizing because your children have grown and left; or your home’s current layout is posing mobility issues. Is moving really what you need to do? Or does renovating your current living space to adapt to your new lifestyle make more sense? Would the money you’ll have to spend on moving fees be better spent by putting it back into the home you know and love?

The time and effort involved in preparing your home for sale is staggering. From cleaning the house and painting walls, to checking off items on your honey-do list and landscaping to grab some extra curb appeal, you’ll wonder why you’re doing all this work for someone else’s benefit. When you add in all the other costs − lawyers, movers, real estate agents, bank fees, taxes, disbursements, insurance and home inspections − it can add up to huge numbers.

Should you move? Ultimately, it comes down to how you want to spend your money.

If the cost of moving is just too great, putting the money you do have into your home is key for living happily and functioning effectively in your day-to-day life. But which elements of your home do you need to renovate to make this work?

Over the next few weeks, Monarch will be exploring ways to adapt your home to your ever-changing needs. This week, we’ll discuss ways to help those hoping to adapt their home from one that was ideal for a single lifestyle into a home perfect for two.

Moving Forward: From Bachelor to Couple

You graduated from college or university, landed a “real” job, and bought your first home. And if you’re like many young professionals, this first home was your solution for how you were living at the time: single. As a first-time home buyer, you were probably not looking ahead to how you were going to be using this house in the future. There was no real thought to who would be living there or what you would be doing in the space in the future.

Fast-forward to today and your needs for a home and living space are much different than they were a few years ago. What previously worked for you, no longer works for you and your partner and it’s time for a change.

Closets that functioned for one person just fine seem smaller than ever, and the need for more storage is has doubled.  

Investing into your storage solutions will make your home feel larger and function better, resulting in a more
harmonious living arrangement. Custom storage solutions allow you to find a place for everything, and help to put everything in its place.

Now that you and your partner are living together, you may be hosting more events at your home, having friends and family over for dinner parties, backyard barbecues and game nights. Perhaps the powder room could use a facelift?

You can make a dramatic change to your home by updating your powder room to a more current and functional look. And because most powder rooms are small, you don’t have to blow your budget to make a big difference to the space.

For more renovation inspiration, drop by the Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre showroom or call 905-686-2001 to speak with a member of our design team.